Explaining Distributed Systems in Systems Engineering

Interview Question: Can you explain the concept of a distributed system and its advantages over a centralized system?

A distributed system is a network of interconnected computers that work together as a single entity. In a distributed system, tasks and processing are spread across multiple nodes in the network, allowing for decentralized decision-making and improved fault tolerance.

Advantages of Distributed Systems over Centralized Systems:

1. Scalability: Distributed systems can easily scale by adding more nodes to the network, making it easier to handle increasing workloads.
2. Reliability: Distributed systems are more reliable as they can continue to operate even if one node fails, ensuring high availability.
3. Performance: By distributing processing tasks, distributed systems can often achieve better performance than centralized systems, especially for tasks that can be parallelized.
4. Flexibility: Distributed systems allow for greater flexibility in terms of resource allocation and load distribution, adapting to changing demands efficiently.

Overall, the concept of distributed systems offers numerous advantages over centralized systems, making them a preferred choice for many applications in the field of systems engineering.