Distributed Systems: Concepts and Design

Distributed computing/Networks/Operating systems

Distributed Systems: Concepts and Design
Third Edition

George Coulouris, Jean Dollimore and Tim Kindberg

From reviews of the second edition:
"I do not know of a better book in the area of distributed systems and can recommend this one without hesitation."
Jan Madey, IEEE Parallel and Distributed Technology

"¿ the best introductory distributed systems textbook"
E. Douglas Jensen's Annotated List of Recommended Distributed Computing System Books

The third edition of this best-selling text incorporates the major recent developments in distributed systems technology. All chapters have been thoroughly revised and updated, with emphasis on the Internet, intranets, the Web and middleware. Other new topics include: fault modelling and fault tolerance, distributed objects and distributed multimedia systems. There is increased emphasis on algorithms and the discussion of security has been brought forward in the text and integrated with other related technologies. Unlike the previous editions, prior knowledge of UNIX is not required to follow the text.

As with previous editions, this book is intended to provide knowledge of the principles and practice of distributed system design. Information is conveyed in sufficient depth to allow readers to evaluate existing systems or design new ones. Case studies illustrate the design concepts for each major topic.

New to the third edition:
· New chapters on quality of service for multimedia systems, algorithms for coordination and agreement and CORBA
· Expanded coverage of the Internet and applications including the Web.
· Material on mobile computing and new network technologies such as IPv6, Mobile IP and wireless networks.
· More emphasis on object orientation, with Java and CORBA as the basis for most examples.
· New material on Internet security, fault modelling, fault tolerance and models of system execution.

A comprehensive website with additional material for readers and instructors can be found at www.cdk3.net or www.booksites.net/cdkbook.

Until recently, the authors were jointly responsible for several undergraduate and postgraduate courses on distributed systems at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London.

George Coulouris is now an emeritus professor at Queen Mary and Westfield College and is a Senior Visiting Fellow in the Laboratory for Communications Engineering, Cambridge University, where he leads a research project on quality of service for dynamically reconfigurable multimedia systems. He has recently undertaken research on computer-supported cooperative work and its applications, middleware for distributed multimedia and security models for groupware.

Jean Dollimore is now a Senior Research Fellow at Queen Mary and Westfield College. She has recently carried out research on system support for computer-supported cooperative work, middleware for distributed multimedia and security models for groupware.

Tim Kindberg is a researcher at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Palo Alto, where he is investigating a web-based infrastructure for mobile computing that enables the physical world to be augmented with web resources. He has previously led a research project on system support for computer-supported cooperative work, and has undertaken research on distributed operating systems and middleware for distributed multimedia systems.