distributed systems Flashcards
what is a centrally controlled system
system with a dedicated computer system that is responsible for all the necessary calculations
what is a distributed system
has multiple computers - each one performs part of the necessary calculation
how does a distributed system work
doesn’t receive or transmit mandatory real-time control commands over the communications network
can operate even when the central computer isn’t available
3 benefits of distributed systems
each system is self-sustaining - each system has the necessary resources to perform necessary actions on its own
when the connection with the central system fails, the distributed system will still function
expansion of the system is easy - can just add new traffic lights, infrastructure without affecting the rest of the system
2 drawbacks of distributed systems
costly - requires additional hardware to be present at each system so that it can operate on its own , backup of the system requires more resources at each site
security - difficult to secure multiple systems at a time compared to a single one
how does a centralized system work
computing is done at a central location - using terminals that are attached to a central computer
the computer can control its peripherals directly (if they are physically connected) or they may be attached using terminals
3 benefits of centralized system
lower operational cost (each client needs minimal hardware)
greater security (all the data is centrally stored)
less backup complexity (all resources reside in the central location)
1 drawback of centralized system
if the connection with the central system fails, then clients cannot perform actions
what are agents
anything that can perceive its environment through sensors and act upon it using effectors
what do autonomous agents follow
algorithms supplied by the owner to achieve a desired goal
how do autonomous agents perform actions
they perform actions based on their own experiences through their sensors
they apply different sets of pre-programmed actions in different situations and can even build their own set of actions through learning algorithms
what plays a significant role in effectiveness of autonomous agents
environment in which the agents operate in
what are buyer agents
they travel around a network to retrieve information about goods, services
give 10 different types of environments
accessible, inaccessible
deterministic, non-deterministic
static, dynamic
episodic, non-episodic
discrete, continuous
what happens when environment in inaccessible
environment is too big for the agent to sense it as a whole - senses only a subset
