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Understanding Network Operating Systems

The document discusses network operating systems and distributed operating systems. It begins by defining an operating system and network operating system. There are two main types of network operating systems: peer-to-peer and client-server. Peer-to-peer systems have all equal nodes while client-server systems have a centralized server and multiple clients. Distributed operating systems manage resources across separate computational nodes with goals of connecting users and resources, transparency, scalability, reliability and performance. Key differences between network and distributed operating systems include their objectives, communication methods, scalability, and fault tolerance. The document also outlines several common server types and their applications.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
51 views7 pages

Understanding Network Operating Systems

The document discusses network operating systems and distributed operating systems. It begins by defining an operating system and network operating system. There are two main types of network operating systems: peer-to-peer and client-server. Peer-to-peer systems have all equal nodes while client-server systems have a centralized server and multiple clients. Distributed operating systems manage resources across separate computational nodes with goals of connecting users and resources, transparency, scalability, reliability and performance. Key differences between network and distributed operating systems include their objectives, communication methods, scalability, and fault tolerance. The document also outlines several common server types and their applications.
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Network Operating System

[Link] D. Ardiente
Lecturer, BSCPE
Network Operating System

What is an Operating System?


- is a system software that manages the hardware resources and provides
services to the Application software.
- basically a collection of software that manages computer hardware resources
and provides common services for computer programs. Operating system is a
crucial component of the system software in a computer system.
What is a Network Operating System?
- is a computer operating system that facilitates to connect and communicate
various autonomous computers over a network.
- mainly runs on a powerful computer, that runs the server program. It
facilitates the security and capability of managing the data, user, group,
application, and other network functionalities.

There are mainly two types of Network O.S., they are:


Peer-to-Peer
- is an operating system in which all the nodes are functionally and
operationally equal to each other.
Advantages of the Peer-to-Peer Network
• Easy to setup
• Low setup cost
• No requirements for any specialized software
• Fast and easy resource sharing
Disadvantages of the Peer-to-Peer Network
• Performance may not be good when sharing some resources.
• No centralized management.
• Less secured.
• No centralized storage system.

Client-Server
- operates with a single server and multiple client computers in the network.

Advantages of the Client-Server Network


• Has centralized control and administration.
• Has a backup facility for lost data.
• Shared data and resources can be accessed by multiple clients.
• Better reliability and performance.
Disadvantages of the Client-Server Network
• High setup cost.
• There is a need for an administrator to administer the network.
• Huge amount of client requests may overload the server.
• Requires specialized software for client and server to function.

Common Functionalities of the Network Operating System:


• Data and Resource sharing
• Performance
• Security
• Robustness
• Scalability
• Memory management
What is a Distributed Operating System?
- is an essential type of operating system. Distributed systems use many central
processors to serve multiple real-time applications and users. As a result, data
processing jobs are distributed between the processors.
- Collection of independent, networked, communicating and physically separate
computational nodes.

Advantages of having a Distributed Operating System


• Load balancing – work is evenly distributed
• Computation Speedup – computation time will be less
• Hardware Preference – need specialized hardware at a different site
• Data Access – process are executed where the certain file is present
Goals and Features of Distributed Operating System
- Connecting Users and Resources
Must make it easy for the users to get access to the resources present
at different remote locations.
- Transparency
Make the user believe that he is using a single computer system. The
complexity behind the system must be hidden from the user.
- Scalability
Efficiency must not get affected by the increasing number of
computational nodes.
- Reliability
Work should not be interrupted.
- Performance
Faster response time.
Difference Between Network Operating System and Distributed Operating System

Network Operating System


• The main object of this system is to provide local services to remote clients.
• The communication takes place depending on the files.
• It is more scalable in comparison to Distributed Operating System.
• It has less fault tolerance.
• The rate of autonomy in a network operating system is high.
• It is easy to implement.
• The nodes of a network operating system can have different operating system.
Distributed Operating System
• The main objective of this system is to manage the resources of the hardware.
• The communication takes place depending on messages and shared memory.
• It is less scalable in comparison to Network Operating System.
• The fault tolerance is high.
• The rate of autonomy in a distributed operating system is less.
• It is not easy to implement.
• All the nodes of a distributed operating system should have same operating
system.

Servers in Computer Network


- In computing, a server is a computer program or a device that provides
functionality for called clients which are other programs or devices.
- Servers can provide various functionalities called services. These services
include sharing data or resources among multiple clients, or performing
computation for a client. Multiple clients can be served by a single server, and
a single client can use multiple servers.
What is a Client Process?
- A client process may run on the same device. It can also connect over a
network to a server to run on a different device.
- Most frequently client–server systems are implemented by the request–
response model., i.e., a client sends a request to the server.
What is a Request–Response model?
- In this model server performs some action and sends a response back to the
client, typically with a result or acknowledgement. Designating a computer as
server-class hardware means that it is specialized for running servers on it.
Types of Servers and their applications:
Application server – These servers hosts web apps (computer programs that run
inside a web browser) allowing users in the network to run and use them preventing the
installation a copy on their own computers. These servers need not be part of the World
Wide Web. There clients are computers with a web browser.
Catalog server – These servers maintains an index or table of contents of information
that can be found across a large distributed network. Distributed network may include
computers, users, files shared on file servers, and web apps. Examples of catalog
servers are Directory servers and name servers. Their clients are any computer
program that needs to find something on the network. Example can be a Domain
member attempting to log in, an email client looking for an email address, or a user
looking for a file
Communications server – These servers maintains an environment needed for one
communication endpoint to find other endpoints and then communicates with them.
These servers may or may not include a directory of communication endpoints and a
presence detection service, depending on the openness and security parameters of the
network. Their clients are communication endpoints.
Computing server – These servers share vast amounts of computing resources which
include CPU and random-access memory over a network. Any computer program that
needs more CPU power and RAM than a personal computer can probably afford can
use these types of servers. The client must be a networked computer to implement the
client–server model which is necessity.
Database server – These servers maintains and shares any form of database over a
network. A database is a organized collections of data with predefined properties that
may be displayed in a table. Clients of these servers are spreadsheets, accounting
software, asset management software or virtually any computer program that consumes
well-organized data, especially in large volumes.
Fax server – These servers share one or more fax machines over a network which
eliminates the hassle of physical access. Any fax sender or recipient are the clients of
these servers.
File server – Shares files and folders, storage space to hold files and folders, or both,
over a network Networked computers are the intended clients, even though local
programs can be clients
Game server – These servers enables several computers or gaming devices to play
multiplayer games. Personal computers or gaming consoles are their clients.
Mail server – These servers makes email communication possible in the same way as
a post office makes snail mail communication possible. Clients of these servers are
senders and recipients of email
Print server – These servers share one or more printers over a network which
eliminates the hassle of physical access. Their clients are computers in need of printing
something.
Proxy server – This server acts as an intermediary between a client and a server
accepting incoming traffic from the client and sending it to the server. Reasons to use a
proxy server includes content control and filtering, improving traffic performance,
preventing unauthorized network access or simply routing the traffic over a large and
complex network. There clients are any networked computer.
Web server – These servers hosts web pages. A web server is responsible for making
the World Wide Web possible. Each website has one or more web servers. There
clients are computers with a web browser.

References
Ayusharma0698. (n.d.). Servers in Computer Network. Retrieved from Geeks For Geeks:
[Link]

Diwan, A. (2020). Difference Between Network Operating System and Distributed Operating System.
Retrieved from Tutorials Point: [Link]
operating-system-and-distributed-operating-system

javatpoint. (2021). Distributed Operating System. Retrieved from javatpoint:


[Link]

javatpoint. (2021). Network operating system. Retrieved from javatpoint:


[Link]

makingITsimple. (2020). Distributed Operating System | Goals | Features. Retrieved from YouTube:
[Link]

[Link]. (2008 - 2022). Introduction to Windows Server 2008. Retrieved from [Link]:
[Link]

Team After Academy. (2020). What is a Network Operating System? Retrieved from After Academy:
[Link]

Common questions

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Mail Servers facilitate reliable and efficient email communication by mimicking postal services for digital correspondence. They effectively manage sending and receiving emails by storing messages, handling routing, and ensuring delivery integrity. They support various protocols like SMTP, POP3, and IMAP, which are crucial for secure message transfer and accessibility. This design ensures efficient message handling, contributing to the overall robustness and reliability of email communications .

Application servers host web applications, enabling users to run these apps via a web browser without local installation, primarily interacting with browser-equipped clients. In contrast, database servers maintain and share organized collections of data over a network, catering to clients like spreadsheets, asset management software, which require structured data management. Application servers focus on facilitation of applications, whereas database servers emphasize organized data access and management .

Network Operating Systems primarily focus on providing local services to remote clients, relying on file-based communication and offering higher scalability than Distributed Operating Systems. In contrast, Distributed Operating Systems emphasize managing hardware resources effectively through message and shared memory-based communication, with a stronger emphasis on fault tolerance but less scalability compared to NOS. Nodes in NOS can possess diverse operating systems, while DOS requires uniformity in operating systems across nodes .

Proxy Servers act as intermediaries between clients and servers, enhancing network security and performance. They filter content, block unauthorized access, enhance data security by masking client identities, and route traffic to improve network speed. Additionally, they help manage bandwidth and cache content to accelerate page loading times, effectively optimizing the overall performance of the network .

Transparency is vital in Distributed Operating Systems as it makes the system's complexity invisible to users, creating the illusion of interacting with a single cohesive system rather than multiple independent nodes. This transparency enhances user experience by simplifying resource access across remote locations and ensures that users are not burdened with the underlying logistics of resource management and system connectivity .

A Network Operating System provides key functionalities such as data and resource sharing, performance optimization, robust security features, scalability, and effective memory management. These functionalities enable efficient network management by facilitating seamless sharing and accessing of resources, protecting data through stringent security protocols, ensuring system robustness against potential failures, and maintaining efficient operation despite growing numbers of users or devices .

The client-server model enhances performance and reliability by centralizing control and administration on a server, which manages shared data and resources accessible to multiple clients. This centralization allows for regular backups and improved data safety. However, while it boosts reliability through centralized management, an overloaded server due to numerous client requests could hinder performance, necessitating specialized software and administrative oversight .

For a small business, a Peer-to-Peer network might be more suitable due to its low setup cost, simplicity, and ease of resource sharing without the need for specialized software. Despite its lack of centralized management and lower security, its straightforward design makes it an ideal choice for small-scale operations with minimal resource-sharing needs. Client-Server networks, though more reliable and performance-oriented due to centralized control, impose higher costs and demand administration, making them more suited for larger, resource-intensive environments .

Communication Servers establish environments where network endpoints can discover and communicate with each other. They might include directories and presence detection to maintain connection logs and detect active endpoints. Their functionality is influenced by the network's openness, security protocols, and the ability to handle dynamic communication needs. These factors determine how efficiently the server can support, manage, and secure endpoint interactions .

Distributed Operating Systems have a higher fault tolerance mainly due to their architecture, which enables process distribution across multiple nodes. This setup ensures that the failure of one node doesn't critically impact the entire system, as tasks can be dynamically reassigned to functioning nodes. This characteristic enhances reliability, supports uninterrupted operations, and aids in maintaining system robustness in the face of hardware or software failures .

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