What Is Distributed Computing?

Distributed computing (or distributed processing) is the technique of linking together

multiple computer servers over a network into a cluster, to share data and to coordinate

processing power. Such a cluster is referred to as a “distributed system.” Distributed

computing offers advantages in scalability (through a “scale-out architecture”),

performance (via parallelism), resilience (via redundancy), and cost-effectiveness

(through the use of low-cost, commodity hardware).

 As data volumes have exploded and application performance demands have increased,

distributed computing has become extremely common in database and application

design. This is why it is especially valuable for scaling so that as data volumes grow,

that extra load can be handled by simply adding more hardware to the system. Contrast

this to traditional “big iron” environments consisting of powerful computer servers, in

which load growth must be handled by upgrading and replacing the hardware.

 In distributed computing, multiple computer servers are tied together across a network

to enable large workloads that take advantage of all available resources.

Distributed Processing
Distributed Computing in Cloud Computing

 The growth of cloud computing options and vendors has made distributed computing

even more accessible. Although cloud computing instances themselves do not

automatically enable distributed computing, there are many different types of

distributed computing software that run in the cloud to take advantage of the quickly

available computing resources.

Advantages Distributed Processing/Computing

 Scalability. Distributed computing clusters are easy to scale through a “scale-out

architecture” in which higher loads can be handled by simply adding new hardware

(versus replacing existing hardware).

 Performance. Through parallelism in which each computer in the cluster

simultaneously handles a subset of an overall task, the cluster can achieve high levels

of performance through a divide-and-conquer approach. The divide-and-conquer

paradigm is often used to find an optimal solution of a problem. Its basic idea is to

decompose a given problem into two or more similar, but simpler, subproblems, to

solve them in turn, and to compose their solutions to solve the given problem
 Resilience. Distributed computing clusters typically copy or “replicate” data across all

computer servers to ensure there is no single point of failure. Should a computer fail,

copies of the data on that computer are stored elsewhere so that no data is lost.

 Cost-effectiveness. Distributed computing typically leverages low-cost, commodity

hardware, making initial deployments as well as cluster expansions very economical.

Networking Elements –
Computer Network means an interconnection of autonomous (standalone) computers for

information exchange. The connecting media could be a copper wire, optical fiber,

microwave, or satellite.

 The computer network includes the following networking elements:

 At least two computers

 Transmission medium either wired or wireless

 Protocols or rules that govern the communication

 Network software such as Network Operating System

Network Criteria:

 The criteria that have to be met by a computer network are:

 Performance – It is measured in terms of transit time and response time.
 Transit time is the time for a message to travel from one device to another
 Response time is the elapsed time between an inquiry and a response.
 Performance is dependent on the following factors:
 The number of users
 Type of transmission medium
 Capability of connected network
 Efficiency of software
 2. Reliability – It is measured in terms of
 Frequency of failure
 Recovery from failures
 Robustness during catastrophe
 3. Security – It means protecting data from unauthorized access.
Goals of Computer Networks:

The following are some important goals of computer networks:

 Resource Sharing – Many organization has a substantial number of computers in
operations, which are located apart. Ex. A group of office workers can share a common
printer, fax, modem, scanner, etc.
 High Reliability – If there are alternate sources of supply, all files could be replicated
on two or more machines. If one of them is not available, due to hardware failure, the
other copies could be used.
 Inter-process Communication – Network users, located geographically apart, may
converse in an interactive session through the network. In order to permit this, the
network must provide almost error-free communications.
 Flexible access – Files can be accessed from any computer in the network. The project
can be begun on one computer and finished on another. Other goals include
Distribution of processing functions, Centralized management, and allocation of
network resources, Compatibility of dissimilar equipment and software, Good network
performance, Scalability, Saving money, Access to remote information, Person to
person communication, etc.
Types of Internet Connection

 There are many connections that can be used for internet access. All the connections
have their own speed range that can be used for different purposes like for home, or for
personal use.
 In this article, we will discuss different types of internet connections.
 Dial-Up Connection
 A dial up connection is established between your computer and the ISP server using a
modem. A dial-Up Connection is a cheap and traditional connection that is not
preferred these days as this type of connection is very slow. In this connection, we can
use either an internet connection or telephone at a time.
 Broadband Connection: Broadband refers to high-speed internet access that is faster
than traditional dial-up access. It is provided through either cable or telephone
composition. It does not require any telephone connection that’s why here we can use
telephone and internet connection simultaneously. In this connection, more than one
person can access the internet connection simultaneously.
 It is a wide bandwidth data transmission that transports several signals and traffic types.
In this connection, the medium used is coaxial cable, optical fiber cable, radio, or
twisted pair cable.
 DSL
 DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line. It provides an internet connection through the
telephone line(network). DSL is a form of broadband communication that is always on,
there is no need to dial a phone number to connect. DSL connection uses a router to
transport data and the speed of this connection range between 128k to 8Mbps
depending on the service offered. A DSL connection can translate data at 5 million
bytes per second, or 5mbps.
 Cable
 It is a form of broadband access cable modem that can provide extremely fast access to
the internet. The speed of this connection varies which can be different for uploading
data transmission or downloading.
 It uses a cable modem to provide an internet connection and operates over cable TV
lines. The speed of cable connection ranges from 512k to 20Mbps.h
Satellite Connection
 This type of connection is provided mainly in rural areas where a broadband connection
is not yet offered. It accesses the internet via a satellite that is in Earth’s orbit.
 The signal travels from a long distance that is from earth to satellite and back again
which provides a delayed connection. Satellite connection speeds range from 512k to
2.0Mbps.
 Wireless Connection
 As the name suggests wireless connection does not use telephone lines or cables to
connect to the internet. The wireless connection uses a radio frequency band to connect
to the internet. It is also an always-on connection and this connection can be accessed
from anywhere and speed may vary for different locations. It ranges from 5Mbps to
20Mbps.
 Cellular
 Cellular Network provides wireless Internet access through cell phones. Speed may
vary depending on the service provider. The most common are 3G and 4G which means
from 3rd generation and 4th generation respectively. The speed of the 3G cellular
network is around 2.0Mbps and the 4G cellular network is around 21Mbps the goal of
the 4G network is to achieve peak mobile speeds of 100Mbps but the current speed of
the 4G network is about 21Mbps.
 ISDN
 ISDN stands for Integrated Services Digital Network and it is a circuit-switched
telephone network system, but it also provides access to packet-switched networks that
transmits both voice and data over a digital line. It provides a packet-switched
connection for data in increments of 64 kilobit/s.
 ISDN connection provides better speeds and higher quality than traditional
connections. It provided a maximum of 128kbit/s bandwidth in both upstream and
downstream directions.