What is a Distributed System?

What is a distributed system?

No completely satisfactory definition has been given for a distributed system, but the following can be used as a loose guide:

    * A distributed system is a collection of independent computers that appears to the users of the system as a single computer.

Example:

    * A bank with many branch offices, each branch having a local computer which can connect to all the other branch computers and a central computer.
    * If transactions can be carried out without regard to account location, this counts as a distributed system.

What is a Distributed System?

Definition: A distributed system consists of a collection of autonomous computers, connected through a network and distribution middleware, which enables computers to coordinate their activities and to share the resources of the system, so that users perceive the system as a single, integrated computing facility.