xvii
This book provides a comprehensive introduction to designing and developing distributed applications.
The main emphasis is on the communication aspects of multicomponent systems, and the ways in
which the design of such systems is impacted by, and impacts on, the behavior of the underlying operat-
ing systems, networks, and protocols.
The backdrop for this book is the increasing dependence of business, and society in general, on
distributed systems and applications. There is an accompanying increasing need for well-trained engi-
neers who can deliver high quality solutions. This requires strong design skills and best practice imple-
mentation techniques as well as a big picture view in which the engineer appreciates the way in which
applications will use the resources of the system and be impacted by the configuration and behavior of
the host system as a whole.
An integrated approach is taken, which cuts across several traditional computer science disciplines
including operating systems, networking, distributed systems, and programming, and places the re-
quired background and theory into application and systems contexts with a variety of worked exam-
ples. The book is multidimensional; it has a problem-solving style and achieves a balance between
theoretical underpinning and practitioner focus through development of application use cases of dis-
tributed applications.
Through embedded practical activities, the reader actually participates in the content, performing
experiments and running simulations as they go. During these activities, dynamic aspects of systems
are presented in animated and dynamic ways which convey far more information, and make com-
plex aspects of systems accessible. Most of the accompanying experiments and simulations are user-
configurable to support what-if investigation and give the reader an opportunity to gain an in-depth
understanding. Practical programming challenges cover a wide range of aspects of systems. Several
of these involve building full working distributed applications; these are made accessible through the
provision of well-documented sample source code and clear guided tasks to add functionality and build
systems by extending the sample code.
THE ORIGIN AND PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK
Designing and developing distributed applications is a hybrid topic in computer science, fundamentally
based on concepts and mechanisms which are drawn from several of the traditional core subject areas
which include networking, operating systems, distributed systems (theoretical, rather than develop-
mental), and software engineering. The vast majority of high quality texts currently available focus on
one of these subject areas with clear traditionally established boundaries in their scope. The majority of
these books are primarily theoretical in style and approach.
At the outset of writing this book, I had been teaching a practical-oriented course in the area of
distributed applications for many years and was very aware of the lack of a single book that compre-
hensively covered the subject matter of designing and developing distributed applications, with a strong
practical emphasis. In effect, what I wanted was a standalone guide that would serve as a primary text
for my own course and for others like it. I also wanted a book that would be accessible to my students,
who are a diverse group with different levels of experience and confidence. I wanted, with a single
Preface
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