What are the disadvantages of a distributed system?

1. Complexity

Distributed systems are more complex to design, develop, and manage than centralized systems. Developers and administrators must handle challenges like data consistency, synchronization, and fault tolerance, increasing the system's complexity.

2. Network Dependence

The performance and reliability of a distributed system heavily depend on network infrastructure. Slow or unreliable networks can lead to latency, bottlenecks, and failures in communication between nodes.

3. Security Risks

Distributed systems introduce additional attack surfaces due to their multiple nodes and communication channels. Ensuring secure communication, data integrity, and protection from unauthorized access is challenging.

4. Data Consistency Challenges

Ensuring that all nodes in the system maintain a consistent state is difficult, especially in the presence of network partitions or concurrent updates, as per the CAP theorem.

5. Fault Diagnosis and Recovery

Identifying and resolving faults in a distributed system is challenging due to its decentralized nature. Failures in one node or component can affect other parts of the system.

6. Resource Management

Efficiently managing and balancing resources (CPU, memory, storage) across multiple nodes is complex, especially under dynamic workloads.

7. Latency and Overhead

The need for frequent communication and synchronization between nodes can introduce latency and performance overhead, especially for tightly coupled systems.

8. Development and Maintenance Costs

Distributed systems require specialized tools, frameworks, and expertise, increasing the cost of development and ongoing maintenance.

Despite these challenges, distributed systems are critical for scalability, fault tolerance, and performance in modern applications, making their disadvantages manageable with proper design and tools.