Distributed Computing

As personal computers (PCs) were introduced to organizations, a new model of distributed computing emerged. Instead of concentrating computing at a central device, PCs made it possible to give each worker an independent, individual computer. Each PC could receive input and could process information locally, without the aid of another computer (see Figure ). This meant that groups who previously had found the cost of a mainframe environment to be prohibitive were now able to gain the benefits of computing at a far lower cost than that of a mainframe. These PCs, however, did not have the computing power of a main frame. Thus, in most instances, a company's mainframe could not be

replaced by a PC. An analogy might help clarify the difference between the two computing models. A mainframe, which uses a centralized computing model, is like a bus. A bus is a large, powerful vehicle used to transport many people at once. Everyone goes to one location-the bus-to be transported. In the same way, everyone must work  through or at a mainframe computer. A personal PC, which uses distributed computing, is like a motorcycle. It transports one person at a time. (Yes, I know a motorcycle can transport two people, but think of it as only having one seat.) Each person can use his own motorcycle to go somewhere without worrying about the other users. PCs enable individuals to work at their own computers rather than through a single large computer. In summary, distributed computing involves the following:

  Multiple computers capable of processing independently  Task completion by the local computer or other computers on the network

Distributed computing was a major step forward in how businesses leveraged their hardware resources. It provided smaller businesses with their own computational capabilities, enabling them to perform less-complex computing tasks on the smaller, relatively inexpensive machines.