Distributed Computing:

Introduction
Manish Parashar
parashar@ece.rutgers.edu
Department of Electrical &
Computer Engineering
Rutgers University
Definition of a Distributed System (1)

A distributed system is:

A collection of independent
computers that appears to its
users as a single coherent
system.
Definition of a Distributed System (2)

1.1

A distributed system organized as middleware.

Note that the middleware layer extends over multiple machines.
 Distributed Systems

System where hardware/software components located

at networked computers communicate and
coordinate their actions only by message passing….
– Concurrency
– No global clock
– Independent failures
– …
 A typical portion of the Internet

intranet ☎
☎
☎ ISP

backbone

satellite link

desktop computer:
server:
network link:
 A typical intranet
email server Desktop
computers
print and other servers

Local area
Web server network

email server
print
File server
other servers

the rest of
the Internet
router/firewall
Portable and handheld devices in a
distributed system
Internet

Host intranet WAP

Wireless LAN gateway Home intranet

Mobile
phone
Printer Laptop
Camera Host site
 Web servers and web browsers
http://www.google.comlsearch?q=kindberg
www.google.com

Web servers Browsers

www.cdk3.net Internet
http://www.cdk3.net/

www.w3c.org

File system of http://www.w3c.org/Protocols/Activity.html

www.w3c.org Protocols

Activity.html
 Distributed Computing Issues
Heterogeneity
– Networks, hardware, OS, programming language, data representations,
etc.
• Interoperability: Middleware, mobile code, protocols
Openness
– Access, extendibility, …
Security
– Confidentiality, integrity, availabilty
Scalability
Failure Handling
– Detecting failures, masking failures, tolerating failures, tolerating
failures, recovery from failures, redundancy
Concurrency
– Consistency, causality, mutual exclusion, etc, ..
Transparency
Transparency in a Distributed System
Transparency Description
Hide differences in data representation and how a
Access
resource is accessed
Location Hide where a resource is located
Migration Hide that a resource may move to another location
Hide that a resource may be moved to another
Relocation
location while in use
Hide that a resource may be shared by several
Replication
competitive users
Hide that a resource may be shared by several
Concurrency
competitive users
Failure Hide the failure and recovery of a resource
Hide whether a (software) resource is in memory or
Persistence
on disk

Different forms of transparency in a distributed system.

 Openness
Openness means that a number of different
platforms can be used in a network, all that is
needed is some common protocol for them to
communicate
 Scalability Problems

Concept Example

Centralized services A single server for all users

Centralized data A single on-line telephone book

Centralized algorithms Doing routing based on complete information

Examples of scalability limitations.

 Scaling Techniques (1)

1.4

The difference between letting:

a) a server or
b) a client check forms as they are being filled
 Scaling Techniques (2)

1.5

An example of dividing the DNS name space into zones.

 Hardware Concepts

1.6

Different basic organizations and memories in distributed

computer systems
Multiprocessors (1)

1.7

A bus-based multiprocessor.
 Multiprocessors (2)

1.8

a) A crossbar switch
b) An omega switching network
Homogeneous Multicomputer Systems

1-9

a) Grid
b) Hypercube
 Software Concepts
System Description Main Goal

Tightly-coupled operating system for multi- Hide and manage

DOS processors and homogeneous hardware
multicomputers resources
Loosely-coupled operating system for Offer local
NOS heterogeneous multicomputers (LAN and services to remote
WAN) clients
Provide
Additional layer atop of NOS implementing
Middleware distribution
general-purpose services
transparency

An overview between
• DOS (Distributed Operating Systems)
• NOS (Network Operating Systems)
• Middleware
Uniprocessor Operating Systems

1.11

Separating applications from operating system code

through a microkernel.
Multiprocessor Operating Systems (1)
monitor Counter {
private:
int count = 0;
public:
int value() { return count;}
void incr () { count = count + 1;}
void decr() { count = count – 1;}
}

A monitor to protect an integer against concurrent access.

Multiprocessor Operating Systems (2)
monitor Counter {
private: void decr() {
int count = 0; if (count ==0) {
int blocked_procs = 0; blocked_procs = blocked_procs + 1;
condition unblocked; wait (unblocked);
public: blocked_procs = blocked_procs – 1;
int value () { return count;} }
void incr () { else
if (blocked_procs == 0) count = count – 1;
count = count + 1; }
else }
signal (unblocked);
}

A monitor to protect an integer against concurrent access, but

blocking a process.
Multicomputer Operating Systems (1)

1.14

General structure of a multicomputer operating system

Multicomputer Operating Systems (2)

1.15

Alternatives for blocking and buffering in message passing.

Multicomputer Operating Systems (3)

Reliable comm.
Synchronization point Send buffer
guaranteed?
Block sender until buffer not full Yes Not necessary

Block sender until message sent No Not necessary

Block sender until message received No Necessary

Block sender until message delivered No Necessary

Relation between blocking, buffering, and reliable communications.

Distributed Shared Memory Systems (1)

a) Pages of address
space distributed
among four
machines
b) Situation after
CPU 1 references
page 10
c) Situation if page
10 is read only
and replication is
used
Distributed Shared Memory Systems (2)

1.18

False sharing of a page between two independent processes.

Network Operating System (1)

1-19

General structure of a network operating system.

Network Operating System (2)

1-20

Two clients and a server in a network operating system.

 Network Operating System (3)

1.21

Different clients may mount the servers in different places.

 Positioning Middleware

1-22

General structure of a distributed system as middleware.

 Middleware and Openness

1.23

In an open middleware-based distributed system, the protocols

used by each middleware layer should be the same, as well as
the interfaces they offer to applications.
 Comparison between Systems
Distributed OS
Network Middleware-
Item
OS based OS
Multiproc. Multicomp.

Degree of transparency Very High High Low High

Same OS on all nodes Yes Yes No No

Number of copies of OS 1 N N N
Basis for Shared
Messages Files Model specific
communication memory
Global, Global,
Resource management Per node Per node
central distributed
Scalability No Moderately Yes Varies

Openness Closed Closed Open Open

A comparison between multiprocessor operating systems,

multicomputer operating systems, network operating
systems, and middleware based distributed systems.
 Clients and Servers

1.25

General interaction between a client and a server.

An Example Client and Server (1)

The header.h file used by the client and server.

An Example Client and Server (2)

A sample server.
An Example Client and Server (3)

1-27 b

A client using the server to copy a file.

 Processing Level

1-28

The general organization of an Internet search engine into

three different layers
Multitiered Architectures (1)

1-29

Alternative client-server organizations (a) – (e).

Multitiered Architectures (2)

1-30

An example of a server acting as a client.

 Modern Architectures

1-31

An example of horizontal distribution of a Web service.