A distributed operating system (DOS) is a type of operating system that manages a collection of independent computers as a single coherent system. It is an extension of the network operating system that supports higher levels of communication and integration of the machines on the network. A distributed operating system consists of numerous computers, nodes, and sites joined together via LAN/WAN lines. It enables the distribution of full systems on a couple of center processors, and it supports many real-time products and different users. Distributed operating systems can share their computing resources and I/O files while providing users with virtual machine abstraction.
Key features of a distributed operating system include:
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Resource sharing: Distributed operating systems can share all resources like CPU, disk, network interface, nodes, computers, etc. from one site to another site, and it increases the data available on the entire system.
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Loosely coupled system: According to this nature, a distributed operating system is known as a loosely coupled system.
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Communication channels: Effective communication channels like high-speed buses and telephone lines connect all processors, each equipped with its own local memory and other neighboring processors.
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Appearance to end-users: Distributed operating systems run on multiple CPUs but for an end-user, it appears as a typical centralized operating system.
Distributed operating systems offer many advantages over centralized systems, such as higher performance, reliability, scalability, and availability. However, designing, implementing, and managing distributed systems is more difficult than centralized systems, as they must address issues such as heterogeneity, transparency, concurrency, consistency, security, and fault tolerance.
