Description: A distributed system is a model in which components located on networked computers communicate and coordinate their actions by exchanging messages. This approach allows multiple independent systems to work together to achieve a common goal, providing greater scalability, availability, and fault tolerance. Distributed systems can consist of servers, clients, mobile devices, and embedded systems, all interconnected through a network. The main characteristics of these systems include transparency, where users do not need to know the location of resources; scalability, which allows adding more nodes without affecting performance; and resilience, which ensures that the system continues to function even if some of its components fail. Additionally, distributed systems can be implemented in various architectures, such as microservices or monolithic, and can utilize virtualization and container technologies to optimize resource management and facilitate service orchestration. In summary, distributed systems are fundamental in modern software architecture, enabling the creation of robust and efficient applications that can adapt to the changing needs of users and the market.
History: The concept of distributed systems began to take shape in the 1970s when the first computer networks were developed. One important milestone was the development of the network communication model in 1973 by Vinton Cerf and Bob Kahn, which laid the groundwork for the interconnection of systems. Over the years, the evolution of networking and computing technology has enabled the creation of more complex and efficient distributed systems, such as the Andrew File System (AFS) in 1983 and distributed database management systems in the 1990s. Today, technologies like cloud computing and microservices have led to a surge in the use of distributed systems.
Uses: Distributed systems are used in a wide variety of applications, including cloud services, database management systems, scalable web applications, and real-time data processing systems. They are also foundational in the development of mobile applications and in the implementation of microservices architectures, where different components of an application run on different servers and communicate with each other through APIs. Additionally, they are used in embedded systems and industrial automation, where multiple devices must work together in a coordinated manner.
Examples: Examples of distributed systems include cloud computing platforms, which allow users to store and process data across multiple servers; data processing frameworks like Apache Hadoop, which distributes the processing of large volumes of data across a cluster of computers; and version control systems like Git, which enable developers to collaborate on software projects from different locations. Another example is distributed file systems that manage large amounts of data in a networked environment.
