Reliable Distributed Systems: Technologies, Web Services, and Applications (Hardcover)

by Kenneth P. Birman (Author) "Reduced to the simplest terms, a distributed computing system is a set of computer programs, executing on one or more computers, and coordinating actions by..." (more)
Key Phrases: network partitioning failures, virtual synchrony model, prior multicasts, Related Reading, Isis Toolkit, Visual Studio (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
An understanding of the techniques used to make distributed computing systems and networks reliable, fault-tolerant and secure will be crucial to those who design and deploy the next generation of mission-critical applications and Web Services. Reliable Distributed Systems reviews and describes the key concepts, principles and applications of modern distributed computing systems and architectures. This self-contained book consists of five parts. The first covers introductory material, including the basic architecture of the Internet, simple protocols such as RPC and TCP, object oriented architectures, operating systems enhance-ments for high performance, and reliability issues. The second covers the Web, with a focus on Web Services technologies, Microsoft’s .NET and the Java Enterprise Edition. The last three parts look at a number of reliability and fault-tolerance issues and techniques, with an emphasis on replication applied in Web Services settings. Topics and features: * Explains fault-tolerance in clear, readily understood terms with concrete examples drawn from real-world settings * A practical focus aimed at building "mission-critical" networked applications that keep working even when things go wrong * Includes modern topics, such as Corba, Web Services, XML, .NET, J2EE, group communication, transactions, peer-to-peer systems, time-critical protocols, scalability and security * Thorough coverage of fundamental mechanisms, with an emphasis on the idea of "consistent behavior" in systems that replicate critical components for availability * Reviews more than 25 major research efforts, placing them in context with pointers to sources * Includes 80 problems ranging from simple tests of understanding to challenging protocol and systems design topics suitable for semester-long projects * Web-based materials for instructors, including a comprehensive slide set, available at: http://www.cs.cornell.edu/ken/book With its well-focused approach and clarity of presentation, this new text is an excellent resource for both advanced students and practitioners in computer science, computer networks and distributed systems. Anyone seeking a solid background in distributed computing and Web Services architectures will find the book an essential and practical learning tool.

About the Author
KENNETH P. BIRMAN is an ACM Fellow and a Professor of Computer Science at Cornell University, where his research focuses on reliable, secure, and scalable distributed computing systems. His work has been applied to the NYSE, the Swiss Stock Exchange, the US Navy's AEGIS warship, and the French air-traffic control system.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 668 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (March 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387215093
• ISBN-13: 978-0387215099
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #589,484 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars interesting but the title does no really match content, June 9, 2007

By	Marc Magrans De Abril - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is neither a book in distributed applications neither a book about web services. It is true thta the author makes an introduction of both and in the case of the web services he takes a look to the latest standards related to reliability.
From my point of view, the book talks about how to enhace the reliability of a distributed software application using static and dynamic groups.
The author thinks that solving the life cycle problem of the nodes in a distributed aplication (create and destroy nodes, joint and leave groups, heart beat, and so on) is the necessary step towards a reliable distributed application.
I think it is an interesting point, however I am not convinced at all. Perhaps, I should read it again.

I really recommend it. For a more straight forward introduction to the subject perhaps is better to start with the classics Tanenbaum or Colouris books.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A reasonable beginner text, August 30, 2008

By	D. Erb (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you tried Nancy Lynch's "Distributed Algorithms" and only care about web apps, this might be the book for you. It's readable, useful for people developing web back ends, and up to date. However, it doesn't try to cover the complexities of general fault-tolerant distributed systems. Besides Lynch's classic text, I recommend Gray and Reuter's "Transaction Processing," a seminal text that should give you a clear idea of how to compose arbitrarily reliable systems out of unreliable components.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most comprehensive review of the field, and future directions, November 2, 2007

By	Wenbo - See all my reviews

I have been doing a bit research of my own in this field, and you really have to be there to appreciate the value of this book, which by far provides the most comprehensive review of this "old" but yet challenging field, i.e. how to build reliable distributed systems that actually perform, among all the related topics.

The book covered the subject in both depth and breadth, and in a wide time and scope range. It clarified a lot this confusing area, for both researchers and professionals.