The Importance of a Distributed Architecture in Chicago, Illinois

The performance of computers to process data and store information is related to their hardware capabilities and the software they use. One way to increase this performance is by using distributed systems where a set of independent computers works as one in the eyes of the user, significantly increasing the capacity and speed of processing and storage. Distributed systems are independent of the components that make them up, providing great reliability and guaranteeing high availability. If you want to buy or want to know the importance of a distributed architecture in Chicago, Illinois then Empowered Automation is the best service provider.

There are many uses for this type of architecture, among which we can highlight distributed database systems, the world wide web service or Google cloud applications.

What is a distributed system and its characteristics?

A distributed system is defined as a set or group of computers that are independent of each other and that act as a single computer in a transparent way and whose objective is to decentralize the processing or storage of information.

Distributed distribution allows you to obtain great benefits at a reasonably low cost. Today, most computer systems are distributed and do not depend on a single node or computer to function.

The main characteristics of a distributed system are:

Concurrency: A distributed architecture allows it to be used by all users who interact on the network.

Modularity: This feature allows distributed systems to be scalable, having the ability to grow simply and efficiently.

Transparency: Providing users and applications with a view of system resources as if it were a single machine or computer.

It does not depend on the components . A distributed system does not depend on the different hardware components that make it up, since, if one fails, the others continue with the processes without the system being interrupted or suffering data loss.

Opening: The distributed architecture allows you to add new services that share existing resources without compromising the services that are already running. That is why they must be designed on standard protocols that allow the use of hardware and software from different manufacturers or developers.

Lack of Global Clock: The coordination for the transfer of messages between the different teams for the resolution of one or several tasks, do not have a general timing, that is, it is distributed to the components.

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Distributed Architecture:

Advantages of Distributed Architecture:

Using a set of independent computers to carry out processes or store data as if it were a single computer offers a series of benefits, among which we can highlight:

Increase Efficiency

Distributed systems make it possible to tackle problems and projects that require complex processing more efficiently and at a lower cost . The use of multiple nodes to process one or multiple tasks assumes a higher performance by optimizing the distribution of the same in the different sites of the network.

Greater Tolerance for Errors

A distributed architecture has a greater tolerance to failures, since when a node falls the information will be found in others. It is a much more robust system than a centralized one due to this fault tolerance without affecting processes or data.

As the workload is distributed in many different nodes, if one of them fails, the others will not be affected and the system continues to function, which allows us to affirm that distributed systems are more reliable than centralized ones.

Provides Increased Speed

A distributed architecture is characterized by providing greater processing speed . For example, if a query is made to a database, the procedures are divided between the different nodes, obtaining a much faster response than if it is done with a single node.

Flexibility and Scalability

A distributed system can be expanded horizontally in case of need to increase any of its characteristics, such as processing (CPU), storage or RAM memory. Instead of vertically increasing the capacity of the equipment, the distributed system is increased horizontally by adding a new node. A distributed system can add resources to meet new demands on the system.

Disadvantages of Distributed Architecture

Despite the enormous advantages of distributed systems, there are some drawbacks related to this type of architecture, such as:

Higher Level of Complexity

Compared to centralized systems, distributed systems have a higher level of complexity when designing, configuring and managing them efficiently.

Security

Distributed systems connect many nodes through the network and many users access it, which entails an increased risk in the integrity and privacy of data and communications.

Precisely for this reason it is necessary to adopt additional security measures for this type of architecture, so that the risk of potential attacks can be compensated, or if they occur, their effects can be mitigated.

Greater Effort

Managing a distributed system requires a greater effort on the part of administrators, since the system can include machines that have different operating systems or different versions of them. Running all of this architecture efficiently is much more complicated than in a single centralized system and requires the use of standard protocols.

In which cases is distributed architecture recommended?

Distributed architecture is used today in most existing computer systems such as:

• Commercial applications such as banking software or management systems for large companies such as SAP or CRM applications
• Cloud services such as email, cloud storage, or the world wide web
• Multimedia content including online teaching, multiplayer video games or video conferencing services
• Complex computer systems that include distributed databases, telecommunications, distributed operating systems, file servers, and programming languages

Distributed systems have become the architecture most used today to design and build computer systems. They consist of computers physically separated from each other that have their own hardware specifications and individual operating system, but which communicate over a network to function as a single system.

The distributed architecture allows processes to be carried out with greater speed and efficiency, having a great tolerance to failures, since the fall of one of the equipment that forms it does not interrupt the general operation of the system. However, the management of this type of system is much more complex than that carried out in centralized systems.