Examples of Distributed Systems

1. Google’s Infrastructure

Google’s setup is a big example of how distributed systems can work on a large scale. They use stuff like Google File System (GFS), Bigtable, and MapReduce to manage huge amounts of data. This helps them offer services like search, cloud computing, and real-time analytics without any hiccups.

• Google File System (GFS):
  • GFS is a special way of organizing and handling big amounts of data across many computers. It’s made to work even if some of those computers stop working.
  • GFS copies the data in different places to keep it safe, and it makes sure we can still get to the data even if something goes wrong with one of the computers.
• Bigtable:
  • Bigtable is a special kind of storage system that can hold huge amounts of organized data across many computers. It’s great for storing lots of information and quickly finding what you need.
  • Bigtable is used in things like Google Search, Gmail, and Google Maps because it’s so good at handling massive amounts of data efficiently.
• MapReduce:
  • MapReduce is a way of programming and handling big amounts of data spread across many computers. It’s like having lots of people working on different parts of a big project at the same time.
  • This helps to get things done faster and handle really huge amounts of data. It’s great for jobs like analyzing data or doing tasks in big batches.

2. Twitter

Twitter uses a bunch of fancy computer systems to handle all the people who use it and the messages they send in real-time. They use things like Apache Mesos and Apache Aurora to make sure everything works smoothly even when there are millions of tweets happening every day. It’s like having a really strong foundation to support a huge building – it keeps everything running smoothly and reliably.

• Microservices Architecture:
  • Twitter’s setup is a puzzle where each piece does its own job. They’ve divided their system into smaller parts, called microservices, and each one takes care of a different thing, like sending tweets or handling notifications.
  • By doing this, Twitter can adjust things easily when lots of people are using it, making sure it runs smoothly no matter what.
• Apache Mesos:
  • Boss for a bunch of computers, helping them share and use their power better. It handles things like how much memory or space each computer has and makes sure everything runs smoothly.
  • For Twitter, Mesos is super helpful because it helps them run lots of little programs more efficiently, saving time and making things easier to manage.
• Apache Aurora:
  • Smart manager for computer systems. It helps organize and run different tasks and services on a bunch of machines.
  • It’s designed to make sure everything runs smoothly, even if something goes wrong with one of the machines.
  • With Aurora, Twitter can easily set up and manage its services, making sure they’re always available and working well.

Distributed systems are networks of interconnected computers that work together to solve complex problems or perform tasks, using resources and communication protocols to achieve efficiency, scalability, and fault tolerance. From understanding the fundamentals of distributed computing to navigating the challenges of scalability, fault tolerance, and consistency, this article provides a concise overview of key principles essential for building resilient and efficient distributed systems.