Introduction 1.

3 Types of distributed systems

Types of distributed systems

Distributed computing systems

Distributed information systems
Distributed pervasive systems

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Distributed computing systems

Observation
Many distributed systems are configured for High-Performance
Computing

Cluster Computing
Essentially a group of high-end systems connected through a LAN:
Homogeneous: same OS, near-identical hardware
Single managing node

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Distributed computing systems

Master node Compute node Compute node Compute node

Management Component Component Component

application of of of
parallel parallel parallel
Parallel libs application application application

Local OS Local OS Local OS Local OS

Remote access Standard network

network
High-speed network

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Distributed computing systems

Grid Computing
The next step: lots of nodes from everywhere:
Heterogeneous
Dispersed across several organizations
Can easily span a wide-area network

Note
To allow for collaborations, grids generally use virtual organizations. In
essence, this is a grouping of users (or better: their IDs) that will allow
for authorization on resource allocation.

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Distributed computing systems: Clouds

Google Apps
Software
aa Svc

Web services, multimedia, business apps YouT ube

Flickr
Application
Software framework (Java/Python/.Net) MS Azure
Storage (DB, File) Amazon S3
Platform
aa Svc

Platforms

Computation (VM), storage (block) Amazon EC2

Infrastructure
Infrastructure
aa Svc

CPU, memory, disk, bandwidth Datacenters

Hardware

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Distributed computing systems: Clouds

Cloud computing
Make a distinction between four layers:
Hardware: Processors, routers, power and cooling systems.
Customers normally never get to see these.
Infrastructure: Deploys virtualization techniques. Evolves around
allocating and managing virtual storage devices and virtual
servers.
Platform: Provides higher-level abstractions for storage and such.
Example: Amazon S3 storage system offers an API for (locally
created) files to be organized and stored in so-called buckets.
Application: Actual applications, such as office suites (text
processors, spreadsheet applications, presentation applications).
Comparable to the suite of apps shipped with OSes.

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Distributed Information Systems

Observation
The vast amount of distributed systems in use today are forms of
traditional information systems, that now integrate legacy systems.
Example: Transaction processing systems.

BEGIN TRANSACTION(server, transaction)

READ(transaction, file-1, data)
WRITE(transaction, file-2, data)
newData := MODIFIED(data)
IF WRONG(newData) THEN
ABORT TRANSACTION(transaction)
ELSE
WRITE(transaction, file-2, newData)
END TRANSACTION(transaction)
END IF

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Distributed Information Systems

Observation
The vast amount of distributed systems in use today are forms of
traditional information systems, that now integrate legacy systems.
Example: Transaction processing systems.

BEGIN TRANSACTION(server, transaction)

READ(transaction, file-1, data)
WRITE(transaction, file-2, data)
newData := MODIFIED(data)
IF WRONG(newData) THEN
ABORT TRANSACTION(transaction)
ELSE
WRITE(transaction, file-2, newData)
END TRANSACTION(transaction)
END IF

Note
Transactions form an atomic operation.
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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Distributed information systems: Transactions

Model
A transaction is a collection of operations on the state of an object (database,
object composition, etc.) that satisfies the following properties (ACID)

Atomicity: All operations either succeed, or all of them fail. When the
transaction fails, the state of the object will remain unaffected by the
transaction.
Consistency: A transaction establishes a valid state transition. This does not
exclude the possibility of invalid, intermediate states during the
transaction’s execution.
Isolation: Concurrent transactions do not interfere with each other. It appears
to each transaction T that other transactions occur either before T , or
after T , but never both.
Durability: After the execution of a transaction, its effects are made
permanent: changes to the state survive failures.

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Distributed information systems: Transactions

Model
A transaction is a collection of operations on the state of an object (database,
object composition, etc.) that satisfies the following properties (ACID)

Atomicity: All operations either succeed, or all of them fail. When the
transaction fails, the state of the object will remain unaffected by the
transaction.
Consistency: A transaction establishes a valid state transition. This does not
exclude the possibility of invalid, intermediate states during the
transaction’s execution.
Isolation: Concurrent transactions do not interfere with each other. It appears
to each transaction T that other transactions occur either before T , or
after T , but never both.
Durability: After the execution of a transaction, its effects are made
permanent: changes to the state survive failures.

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Distributed information systems: Transactions

Model
A transaction is a collection of operations on the state of an object (database,
object composition, etc.) that satisfies the following properties (ACID)

Atomicity: All operations either succeed, or all of them fail. When the
transaction fails, the state of the object will remain unaffected by the
transaction.
Consistency: A transaction establishes a valid state transition. This does not
exclude the possibility of invalid, intermediate states during the
transaction’s execution.
Isolation: Concurrent transactions do not interfere with each other. It appears
to each transaction T that other transactions occur either before T , or
after T , but never both.
Durability: After the execution of a transaction, its effects are made
permanent: changes to the state survive failures.

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Distributed information systems: Transactions

Model
A transaction is a collection of operations on the state of an object (database,
object composition, etc.) that satisfies the following properties (ACID)

Atomicity: All operations either succeed, or all of them fail. When the
transaction fails, the state of the object will remain unaffected by the
transaction.
Consistency: A transaction establishes a valid state transition. This does not
exclude the possibility of invalid, intermediate states during the
transaction’s execution.
Isolation: Concurrent transactions do not interfere with each other. It appears
to each transaction T that other transactions occur either before T , or
after T , but never both.
Durability: After the execution of a transaction, its effects are made
permanent: changes to the state survive failures.

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Distributed information systems: Transactions

Model
A transaction is a collection of operations on the state of an object (database,
object composition, etc.) that satisfies the following properties (ACID)

Atomicity: All operations either succeed, or all of them fail. When the
transaction fails, the state of the object will remain unaffected by the
transaction.
Consistency: A transaction establishes a valid state transition. This does not
exclude the possibility of invalid, intermediate states during the
transaction’s execution.
Isolation: Concurrent transactions do not interfere with each other. It appears
to each transaction T that other transactions occur either before T , or
after T , but never both.
Durability: After the execution of a transaction, its effects are made
permanent: changes to the state survive failures.

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Transaction processing monitor

Observation
In many cases, the data involved in a transaction is distributed across
several servers. A TP Monitor is responsible for coordinating the
execution of a transaction

Server
Reply
Transaction Request
Requests
Request
Client Server
TP monitor
application
Reply
Reply
Request

Reply Server

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Distr. info. systems: Enterprise application integration

Problem
A TP monitor doesn’t separate apps from their databases. Also
needed are facilities for direct communication between apps.

Client Client
application application

Communication middleware

Server-side Server-side Server-side

application application application

Remote Procedure Call (RPC)

Message-Oriented Middleware (MOM)
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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Distributed pervasive systems

Observation
Emerging next-generation of distributed systems in which nodes are
small, mobile, and often embedded in a larger system, characterized
by the fact that the system naturally blends into the user’s environment.

Three (overlapping) subtypes

Ubiquitous computing systems: pervasive and continuously
present, i.e., there is a continous interaction between system and
user.
Mobile computing systems: pervasive, but emphasis is on the fact
that devices are inherently mobile.
Sensor (and actuator) networks: pervasive, with emphasis on the
actual (collaborative) sensing and actuation of the environment.

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Distributed pervasive systems

Observation
Emerging next-generation of distributed systems in which nodes are
small, mobile, and often embedded in a larger system, characterized
by the fact that the system naturally blends into the user’s environment.

Three (overlapping) subtypes

Ubiquitous computing systems: pervasive and continuously
present, i.e., there is a continous interaction between system and
user.
Mobile computing systems: pervasive, but emphasis is on the fact
that devices are inherently mobile.
Sensor (and actuator) networks: pervasive, with emphasis on the
actual (collaborative) sensing and actuation of the environment.

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Distributed pervasive systems

Observation
Emerging next-generation of distributed systems in which nodes are
small, mobile, and often embedded in a larger system, characterized
by the fact that the system naturally blends into the user’s environment.

Three (overlapping) subtypes

Ubiquitous computing systems: pervasive and continuously
present, i.e., there is a continous interaction between system and
user.
Mobile computing systems: pervasive, but emphasis is on the fact
that devices are inherently mobile.
Sensor (and actuator) networks: pervasive, with emphasis on the
actual (collaborative) sensing and actuation of the environment.

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Distributed pervasive systems

Observation
Emerging next-generation of distributed systems in which nodes are
small, mobile, and often embedded in a larger system, characterized
by the fact that the system naturally blends into the user’s environment.

Three (overlapping) subtypes

Ubiquitous computing systems: pervasive and continuously
present, i.e., there is a continous interaction between system and
user.
Mobile computing systems: pervasive, but emphasis is on the fact
that devices are inherently mobile.
Sensor (and actuator) networks: pervasive, with emphasis on the
actual (collaborative) sensing and actuation of the environment.

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Ubiquitous computing systems

Basic characteristics
(Distribution) Devices are networked, distributed, and accessible
in a transparent manner
(Interaction) Interaction between users and devices is highly
unobtrusive
(Context awareness) The system is aware of a user’s context in
order to optimize interaction
(Autonomy) Devices operate autonomously without human
intervention, and are thus highly self-managed
(Intelligence) The system as a whole can handle a wide range of
dynamic actions and interactions

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Ubiquitous computing systems

Basic characteristics
(Distribution) Devices are networked, distributed, and accessible
in a transparent manner
(Interaction) Interaction between users and devices is highly
unobtrusive
(Context awareness) The system is aware of a user’s context in
order to optimize interaction
(Autonomy) Devices operate autonomously without human
intervention, and are thus highly self-managed
(Intelligence) The system as a whole can handle a wide range of
dynamic actions and interactions

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Ubiquitous computing systems

Basic characteristics
(Distribution) Devices are networked, distributed, and accessible
in a transparent manner
(Interaction) Interaction between users and devices is highly
unobtrusive
(Context awareness) The system is aware of a user’s context in
order to optimize interaction
(Autonomy) Devices operate autonomously without human
intervention, and are thus highly self-managed
(Intelligence) The system as a whole can handle a wide range of
dynamic actions and interactions

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Ubiquitous computing systems

Basic characteristics
(Distribution) Devices are networked, distributed, and accessible
in a transparent manner
(Interaction) Interaction between users and devices is highly
unobtrusive
(Context awareness) The system is aware of a user’s context in
order to optimize interaction
(Autonomy) Devices operate autonomously without human
intervention, and are thus highly self-managed
(Intelligence) The system as a whole can handle a wide range of
dynamic actions and interactions

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Ubiquitous computing systems

Basic characteristics
(Distribution) Devices are networked, distributed, and accessible
in a transparent manner
(Interaction) Interaction between users and devices is highly
unobtrusive
(Context awareness) The system is aware of a user’s context in
order to optimize interaction
(Autonomy) Devices operate autonomously without human
intervention, and are thus highly self-managed
(Intelligence) The system as a whole can handle a wide range of
dynamic actions and interactions

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Mobile computing systems

Observation
Mobile computing systems are generally a subclass of ubiquitous
computing systems and meet all of the five requirements.

Typical characteristics
Many different types of mobile divices: smart phones, remote
controls, car equipment, and so on
Wireless communication
Devices may continuously change their location ⇒
setting up a route may be problematic, as routes can change
frequently
devices may easily be temporarily disconnected ⇒
disruption-tolerant networks

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Sensor networks

Characteristics
The nodes to which sensors are attached are:
Many (10s-1000s)
Simple (small memory/compute/communication capacity)
Often battery-powered (or even battery-less)

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 Introduction 1.3 Types of distributed systems

Sensor networks as distributed systems

Sensor network

Operator's site

Sensor data
is sent directly
to operator

(a)

Each sensor
can process and Sensor network
store data
Operator's site
Query

Sensors
send only
answers
(b)
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