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Distributed Computing

Also Known As Distributed Systems
Computer Systems Organization

Distributed computing is a field of computer science studying systems whose interconnected components run on different networked computers, communicating and coordinating by passing messages to achieve a shared goal. Central challenges include managing concurrency, the absence of a single global clock, and the possibility that any individual component may fail independently of the others. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Disputed
Core Concern
Which computational problems can be solved across networks of independent computers, and how efficiently, given that components communicate only by passing messages and may fail independently. 1
The article itself states there is no single agreed definition of a distributed system, and no clear line separates distributed computing from concurrent and parallel computing.
Origin Year
1982 1
1982 marks the founding of PODC, the first major dedicated conference, not a single invention date; the field emerged gradually in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Connections

Associated With

ARPANET, Systems
Source Wikipedia: Distributed Computing

Autonomic computing is defined as distributed computing resources with self-managing characteristics.

Source Autonomic Computing (Wikipedia)
Blockchain, Fields

Blockchains are managed as a peer-to-peer distributed ledger across a computer network.

Source Blockchain (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Cloud computing
Computational Science, Fields

Field-to-field association; both are standard neighbouring areas of computing

Field-to-field association; both are standard neighbouring areas of computing

Source Wikipedia: Cyber-physical system
Grid Computing, Fields

Grid computing is defined as a form of distributed computing.

Source Grid Computing (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Internet of things
Source Wikipedia: Parallel computing

SOA is placed on a continuum that starts from distributed computing.

Source Service-Oriented Architecture (Wikipedia)
Source Ubiquitous Computing (Wikipedia)

Includes

Actor Model, Concepts
Apache Hadoop, Systems
Apache Kafka, Systems
CAP Theorem, Concepts
Source Wikipedia: Client-server model
CORBA, Systems
Source Wikipedia: Erlang (programming language)
Kubernetes, Systems
MapReduce, Concepts
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Distributed Computing
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Introduction section
    When a component of one system fails, the entire system does not fail.
  • Introduction section, on definition
    Distributed computing is a field of computer science that studies distributed systems, defined as computer systems whose inter-communicating components are located on different networked computers.
  • History section
    The first widespread distributed systems were local-area networks such as Ethernet, which was invented in the 1970s.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Erlang (programming language)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: ErlangView the Source
Wikipedia: Parallel computing
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Parallel Computing, Lead section
Quote, Associated With: Parallel Computing, Lead section
The terms 'concurrent computing', 'parallel computing', and 'distributed computing' have a lot of overlap, and no clear distinction exists between them
View the Source
Wikipedia: Client-server model
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Client-Server Model, Distributed computing section
Quote, Includes: Client-Server Model, Distributed computing section
In the case of distributed computing projects such as SETI@home and the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search, while the bulk of the operations occur on the client side, the servers are responsible for coordinating the clients, sending them data to analyze, receiving and storing results, providing reporting functionality to project administrators, etc.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Cloud computing
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Cloud Computing, Similar concepts section
Quote, Associated With: Cloud Computing, Similar concepts section
Client-server computing refers broadly to any distributed application that distinguishes between service providers (servers) and service requestors (clients).
View the Source
Wikipedia: Cyber-physical system
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Cyber-Physical Systems, Examples section
Quote, Associated With: Cyber-Physical Systems, Examples section
In industry the cyber-physical systems empowered by Cloud technologies have led to novel approaches that paved the path to Industry 4.0.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Internet of things
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Internet of Things, Infobox, General conceptsView the Source
Autonomic Computing (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Autonomic Computing, Lead section
Quote, Associated With: Autonomic Computing, Lead section
Autonomic computing (AC) is distributed computing resources with self-managing characteristics, adapting to unpredictable changes while hiding intrinsic complexity to operators and users.
View the Source
Blockchain (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Blockchain, Lead section
Quote, Associated With: Blockchain, Lead section
Blockchains are typically managed by a peer-to-peer (P2P) computer network for use as a public distributed ledger, where nodes collectively adhere to a consensus algorithm protocol to add and validate new transaction blocks.
View the Source
Grid Computing (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Grid Computing, Lead section
Quote, Associated With: Grid Computing, Lead section
Grids are a form of distributed computing composed of many networked loosely coupled computers acting together to perform large tasks.
View the Source
Service-Oriented Architecture (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Service-Oriented Architecture, Defining concepts section
Quote, Associated With: Service-Oriented Architecture, Defining concepts section
SOA can be seen as part of the continuum which ranges from the older concept of distributed computing and modular programming, through SOA, and on to practices of mashups, SaaS, and cloud computing.
View the Source
Ubiquitous Computing (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Ubiquitous Computing, Lead section, list of ubiquitous computing themes
Quote, Associated With: Ubiquitous Computing, Lead section, list of ubiquitous computing themes
Ubiquitous computing themes include: distributed computing, mobile computing, location computing, mobile networking, sensor networks, human-computer interaction, context-aware smart home technologies, and artificial intelligence.
View the Source
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