Distributed Computing: Simply In Depth

Distributed computing and application systems have become central concept of how computers are used, from web applications to e-commerce and to content distribution. Distributed systems help programmers aggregate the resources of many networked computers to construct highly available and scalable services. This book will cover both fundamental concepts in distributed computing and discuss system designs enabling distributed applications. The objectives of this book include: In-depth understanding of core concepts of distributed computing, including study of both abstract concepts and practical techniques for building system support for distributed applications; construction of distributed system components; understanding of the current state of the art in several areas of distributed computing as well as providing learners with a solid foundation for understanding and specifying distributed services, designing and analyzing distributed algorithms for reliable and fault-tolerant implementations of distributed services.

The book aims to provide an understanding of the principles on which the distributed computing are based; their architecture, algorithms and design; and how it meets the demands of contemporary distributed applications, demonstrates knowledge of the basic elements and concepts related to distributed computing technologies. It explains the knowledge of the core architectural aspects of distributed computing, design and implement distributed applications, knowledge of details the main underlying components of distributed computing (such as RPC, file systems), use and apply important methods in distributed computing to support scalability and fault tolerance as well as explains experience in building large-scale distributed applications.

This edition covers the main elements of the theory of distributed computing, in a unifying approach which emphasizes the similarities between different models, when possible, or explains inherent discrepancies, when they exist. The book presents up-to-date results in a precise, and detailed, yet accessible manner. The emphasis is on fundamental ideas, not optimizations. The set of chapters covers the important topic of middleware, examining different approaches to supporting distributed applications including distributed objects and components, web services and alternative peer-to-peer solutions. Algorithms associated with all these topics are covered as they arise and also in separate chapters devoted to timing, coordination and agreement.