Basic features of distributed system

Basic featuresof distributedsystem
Transparency
Transparency or single-system image refers to the ability of an application to treat the system on
which it operates without regard to whether it is distributed and without regard to hardware or
other implementation details. Many areas of a system can benefit from transparency, including
access, location, performance, naming, and migration. The consideration of transparency directly
affects decision making in every aspect of design of a distributed operating system. Transparency
can impose certain requirements and/or restrictions on other design considerations.
Inter-process communication
Inter-Process Communication (IPC) is the implementation of general communication, process
interaction, and dataflow between threads and/or processes both within a node, and between
nodes in a distributed OS. The intra-node and inter-node communication requirements drive low-
level IPC design, which is the typical approach to implementing communication functions that
support transparency. In this sense, Inter process communication is the greatest underlying
concept in the low-level design considerations of a distributed operating system.
Process management
Process management provides policies and mechanisms for effective and efficient sharing of
resources between distributed processes. These policies and mechanisms support operations
involving the allocation and de-allocation of processes and ports to processors, as well as
mechanisms to run, suspend, migrate, halt, or resume process execution. While these resources
and operations can be either local or remote with respect to each other, the distributed OS
maintains state and synchronization over all processes in the system.
As an example, load balancing is a common process management function. Load balancing
monitors node performance and is responsible for shifting activity across nodes when the system
is out of balance. One load balancing function is picking a process to move. The kernel may
employ several selection mechanisms, including priority-based choice. This mechanism chooses
a process based on a policy such as 'newest request'. The system implements the policy
Resource management
Systems resources such as memory, files, devices, etc. are distributed throughout a system, and
at any given moment, any of these nodes may have light to idle workloads. Load sharing and
load balancing require many policy-oriented decisions, ranging from finding idle CPUs, when to
move, and which to move. Many algorithms exist to aid in these decisions; however, this calls
for a second level of decision making policy in choosing the algorithm best suited for the
scenario, and the conditions surrounding the scenario.
Reliability

Distributed OS can provide the necessary resources and services to achieve high levels of
reliability, or the ability to prevent and/or recover from errors. Faults are physical or logical
defects that can cause errors in the system. For a system to be reliable, it must somehow
overcome the adverse effects of faults.
The primary methods for dealing with faults include fault avoidance, fault tolerance, and fault
detection and recovery. Fault avoidance covers proactive measures taken to minimize the
occurrence of faults. These proactive measures can be in the form of transactions, replication
and backups. Fault tolerance is the ability of a system to continue operation in the presence of a
fault. In the event, the system should detect and recover full functionality. In any event, any
actions taken should make every effort to preserve the single system image.
Availability
Availability is the fraction of time during which the system can respond to requests.
Performance
Many benchmark metrics quantify performance; throughput, response time, job completions per
unit time, system utilization, etc. With respect to a distributed OS, performance most often
distills to a balance between process parallelism and IPC.[citation needed] Managing the task
granularity of parallelism in a sensible relation to the messages required for support is extremely
effective.[citation needed] Also, identifying when it is more beneficial to migrate a process to its data,
rather than copy the data, is effective as well.[citation needed]
Synchronization
Cooperating concurrent processes have an inherent need for synchronization, which ensures that
changes happen in a correct and predictable fashion. Three basic situations that define the scope
of this need:
 one or more processes must synchronize at a given point for one or more other
processes to continue,
 one or more processes must wait for an asynchronous condition in order to
continue,
 or a process must establish exclusive access to a shared resource.
Improper synchronization can lead to multiple failure modes including loss of atomicity,
consistency, isolation and durability, deadlock, livelock and loss of serializability.[citation needed]
Flexibility
Flexibility in a distributed operating system is enhanced through the modular and characteristics
of the distributed OS, and by providing a richer set of higher-level services. The completeness
and quality of the kernel/microkernel simplifies implementation of such services, and potentially
enables service providers greater choice of providers for such services.[citation needed]

Operating systems are there from the very first computer generation. Operating systems keep
evolving over the period of time. Following are few of the important types of operating system
which are most commonly used.
Batch operating system
The users of batch operating system do not interact with the computer directly. Each user
prepares his job on an off-line device like punch cards and submits it to the computer operator.
To speed up processing, jobs with similar needs are batched together and run as a group. Thus,
the programmers left their programs with the operator. The operator then sorts programs into
batches with similar requirements.
The problems with Batch Systems are following.
 Lack of interaction between the user and job.
 CPU is often idle, because the speeds of the mechanical I/O devices is slower than CPU.
 Difficult to provide the desired priority.
Time-sharing operating systems
Time sharing is a technique which enables many people, located at various terminals, to use a
particular computer system at the same time. Time-sharing or multitasking is a logical extension
of multiprogramming. Processor's time which is shared among multiple users simultaneously is
termed as time-sharing. The main difference between Multiprogrammed Batch Systems and
Time-Sharing Systems is that in case of Multiprogrammed batch systems, objective is to
maximize processor use, whereas in Time-Sharing Systems objective is to minimize response
time.
Multiple jobs are executed by the CPU by switching between them, but the switches occur so
frequently. Thus, the user can receives an immediate response. For example, in a transaction
processing, processor execute each user program in a short burst or quantum of computation.
That is if n users are present, each user can get time quantum. When the user submits the
command, the response time is in few seconds at most.
Operating system uses CPU scheduling and multiprogramming to provide each user with a small
portion of a time. Computer systems that were designed primarily as batch systems have been
modified to time-sharing systems.
Advantages of Timesharing operating systems are following
 Provide advantage of quick response.
 Avoids duplication of software.
 Reduces CPU idle time.
Disadvantages of Timesharing operating systems are following.

 Problem of reliability.
 Question of security and integrity of user programs and data.
 Problem of data communication.
Distributed operating System
Distributed systems use multiple central processors to serve multiple real time application and
multiple users. Data processing jobs are distributed among the processors accordingly to which
one can perform each job most efficiently.
The processors communicate with one another through various communication lines (such as
high-speed buses or telephone lines). These are referred as loosely coupled systems or distributed
systems. Processors in a distributed system may vary in size and function. These processors are
referred as sites, nodes, computers and so on.
The advantages of distributed systems are following.
 With resource sharing facility user at one site may be able to use the resources available
at another.
 Speedup the exchange of data with one another via electronic mail.
 If one site fails in a distributed system, the remaining sites can potentially continue
operating.
 Better service to the customers.
 Reduction of the load on the host computer.
 Reduction of delays in data processing.
Network operating System
Network Operating System runs on a server and and provides server the capability to manage
data, users, groups, security, applications, and other networking functions. The primary purpose
of the network operating system is to allow shared file and printer access among multiple
computers in a network, typically a local area network (LAN), a private network or to other
networks. Examples of network operating systems are Microsoft Windows Server 2003,
Microsoft Windows Server 2008, UNIX, Linux, Mac OS X, Novell NetWare, and BSD.
The advantages of network operating systems are following.
 Centralized servers are highly stable.
 Security is server managed.
 Upgrades to new technologies and hardwares can be easily integrated into the system.
 Remote access to servers is possible from different locations and types of systems.
The disadvantages of network operating systems are following.
 High cost of buying and running a server.
 Dependency on a central location for most operations.

 Regular maintenance and updates are required.
Real Time operating System
Real time system is defines as a data processing system in which the time interval required to
process and respond to inputs is so small that it controls the environment. Real time processing is
always on line whereas on line system need not be real time. The time taken by the system to
respond to an input and display of required updated information is termed as response time. So in
this method response time is very less as compared to the online processing.
Real-time systems are used when there are rigid time requirements on the operation of a
processor or the flow of data and real-time systems can be used as a control device in a dedicated
application. Real-time operating system has well-defined, fixed time constraints otherwise
system will fail.For example Scientific experiments, medical imaging systems, industrial control
systems, weapon systems, robots, and home-applicance controllers, Air traffic control system
etc.
There are two types of real-time operating systems.
Hard real-time systems
Hard real-time systems guarantee that critical tasks complete on time. In hard real-time systems
secondary storage is limited or missing with data stored in ROM. In these systems virtual
memory is almost never found.
Soft real-time systems
Soft real time systems are less restrictive. Critical real-time task gets priority over other tasks and
retains the priority until it completes. Soft real-time systems have limited utility than hard real-
time systems.For example, Multimedia, virtual reality, Advanced Scientific Projects like
undersea exploration and planetary rovers etc.

Basic features of distributed system

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Basic features of distributed system