Distributed Systems: Principles and Paradigms

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 803 pages
• Published by: Prentice Hall; US Ed edition January 15, 2002
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0130888931
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0130888938
• Book Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.2 x 1.4 inches
• Weighs: 3 pounds

Book Description
Presents a complete introduction to distributed principles and paradigms. Author identifies the seven key principles of distributed systems, and presents extensive examples of each. For all developers, software engineers, and architects who need an in-depth understanding of distributed systems.

Back Cover Copy


Andrew Tanenbaum and Maarten van Steen cover the principles, advanced concepts, and technologies of distributed systems in detail, including: communication, replication, fault tolerance, and security. Intended for use in a senior/graduate level distributed systems course or by professionals, this text systematically shows how distributed systems are designed and implemented in real systems. Written in the superb writing style of other Tanenbaum books, the material also features unique accessibility and a wide variety of real-world examples and case studies, such as NFS v4, CORBA, DCOM, Jini, and the World Wide Web.

FEATURES

• Detailed coverage of seven key principles.
  An introductory chapter followed by a chapter devoted to each key principle: communication, processes, naming, synchronization, consistency and replication, fault tolerance, and security, including unique comprehensive coverage of middleware models.
• Four chapters devoted to state-of-the-art real-world examples of middleware.
  Covers object-based systems, document-based systems, distributed file systems, and coordination-based systems including Corba, DCOM, Globe, NFS v4, Coda, the World Wide Web, and Jini.
• Excellent coverage of timely, advanced distributed systems topics:
  Security, payment systems, recent Internet and Web protocols, scalability, and caching and replication.
• NEW-The Prentice Hall Companion Website for this book contains PowerPoint slides, figures in various file formats, and other teaching aids, and a link to the author's Web site. Please visit http://www.prenhall.com/tanenbaum.

Reader Reviews
I acquired this book after reading Tanenbaum's excellent "Modern Operating Systems, 2nd ed." While I enjoyed that book, I couldn't finish "Distributed Systems: Principles and Paradigms." Those without a programming background and a serious need to learn distributed design principles won't finish either. "Distributed Systems" doesn't engage the reader as "Modern Operating Systems" does. While important topics like communication, processes, naming, synchronization, etc. are given full chapter coverage, discussion within some chapters fall short. For example, why introduce the concept of "little" and "big endian" on pages 74 and 75, but not adequately explain what those terms mean? My favorite aspects of "Distributed Systems" were the chapter summaries. I could almost have had my interests satisfied by reading these concise descriptions of key computing ideas. If you don't need this book in the classroom, you'll probably be happy reading the summaries, too. Comment (1) | | (Report this)