Distributed System
A network of computers reaching consensus on the state of the network from passing messages to one another.
Because the computers in a distributed system agree on the state of the network. To external users it appears to be one computer instead of a group.
Since it is a group. If one single computer happens to fail. It does not bring the system down in its entirety.
Distributed systems consist of 3 components:
- Storage
- Computation
- Communications
The components operate independently. This way if one component goes down, it does not impede the ability of the others to keep operating.
Distributed systems are utilized when horizontal scaling is required. Instead of acquiring powerful individual computers to scale a network’s power vertically. More computers are added to scale the network’s power horizontally.
The most well known example of a distributed system is the Internet. With individual computers across the world communicating with one another in a massively coordinated fashion.
Blockchains are another example of distributed systems in action.
Further Reading Distributed Systems
The Complete Guide to Distributed Systems