A distributed system is a system that consists of multiple autonomous computers or nodes that are physically separated but connected by a centralized computer or network. These nodes communicate and coordinate their actions by passing messages to one another. The goal of a distributed system can be to solve a large computational problem, coordinate the use of shared resources, or provide communication services to users. Key characteristics of distributed systems include:

• Autonomous computational entities: Each node has its own local memory and can work independently.
• Message passing: Nodes communicate with each other by passing messages.
• Resource sharing: Nodes can share resources and files and perform tasks assigned to them.
• Concurrent computing: The processors in a typical distributed system run concurrently in parallel.

Distributed systems are used when a workload is too great for a single computer or device to handle. They are essential in situations when the workload is subject to change, such as e-commerce traffic on Cyber Monday or lots of web traffic in response to news about an organization. Distributed systems can offer features that would be difficult or impossible to develop on a single system.

Advantages of distributed systems include:

• Horizontal scalability: It is easy and generally inexpensive to add additional nodes and functionality as necessary.
• Reliability: Most distributed systems are fault-tolerant as they can be made up of hundreds of nodes that work together.
• Resource sharing: Autonomous systems can share resources from remote locations.

However, distributed systems can also present challenges, such as the lack of a global clock and the fact that all...