- 2075 Asoj · 2+6 marks
Transparency properties of DS
Short answer
A distributed system is a collection of independent computers connected by a network and middleware appearing as one coherent system. Transparency types hide access, location, migration, relocation, replication, concurrency, failure, persistence, and performance/scaling differences, so users see a single system.
Define distributed system. Explain the transparency properties of a distributed system.
Distributed system
A distributed system is a collection of independent computers, connected by a network and running distribution middleware, that appears to its users as a single coherent system. Its components communicate and coordinate their actions only by passing messages (Tanenbaum; Coulouris).
Transparency properties
Transparency means hiding the separation of components so that the system is seen as a whole. ISO's RM-ODP and Coulouris define the following types.
| Transparency | What is hidden | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Differences in data representation and how a resource is accessed | Same call to read a local or remote file |
| Location | Where the resource is physically located | URL does not show the server's place |
| Migration | A resource may move to another location | A process moved to another host without the user noticing |
| Relocation | Movement of a resource while it is in use | Mobile user keeps a call while moving between cells |
| Replication | Existence of several copies | Many mirror servers behind one name |
| Concurrency | Sharing of a resource by several users | Two users editing a database safely |
| Failure | Failure and recovery of a component | Request is served by a backup when a server crashes |
| Persistence | Whether the resource is in memory or on disk | Object is loaded from disk when needed |
| Performance / scaling | System reconfigures to keep performance or grow | Load balancer adds servers |
Access and location transparency are together called network transparency, and are the most important. Complete transparency is costly, so designers balance it against performance.
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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