Subject question bank

Distributed System Questions for Exams

Prepare for semester exams using important questions, numericals, viva questions and unit-wise questions.

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Open Distributed System for your university, course and semester

U1 Introduction and Characterization of Distributed Systems U2 Distributed Mutual Exclusion U3 Agreement Protocol U4 Failure Recovery in Distributed Systems U5 Transactions and Concurrency Control
U

Unit-wise questions

Unit 1

Introduction and Characterization of Distributed Systems

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  1. What is distributed system? Describe the main characteristics of distributed system. Give two examples of distributed system.
  2. Discuss the major issues in designing a distributed system.
  3. How the distributed computing system is better than parallel processing system? Explain.
  4. How resource sharing is done in distributed system? Explain.
  5. What is the web challenges for implementing distributed system?
  6. Define the term transparency. Explain important types of transparencies in distributed system.
  7. Explain the architectural model of distributed system.
  8. Discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of the various commonly used models for configuring distributed computing systems.
Unit 2

Distributed Mutual Exclusion

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  1. What do you mean by mutual exclusion? Explain . Also write the requirements of mutual exclusion.
  2. Is mutual exclusion problem more complex in distributed system than single computer system? Justify your answer.
  3. Explain token and non-token based algorithm. Write its merit and demerits.
  4. Write the different between token and non-token based algorithm.
  5. Write and explain a token based algorithm for mutual exclusion. Describe its performance on important metrics.
  6. Explain the Ricart-Agrawala Algorithm for mutual exclusion. How many messages per critical section execution are required ?
  7. Explain Mackawa’s algorithm.
  8. Explain Singhal’s heuristic algorithm.
Unit 3

Agreement Protocol

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  1. What do you mean by agreement protocol? Write the classification of agreement problem.
  2. Explain Byzantine agreement problem.
  3. Explain Consensus problem.
  4. Explain Interactive consistency problem.
  5. Write various aspects for recognizing the agreement protocol.
  6. How you can find the solution using number of faulty processor?
  7. Show that a Byzantine agreement cannot be reached among three processors, where one processor is faulty.
  8. What are agreement protocols? Explain Byzantine agreement problem, the consensus problem and interactive consistency problem. Describe Lamport-Shostak-Pease algorithm.
Unit 4

Failure Recovery in Distributed Systems

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  1. What do you mean by error? Explain forward recovery and backward recovery. Also write its advantage and disadvantage.
  2. Write the approaches for implementing backward-error recovery.
  3. Explain the problem which are caused by the rolling back of process.
  4. Write a short note on: 1. Method to obtain consistent set of checkpoints. 2. Domino effect.
  5. Define the Livelocks. What is the difference between a deadlock and Livelock.
  6. What is livelock problem in message passing system? How the synchronous checkpointing methods avoid the livelock problem? Describe.
  7. Write short notes on: 1. Livelocks 2. Domino effects 3. Failure resilient processes 4. Consistent checkpoints.
  8. What is checkpoint in message passing system? Explain the recovery in message passing system using asynchronous checkpoint scheme.
Unit 5

Transactions and Concurrency Control

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  1. What do you mean by transaction in distributed system? Write its major properties.
  2. What is lock? Write the functions of lock manager.
  3. Write a note on 2 PL and strict 2 PL.
  4. What is nested transaction? What are the advantage of nested transaction.
  5. Describe how a non-recoverable situation could arise if write locks are released after the last operation of a transaction but before its commitment.
  6. Explain optimistic concurrency control . How this method avoids the drawbacks of locking? Explain.
  7. Write the different validations conditions for optimistic concurrency control? Explain it.
  8. Explain about timestamp ordering.