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WorksheetsDC Revision IA 1
Total questions: 89
Worksheet time: 45mins
A distributed system is best described as:
Independent computers without communication
Computers connected via LAN only
A system where components coordinate via message passing
A centralized mainframe
(Scenario-based) Google Mail appears to users as a single service but runs on thousands of machines. This illustrates:
Decentralization
Distribution transparency
Fault masking
Federation
Which feature primarily differentiates a distributed system from a decentralized system?
Network size
Administrative control
Sufficiency vs necessity of distribution
Hardware type
Which view considers systems expanding by adding computers to improve scalability?
Integrative view
Expansive view
Centralized view
Federated view
(Scenario-based) Federated learning systems distribute training across organizations due to policy constraints. This is an example of:
Distributed system
Centralized system
Decentralized system
Peer-to-peer system
Which factor makes distributed systems inherently complex?
Shared memory
Partial failures
Single clock
Homogeneity
Why are distributed systems difficult to debug?
No programming languages
Partial and silent failures
Excess memory
Limited users
Which system best represents a distributed information system?
Weather simulation cluster
Smart sensor network
Online banking system
Blockchain network
(Scenario-based) A CDN redirects users to the nearest content server automatically. This mainly supports:
Openness
Transparency
Security
Naming
Which statement is TRUE about centralized systems?
They never scale
They always fail
They can be physically distributed
They cannot be secured
Which challenge is unique to distributed systems?
Disk failure
No global state
File corruption
Power loss
Which component ensures coordination among distributed processes?
Compiler
Middleware
BIOS
Cache
(Scenario-based) A NAS device allows multiple users to share files transparently. This system is:
Centralized
Distributed
Decentralized
Standalone
Which assumption is a known fallacy in distributed computing?
Network is unreliable
Network latency exists
Network is secure
Network is reliable
Why is decentralization not always preferred?
High cost
Increased complexity
Limited storage
Low scalability
Which property ensures users do not see where computation happens?
Openness
Location transparency
Migration
Security
Distributed systems often cross administrative boundaries, increasing:
Performance
Security risks
Clock speed
Memory
(Scenario-based) A service continues functioning despite node failures. This illustrates:
Transparency
Fault tolerance
Openness
Migration
Which aspect MOST affects user-perceived performance?
CPU speed
Network latency
Disk size
Cache type
Which principle guides the design of distributed systems in this textbook?
Maximize decentralization
Optimize everything
Minimize unnecessary distribution
Eliminate middleware
Which design goal enables shared access to remote resources?
Transparency
Openness
Resource sharing
Scalability
(Scenario-based) Dropbox synchronizes files across devices without showing storage location. This reflects:
Openness
Location transparency
Migration
Concurrency
Which transparency hides the existence of multiple replicas?
Access
Replication
Location
Failure
Which transparency ensures users do not see concurrent access conflicts?
Replication
Concurrency
Migration
Failure
Which transparency is hardest to achieve in practice?
Access
Location
Failure
Replication
A system retries silently after server crashes. This is:
Openness
Failure transparency
Migration
Scalability
Which factor limits full transparency?
Infinite bandwidth
Physical distance
Uniform OS
Centralization
Why might transparency reduce performance?
Extra abstraction layers
Reduced CPU usage
Smaller memory
Local execution
Which goal ensures interoperability between vendors?
Transparency
Openness
Scalability
Replication
IDLs mainly define:
Semantics
Syntax
Security
Scheduling
A web browser supports plugins without core modification. This shows:
Transparency
Extensibility
Dependability
Migration
Which property allows components from different developers to work together?
Portability
Interoperability
Replication
Transparency
Separating policy from mechanism improves:
CPU speed
Flexibility
Network reliability
Clock sync
Which design goal is MOST related to cloud elasticity?
Scalability
Openness
Transparency
Security
Which transparency hides object movement initiated by users?
Relocation
Migration
Replication
Access
A mobile call continues while the user moves between cells. This shows:
Access transparency
Migration transparency
Replication transparency
Failure transparency
Which trade-off is fundamental in distributed systems?
Cost vs memory
Transparency vs performance
CPU vs storage
Security vs naming
Which transparency requires consistent naming?
Replication
Access
Failure
Concurrency
Which goal ensures long-term system growth without redesign?
Transparency
Scalability
Migration
Replication
Which conclusion does the textbook emphasize?
Full transparency is always achievable
Decentralization is always best
Transparency must be balanced
Middleware is optional
Distributed systems are broadly classified based on:
Programming language
Hardware architecture
Purpose and usage
Network topology
Which category focuses on solving computation-intensive problems?
Distributed information systems
Distributed computing systems
Pervasive systems
Embedded systems
A supercomputer cluster used for climate modeling belongs to:
Pervasive systems
Distributed information systems
Distributed computing systems
Client-server systems
Which system mainly supports transaction processing?
Grid computing
Sensor networks
Distributed information systems
HPC clusters
Which system category emphasizes interaction with the physical environment?
Distributed computing systems
Pervasive systems
Distributed information systems
Cloud systems
(Scenario-based) Smart home devices adjusting lighting based on motion sensors form a:
Centralized system
Distributed computing system
Pervasive system
HPC system
Which distributed system often has limited power and connectivity?
Cloud data centers
Enterprise systems
Sensor networks
Clusters
Which of the following is a key challenge in pervasive systems?
High throughput
Resource constraints
Strong consistency
Massive storage
Grid computing is mainly designed to:
Share GPUs
Share autonomous resources across domains
Replace cloud computing
Support real-time systems
Which classification includes smartphones and IoT devices?
Distributed computing systems
Distributed information systems
Pervasive systems
Centralized systems
(Scenario-based) A hospital system integrates patient records from multiple departments. This is a:
Pervasive system
Distributed computing system
Distributed information system
Decentralized system
Cloud computing is best viewed as:
A replacement for distributed systems
A special case of distributed systems
A centralized system
A non-networked system
Which system emphasizes scalability and availability over tight consistency?
HPC systems
Distributed information systems
Internet-scale systems
Embedded systems
Which distributed system category is MOST sensitive to latency?
Distributed information systems
Pervasive systems
HPC clusters
Grid systems
Which classification is driven by administrative boundaries?
Pervasive systems
Grid computing
Cluster computing
Sensor networks
Which distributed system often relies on replication for availability?
HPC clusters
Distributed information systems
Embedded systems
Standalone systems
(Scenario-based) A global e-commerce platform handling millions of transactions is a:
Distributed computing system
Distributed information system
Pervasive system
Embedded system
Which system category is least suitable for strict real-time guarantees?
Embedded systems
Sensor networks
Internet-scale systems
Industrial control systems
Which statement is TRUE?
All distributed systems are pervasive
Classification depends on application goals
HPC systems focus on autonomy
Sensor networks are centralized
Which is a common fallacy in distributed computing?
The network has latency
The network is reliable
Nodes fail independently
Time is relative
Which assumption leads to poor fault handling?
Nodes can fail
Messages may be delayed
Network is secure
No global clock
(Scenario-based) An application crashes assuming zero packet loss. This violates which fallacy?
Network is homogeneous
Network is reliable
Network has no latency
Topology does not change
Which fallacy causes poor performance in wide-area systems?
Zero bandwidth
Infinite bandwidth
Finite CPU
Disk latency
Which pitfall arises due to lack of a global clock?
Deadlocks
Event ordering ambiguity
Message loss
CPU starvation
Why is partial failure dangerous?
Easy detection
Difficult recovery
All nodes fail together
Low cost
(Scenario-based) A service hangs because one replica silently failed. This is due to:
Complete failure
Partial failure
Byzantine failure
Crash recovery
Which fallacy ignores security threats in open systems?
Network is reliable
Network is secure
Topology does not change
Bandwidth is infinite
Which pitfall arises when assuming fixed network topology?
Deadlock
Poor scalability
Mobility failure
CPU overhead
Why does heterogeneity complicate distributed system design?
Uniform protocols
Different data representations
Faster execution
Lower costs
(Scenario-based) An application fails when moved to a different OS. This exposes:
Lack of transparency
Heterogeneity pitfall
Poor scalability
RPC overhead
Which fallacy affects fault tolerance design?
Zero latency
Reliable network
Single administrator
Infinite resources
Which pitfall leads to excessive synchronization overhead?
Decentralization
Over-replication
Under-utilization
Code migration
Why is scalability a pitfall when ignored early?
Easy redesign
Expensive redesign
Faster execution
Reduced latency
Which assumption fails most often in Internet-scale systems?
Reliable CPU
Secure network
Fixed topology
Infinite bandwidth
(Scenario-based) A distributed log system slows down globally due to one slow node. This reflects:
Tight coupling pitfall
Loose coupling
Centralization
Redundancy
Which pitfall impacts real-time guarantees?
Clock drift
Serialization
Caching
Naming
Which design lesson does the textbook emphasize?
Ignore failures
Assume failures
Eliminate networks
Avoid middleware
Which pitfall MOST affects distributed debugging?
No logs
Non-determinism
Centralized control
Shared memory
Which architecture separates clients and servers by role?
Peer-to-peer
Client-server
Layered
Event-based
(Scenario-based) A browser requests data from a web server. This follows:
Peer-to-peer
Client-server
Layered
Hybrid
Which architecture allows equal roles for all nodes?
Client-server
Master-slave
Peer-to-peer
Layered
Which style best supports scalability and fault tolerance?
Centralized
Peer-to-peer
Monolithic
Single-tier
Publish–subscribe systems are examples of:
Layered architecture
Event-based architecture
Client-server
Centralized systems
(Scenario-based) Stock market updates sent to multiple traders asynchronously use:
RPC
Event-based architecture
Client-server
Layered
Which architecture hides implementation details behind interfaces?
Peer-to-peer
Layered
Event-based
Decentralized
Which architectural style promotes loose coupling?
Client-server
Event-based
Centralized
Monolithic
Which system is an example of hybrid architecture?
DNS
BitTorrent
Single server
Standalone PC
Which drawback exists in layered architectures?
No abstraction
Performance overhead
No modularity
No transparency
Microservices architecture is closest to:
Monolithic
Layered
Service-oriented
Centralized
