The Four Horsemen of network communication

submited by

Style Pass

2024-09-30 18:00:08

As already discussed in On distributed systems, one of the hallmark characteristics of a distributed system is that it requires at least occasional network communication to get the job done.

The ability to perform computational (or any other, really) tasks in a distributed, but mostly coordinated and orderly manner is what makes distributed systems stand out, and what allows them to accomplish feats simply impossible for a single physical computer. This is a double-edged sword, however, and in this post we will explore how networking can sometimes scar the very masterpiece created with its powers. Unfortunately, networks have a number of traits that are less than desirable. More often than not, they make networking a liability just as much as a feature:

Networks can, and do go down at the least appropriate time and without notice. Loss of cellular network, having poor Wi-Fi signal or your Bluetooth headphones disconnecting whenever you wander too far away from your desk are great everyday examples, but wired network can also experience partial or full outages due to software and hardware errors, loss of power, damaged wires or simply being too overwhelmed by the traffic.