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 Centralized Computing

 Characteristics of Centralized System

 Distributed Computing

 Characteristics of Distributed System

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 In a purely Centralized model, all computing resources reside

at the primary Datacenter.

 This includes Domain Authentication Services, Email,

Applications, and Share Files.

 Remote Sites would access these resources using Thin Client

devices (as opposed to PCs) and bandwidth-friendly enablers

such as Microsoft Terminal Services, or Vmware.

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 The benefits of a Centralized model are

 Lower capital and operational cost (minimal hardware at each

site)

 Security (all data stored in a secured datacenter)

 Less administrative overhead (fewer resources needed since

all equipment is in one location)

 Less backup complexity, and greater control over potential

risk areas such as Internet access.

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A centralized system consists of a large data center that hosts all server resources,

including the Active Directory directory service global catalog servers, domain

controllers, and Exchange servers. The data center supports all system users,

whether they connect locally or remotely.

The following are characteristics of a centralized system:

 Data is hosted and managed in a centralized location regardless of whether the

users are connected remotely. This contrasts with the distributed model, where

users have local access to mailboxes but server administration is more complex.

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 Software upgrades can be rolled out from a centralized location.

 The data center incorporates power-insulating devices such as an uninterruptible

power supply (UPS) and "hot site" or "cold site" contingencies. A hot site is a

full-service commercial site that provides all of the equipment needed for a

company to continue operations in the event of a disaster. A cold site is a service

that provides space but that the company must furnish and set up. A hot site gets

the company up and running faster, but a cold site is a less expensive option.

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 In a purely Distributed model, each site is self-sustained
for the most part. While some connectivity to the
primary datacenter is required, the remote site would
host its own Email Server, manage its own backups,
control its own Internet access, and host its own Shared
Files. Application access may still rely on HQ, although
many applications support this type of distributed
model.
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 The benefit of a Distributed model is that each site can

‘survive’ on its own.

 There is no Single Point of Failure in this regard. Also,

assuming that the hardware in some of the sites are stored in

a secure Server Room and not with the office supplies (a big

assumption in some cases, I know), this also would

potentially facilitate Business Continuity by utilizing Sites

that reference each other as contingency Sites.

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A branch office or distributed deployment is one where numerous branch offices or
smaller distributed sites have slow connections to a corporate hub or data center. The
branches contain their own Exchange servers, domain controllers, and global catalog
servers. A distributed system is usually adopted when the network cannot handle
traffic to a central hub for services, so the operating system and servers are placed
locally. User requirements may be another factor. If the requirements for user
experience and availability cannot be met by connecting to a data center, you may
have no choice but to place servers in the remote sites.

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An Exchange branch office deployment has the following characteristics:
 The messaging system consists of a large number of locations (branches), each
containing an Exchange server, domain controllers, and at least one global
catalog server.
 The branch office locations usually contain a small or varying number of users.
 The network is usually structured as a hub-and-spoke topology.
 The network connections between the branch office locations and the central hub
or data center are typically low-bandwidth, high-latency, or unreliable.

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