The aim of this module is to familiarize students with issues and successful approaches in the design of distributed systems. Detailed case studies of widely used systems will be discussed in this module.
The course covers: the organisation of distributed systems, focusing on various architectural styles used to develop such systems; core technologies to implement distributed systems; various models and infrastructures to support Cloud computing – such as virtualisation; and emerging themes in distributed systems, such as fault tolerance and policy driven autonomic self-management. 
 

1. Demonstrate and apply knowledge about the state-of-the-art in distributed-systems architectures.
2. Understand issues in distributing an application across a network.
3. Appreciate the difference between various distributed computing middleware and their communication mechanisms.
4. Demonstrate and apply knowledge of common security practices within distributed systems.
5. Understand and be able to utilize Cloud computing environments.
6. Demonstrate and apply knowledge of standards in distributed computing, and the impact of standardisation on application programs.

This module will be delivered through a combination of lectures, supervised lab sessions, example classes and tutorials, as appropriate.

A. Design a distributed systems architecture using middleware where appropriate.
B. Compare different designs and assess them using appropriate metrics.
C. Design and use services in a distributed environment.
D. Specify and design Service Level Agreements.
E. Specify the deployment of Cloud computing applications.
F. Design wrappers and services which overcome heterogeneity and support interoperability of autonomous information resources.
 

Coursework:  the coursework will allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and practical skills and to apply the principles taught in lectures.
Exam: a written exam (2 h) will test the students' knowledge and understanding as elaborated under the learning outcomes.

The potential for reassessment in this module is a 100% resit examination during the summer.
 

The following topics will be covered in this module:
Characterization of Distributed systems
System Models
Inter-process Communication
Remote Invocation
Indirect Communication
Distributed Object and Components
SOAP-based Web Services and Restful Web Services
Peer-to-Peer Systems
Security
System security
Cloud and virtualisation security
Data security & privacy
Coordination and Agreement
Distributed transaction and Concurrency Control
Replication
Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing
Cloud Computing
Virtualisation (resource, network, operating system and container-based).
Data replication and availability in Cloud environments.
Dynamic provisioning (elastic computing) and scaling.
Examples: Amazon EC2/S3, Google App Engine and Microsoft Azure.
Relevant emerging technologies (e.g. edge computing, time-critical cloud applications).
 

Van Steen and Tanenbaum. Distributed Systems. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. 2017.

George Coulouris et al., “Distributed Systems: Concepts and Design ”, 5th Edition, Pearson, 2012
Jonathan Rosenberg and Arthur Mateos, “The Cloud at Your Service” Manning Publications Co., 2011.
 

Not applicable.