What are 4 examples of distributed systems?

1. Web Search Engines (e.g., Google)

Web search engines use distributed systems to crawl, index, and rank billions of web pages. Multiple servers work together to provide fast search results.

• Key Features: Scalability, fault tolerance, and load balancing.
• How It Works: Data is stored across multiple nodes, and distributed algorithms manage indexing and search queries.

2. Content Delivery Networks (CDNs)

CDNs like Akamai or Cloudflare deliver web content by caching it on servers distributed globally.

• Key Features: Low latency, high availability, and geographic scalability.
• How It Works: Requests are routed to the nearest server, reducing load times and improving user experience.

3. Blockchain Networks (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum)

Blockchain systems rely on distributed nodes to validate and store transactions securely.

• Key Features: Decentralization, transparency, and fault tolerance.
• How It Works: Consensus protocols like Proof of Work (PoW) or Proof of Stake (PoS) ensure agreement on the ledger’s state.

4. Distributed Databases (e.g., MongoDB, Cassandra)

Distributed databases manage data across multiple nodes, ensuring availability and consistency.

• Key Features: Horizontal scaling, fault tolerance, and high performance.
• How It Works: Data is partitioned and replicated across nodes, enabling efficient storage and querying.

Distributed systems are the backbone of modern computing, providing scalability, reliability, and efficiency for various applications. Understanding their architecture and functionality is critical for designing robust, real-world systems.