Distributed networking

Distributed networking is a distributed computing network system, said to be distributed when the computer programming and the data to be worked on are spread out across more than one computer. Usually, this is implemented over a computer network.

Prior to the emergence of low-cost desktop computer power, computing was generally centralized to one computer. Although such centers still exist, distribution networking applications and data operate more efficiently over a mix of desktop workstations, local area network servers, regional servers, Web servers, and other servers.

One popular trend is client/server computing. This is the principle that a client computer can provide certain capabilities for a user and request others from other computers that provide services for the clients. (The Web's Hypertext Transfer Protocol is an example of this idea.)

Enterprises that have grown in scale over the years and those that are continuing to grow are finding it extremely challenging to manage their distributed network in the traditional client/server computing model. The recent developments in the field of cloud computing has opened up new possibilities. Cloud-based networking vendors have started to sprout offering solutions for enterprise distributed networking needs. Whether it turns out to revolutionize the distributed networking space or turns out to be another craze remains to be seen.

See also

• Cloud computing, a more general concept whose current implementations are often dependent on data centers rather than a distributed network
• Distributed data store
• Distributed file system