Questions on Distributed Systems

According to Coulouris, Dollimore, Kindberg & Blair, how do components in a distributed system communicate and coordinate their actions?

• By sharing a common memory space

• By passing messages

• By using a central coordinating server

• By operating independently without communication

Which of the following is not listed as a source for definitions of a Distributed System in the material?

• Coulouris, Dollimore, Kindberg and Blair (CDKB)

• Tanenbaum and van Steen (TvS)

• Silberschatz, Galvin and Gagne (SGG)

• Johnson and Scholes (J&S)

According to Tanenbaum & van Steen, how is a distributed system defined?

• A) A network of interconnected computers with a central server

• B) A collection of independent computers that appears to its users as a single coherent system

• C) A single computer system with multiple users

• D) A collection of computers that share a common database

How do Silberschatz, Galvin & Gagne define a distributed system?

• A) A distributed system is a single computer with multiple processing units

• B) A distributed system is a collection of computers sharing the same operating system

• C) A distributed system is a collection of loosely coupled processors interconnected by a communication network

• D) A distributed system is a group of computers working independently without communication

According to Leslie Lamport, what is a characteristic of a distributed system?

• The message transmission delay is longer than the time between events in a single process

• The message transmission delay is equal to the time between events in a single process

• The message transmission delay is not negligible compared to the time between events in a single process

• The message transmission delay is not important in a distributed system

Which of the following is an example of a distributed system as defined by Leslie Lamport?

• A single computer where the CPU, memory, and I/O channels are not separate processes

• A central computer system without any network connections

• A spatially separated collection of nodes communicating within a message passing environment

• A single computer with a central control unit and combined memory and I/O channels

How does Leslie Lamport describe a distributed system in his definition?

• As a collection of tightly integrated processors on a single chip

• As a single supercomputer performing multiple tasks simultaneously

• As a network of mobile phones sharing a common operating system

• As a collection of loosely coupled processors interconnected by a communication network

According to Jeff Darcy, how is a network described?

• A system that creates a shared space

• A system with no shared purpose

• A collection of interconnected computers without a shared space

• A system that operates independently of other systems

What is a distributed system, as defined by Jeff Darcy?

• A system that operates on a global scale

• A system that creates a shared space for a specific purpose

• A system that is not interconnected

• A system that shares resources among multiple users

Which of the following is an example of a distributed system?

• The Internet and Intranets

• Single-user Operating Systems

• Standalone Desktop Applications

• Personal Digital Assistants