Computer Science
Grade 12
20 min
Distributed Systems
Distributed Systems
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1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define a distributed system and explain its core characteristics like scalability and fault tolerance.
Apply the CAP Theorem to analyze the trade-offs in a given system design scenario.
Differentiate between strong and eventual consistency models and provide a real-world example of each.
Describe the purpose of a consensus algorithm in preventing data conflicts.
Identify potential failure points, such as network partitions and node failures, in a simple distributed architecture.
Compare and contrast communication patterns like Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) and message passing.
Ever wonder how you and a friend in another country can see the same social media post instantly, or how a massive online game keeps thousands of players in sync? 🎮 That's the...
2
Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Distributed SystemA collection of independent computers (nodes) that communicate over a network to work together on a task, appearing to the end-user as a single, coherent system.Google's search engine. Your query is processed by thousands of coordinated servers, not just one machine, to find and rank results in milliseconds.
NodeA single machine (a server, computer, or virtual machine) that is part of a larger distributed system.In a database cluster, each server holding a piece of the data is a node.
Fault ToleranceThe ability of a system to continue operating correctly even if one or more of its nodes fail.If one of Netflix's thousands of servers crashes, the service remains available because other nodes take over its workload, and you can continue strea...
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Core Syntax & Patterns
The CAP Theorem (Brewer's Theorem)
A distributed system can simultaneously provide at most two out of the following three guarantees: Consistency (C), Availability (A), and Partition Tolerance (P).
Since network failures (Partitions) are a fact of life, you must choose between Consistency and Availability. A 'CP' system prioritizes correctness over being always online during a failure. An 'AP' system prioritizes being online over ensuring every user sees the absolute latest data during a failure.
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
A client-server communication pattern where one program (the client) causes a procedure (function/method) to execute on another machine (the server) as if it were a local call.
Used for direct, synchronous communication between se...
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Easy
Which of the following best defines a 'distributed system' according to the provided tutorial?
A.single, powerful computer that uses multiple cores to process tasks in parallel.
B.collection of independent computers that appear to its users as a single coherent system.
C.software architecture where all components run on the same server but in different processes.
D.database that is stored entirely in one location to ensure maximum consistency.
Easy
What is the primary characteristic of a 'fault-tolerant' system?
A.It can continue operating correctly even if some of its nodes fail.
B.It can handle an increasing amount of work without a drop in performance.
C.It responds to all user requests with the lowest possible latency.
D.It ensures all nodes have the exact same data at the exact same time.
Easy
In the context of distributed systems, what does 'scalability' refer to?
A.The ability to recover from a network partition without data loss.
B.The guarantee that a read operation will always return the most recently written data.
C.The time delay for a message to travel between two nodes.
D.The capability to handle a growing amount of work by adding more resources.
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