Course Title: Distributed System

Course Level: UG L T P/ SW/F TOTAL

Course Code: CSE311 S W CREDIT
Credit Units: 03 UNITS
3 - - - 03
Course Objectives:
1) To make student learn the properties of distributed algorithms, so called liveness and safety properties.
2) 2) Analyze different models of distributed systems, including failure and timing models
3) 3) Master basic algorithms for failure detection, leader elections, broadcast and multicast, basic shared memory in distributed
systems, agreement protocols, and group communication
4) Practice in design and implementation of selected distributed algorithms in middleware designed for group communication.

Pre-requisites: Operating system, Computer Networks and Database system

Course Contents/Syllabus:
Weightage (%)
Module I : Descriptors/Topics 20

Characterization of Distributed Systems: Introduction, Examples of distributed Systems, Resource

sharing and the Web Challenges. System Models: Architectural models, Fundamental Models
Theoretical Foundation for Distributed System: Limitation of Distributed system, absence of global
clock, shared memory, Logical clocks, Lamport’s & vectors logical clocks, Causal ordering of messages,
global state, termination detection. Distributed Mutual Exclusion: Classification of distributed mutual
exclusion, requirement of mutual exclusion theorem, Token based and non-token based algorithms,
Performance metric for distributed mutual exclusion algorithms
Module II: 20
 Distributed Deadlock Detection: system model, resource Vs communication deadlocks, deadlock
prevention, avoidance, detection & resolution, centralized dead lock detection, distributed dead lock
detection, path pushing algorithms, edge chasing algorithms. Agreement Protocols: Introduction, System
models, classification of Agreement Problem, Byzantine agreement problem, Consensus problem,
Interactive consistency Problem, Solution to Byzantine Agreement problem, Application of Agreement
problem, Atomic Commit in Distributed Database system.

Module III : 20

Distributed Objects and Remote Invocation: Communication between distributed objects, Remote
procedure call, Events and notifications, Java RMI case study. Security: Overview of security
techniques, Cryptographic algorithms, Digital signatures Cryptography pragmatics, Case studies:
Needham Schroeder, Kerberos, SSL& Millicent. Distributed File Systems: File service architecture, Sun
Network File System, The Andrew File System, Recent advances.
Module IV : 20
Transactions and Concurrency Control: Transactions, Nested transactions, Locks, Optimistic
Concurrency control, Timestamp ordering, Comparison of methods for concurrency control. Distributed
Transactions: Flat and nested distributed transactions, Atomic Commit protocols, Concurrency control in
distributed transactions, Distributed deadlocks, Transaction recovery. Replication: System model and
group communication, Fault - tolerant services, highly available services, Transactions with replicated
data.
Module V: 20
Distributed Algorithms: Introduction to communication protocols, Balanced sliding window protocol,
Routing algorithms, Destination based routing, APP problem, Deadlock free Packet switching,
Introduction to Wave & traversal algorithms, Election Algorithm, CORBA Case Study: CORBA RMI,
CORBA services.

Student Learning Outcomes:

1) The course will allow students to apply problem solving (analysis, design, and development) skills to distributed applications 2) To
evaluate and decompose complex systems into its components parts 3) To integrate OS and programming language concepts to
solve/implement the (distributed) components of the systems 4) Students will be able to develop suites of networking protocols for
implementing the communicating components. 5) To interpret or validate their implementations via simulations.
Pedagogy for Course Delivery:

Operating system, Computer Networks and Database system

Assessment/ Examination Scheme:

Theory L/T (%) Lab/Practical/Studio (%) TOTAL

100 - 100

Theory Assessment (L&T):

Continuous Assessment/Internal Assessment End Term
Examination
Components (Drop Attendance Class Test/Mid Home Assignment Viva Voice
down) Term

Weightage (%) 5 10 7 8 70

Text & References:

Text:
 Singhal&Shivaratri, "Advanced Concept in Operating Systems", McGraw Hill.
 Coulouris, Dollimore, Kindberg, "Distributed System: Concepts and Design”, Pearson Ed.
 Gerald Tel, "Distributed Algorithms", Cambridge University Press.
 Andrew S. Tanenbaum and Maarten van Steen, Distributed Systems: Principles and Paradigms, Prentice