Distributed System: The Invisible Framework of the Internet and Blockchain

Did you know? The network, Blockchain, and cloud services you are using now all run on the same logic — system distributed. In simple terms, it means dividing a large task among multiple computers to work on it simultaneously, and then they communicate with each other to achieve the goal. It sounds simple, but this thing supports the entire internet.

What is distributed system?

Imagine you need to process 10 billion transaction data. One computer would take a long time to complete. But if you split the data into 100 parts and let 100 computers process them simultaneously, it can be done in 1/100 of the time. This is the core logic of distribution - parallel processing, distributing pressure.

The system distributed consists of three key parts:

1. Multiple Independent Nodes

Each computer is a node that can operate independently and also collaborate with each other. Just like a swarm of bees, each bee has its own task but works closely together.

2. Network Communication Layer

Nodes communicate through network protocols (TCP/IP, HTTP, etc.) to transmit information. This is critical—if communication fails, the entire system can be paralyzed.

3. Middleware

Responsible for coordinating the work of various nodes to ensure they are in sync.

Why is everyone using distributed systems?

Advantage Explosion:

• High Performance: Multiple computers working together, speed is incredibly fast.
• Strong fault tolerance: If one computer goes down, the others continue to work, and the system will not crash.
• Scalability: More users? Just add another computer, no need for a complete rebuild.
• High availability: 7×24 uninterrupted service

For example, in the Bitcoin network, thousands of nodes around the world simultaneously validate transactions, and the failure of any single node does not affect the entire network. This is the resilience of distribution.

But the drawbacks are also obvious:

• Coordination difficulty: Multiple nodes need to synchronize information, which can easily lead to data inconsistency.
• High Complexity: The design and maintenance costs are enormous, requiring specialized talent.
• Deadlock Risk: When multiple processes compete for resources, they can easily wait on each other, leading to a deadlock.

What distributed systems are there in reality?

Blockchain (Ultimate Distributed)

It has all the features you want - decentralization, high security, and tamper-proof. The ledger is distributed across global nodes, each node has a complete copy, and hackers would have to attack more than 51% of the nodes to cheat, which is infinitely costly.

Search Engine

Google uses thousands of servers for distributed crawling to grab web pages, build indexes, and process queries. In the moment you search, the backend may have mobilized 100 computers.

Social Media Platform

User data from Facebook and Twitter is distributed across data centers around the world; if one goes down, others take over.

Cloud Computing

AWS and Azure are both distributed. Your cloud server is actually a virtual machine in a data center, running on distributed storage and computing.

What are the types of distributed systems?

1. Client-Server Model

Your browser is the client, and the website server is the server side. The most common architecture.

2. P2P Peering Network

Each node is both a client and a server. This model is used in BitTorrent downloads and IPFS storage. Without a centralized server, it is theoretically more difficult to control.

3. Distributed Database

The database tables are distributed across multiple machines. The order database of e-commerce platforms and the user database of social networks are stored this way, requiring high availability and fast response.

4. Hybrid

Combine multiple architectures. For example, some Web3 projects use P2P to store data and use a client-server model to provide query interfaces.

You need to understand the core features

Concurrency

Multiple tasks run simultaneously. The benefit is high efficiency, while the drawback is that race conditions and deadlocks can easily occur.

Scalability

Adding nodes can linearly improve performance (in ideal situations). In practice, there will be network bottlenecks.

Fault tolerance

Partial failures will not result in a complete system outage. Achieved through redundancy, backup, and failover.

Data Consistency

This is the most difficult part. How can we ensure that all copies are consistent when multiple nodes modify data simultaneously? Blockchain solves this with proof of work, while distributed databases address it with two-phase commit or eventual consistency.

Transparency

Users do not feel that the system is distributed, just like using a single computer. This requires careful design.

Future Trends

Cluster computing is becoming cheaper, big data processing and AI training are moving towards distribution. Edge computing brings computing closer to users, reducing latency. Cloud-native architecture makes distributed systems easier to deploy and manage.

Bottom line: Distributed systems are no longer the future, but the present. From using your phone to blockchain mining, distribution is silently supporting everything behind the scenes. Understanding it means understanding the essence of the Internet.