Distributed Systems Exam Practice
Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationale 2027
Q&A| Instant Download Pdf.
1. Which characteristic most fundamentally distinguishes a distributed
system from a centralized computer system?
A. It always uses the same operating system on every machine
B. It consists of multiple independent computing entities that cooperate and
appear to users as a coherent system
C. It requires all computations to be performed simultaneously
D. It eliminates all communication between computing entities
B. It consists of multiple independent computing entities that cooperate
and appear to users as a coherent system
A distributed system is composed of multiple autonomous computers that
communicate and coordinate over a network to accomplish tasks
collectively. The independent nature of the components and their need for
coordination distinguish distributed systems from centralized systems.
2. Which of the following is a major reason why distributed systems are
designed to use multiple computers rather than one powerful
computer?
A. To eliminate the need for operating systems
B. To provide scalability, resource sharing, and improved availability
,C. To ensure that network communication is never required
D. To guarantee that every operation has zero latency
B. To provide scalability, resource sharing, and improved availability
Distributed systems can increase capacity by adding machines, share
resources among users and applications, and continue operating when
some components fail. These advantages are central motivations for
distributed computing.
3. In a distributed system, what does transparency primarily mean?
A. Hiding all source code from developers
B. Making distributed resources appear to users as though they are part of a
unified system
C. Encrypting every network packet
D. Preventing users from accessing remote resources
B. Making distributed resources appear to users as though they are part of
a unified system
Transparency hides unnecessary details of distribution from users and
applications. For example, location transparency allows a resource to be
accessed without requiring the user to know where it physically resides.
4. Which type of transparency hides the physical location of a resource
from the user?
A. Replication transparency
B. Failure transparency
C. Location transparency
D. Concurrency transparency
C. Location transparency
,Location transparency allows users to access a resource without knowing
its physical or network location. The system handles the mapping between
the resource name and its actual location.
5. What is replication transparency concerned with?
A. Hiding the existence of multiple copies of a resource
B. Hiding the programming language used by servers
C. Preventing all replicated data from being updated
D. Hiding the network topology from administrators
A. Hiding the existence of multiple copies of a resource
Replication transparency makes multiple copies of data or services appear
as a single logical resource. This allows replication to improve availability
and performance without unnecessarily exposing its implementation to
users.
6. Which statement best describes scalability in a distributed system?
A. The system must always use exactly two computers
B. The system can increase its capacity or scope without unacceptable
degradation in performance
C. The system must avoid adding new resources
D. The system must process every request on one server
B. The system can increase its capacity or scope without unacceptable
degradation in performance
Scalability refers to the ability of a system to accommodate growth in
users, data, geographic distribution, or resources while maintaining
acceptable performance and manageability.
7. Which scalability problem occurs when a centralized service becomes
a bottleneck as the number of clients increases?
, A. Clock drift
B. Centralization bottleneck
C. Byzantine agreement
D. Network partition
B. Centralization bottleneck
A centralized component can become overloaded when many clients
depend on it. Distributed designs often address this by partitioning
services, replicating components, or distributing computation across
multiple nodes.
8. What is the primary purpose of communication protocols in
distributed systems?
A. To prevent computers from exchanging information
B. To define rules that allow distributed components to exchange and
interpret messages correctly
C. To replace all application software
D. To guarantee that networks never fail
B. To define rules that allow distributed components to exchange and
interpret messages correctly
Communication protocols specify how messages are structured,
transmitted, interpreted, and sometimes acknowledged. They provide the
conventions required for independent components to communicate
reliably.
9. Which communication model involves a sender explicitly transmitting
a message to a receiver?
A. Message passing
B. Shared-memory execution
C. Local procedure execution
D. Batch compilation
Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationale 2027
Q&A| Instant Download Pdf.
1. Which characteristic most fundamentally distinguishes a distributed
system from a centralized computer system?
A. It always uses the same operating system on every machine
B. It consists of multiple independent computing entities that cooperate and
appear to users as a coherent system
C. It requires all computations to be performed simultaneously
D. It eliminates all communication between computing entities
B. It consists of multiple independent computing entities that cooperate
and appear to users as a coherent system
A distributed system is composed of multiple autonomous computers that
communicate and coordinate over a network to accomplish tasks
collectively. The independent nature of the components and their need for
coordination distinguish distributed systems from centralized systems.
2. Which of the following is a major reason why distributed systems are
designed to use multiple computers rather than one powerful
computer?
A. To eliminate the need for operating systems
B. To provide scalability, resource sharing, and improved availability
,C. To ensure that network communication is never required
D. To guarantee that every operation has zero latency
B. To provide scalability, resource sharing, and improved availability
Distributed systems can increase capacity by adding machines, share
resources among users and applications, and continue operating when
some components fail. These advantages are central motivations for
distributed computing.
3. In a distributed system, what does transparency primarily mean?
A. Hiding all source code from developers
B. Making distributed resources appear to users as though they are part of a
unified system
C. Encrypting every network packet
D. Preventing users from accessing remote resources
B. Making distributed resources appear to users as though they are part of
a unified system
Transparency hides unnecessary details of distribution from users and
applications. For example, location transparency allows a resource to be
accessed without requiring the user to know where it physically resides.
4. Which type of transparency hides the physical location of a resource
from the user?
A. Replication transparency
B. Failure transparency
C. Location transparency
D. Concurrency transparency
C. Location transparency
,Location transparency allows users to access a resource without knowing
its physical or network location. The system handles the mapping between
the resource name and its actual location.
5. What is replication transparency concerned with?
A. Hiding the existence of multiple copies of a resource
B. Hiding the programming language used by servers
C. Preventing all replicated data from being updated
D. Hiding the network topology from administrators
A. Hiding the existence of multiple copies of a resource
Replication transparency makes multiple copies of data or services appear
as a single logical resource. This allows replication to improve availability
and performance without unnecessarily exposing its implementation to
users.
6. Which statement best describes scalability in a distributed system?
A. The system must always use exactly two computers
B. The system can increase its capacity or scope without unacceptable
degradation in performance
C. The system must avoid adding new resources
D. The system must process every request on one server
B. The system can increase its capacity or scope without unacceptable
degradation in performance
Scalability refers to the ability of a system to accommodate growth in
users, data, geographic distribution, or resources while maintaining
acceptable performance and manageability.
7. Which scalability problem occurs when a centralized service becomes
a bottleneck as the number of clients increases?
, A. Clock drift
B. Centralization bottleneck
C. Byzantine agreement
D. Network partition
B. Centralization bottleneck
A centralized component can become overloaded when many clients
depend on it. Distributed designs often address this by partitioning
services, replicating components, or distributing computation across
multiple nodes.
8. What is the primary purpose of communication protocols in
distributed systems?
A. To prevent computers from exchanging information
B. To define rules that allow distributed components to exchange and
interpret messages correctly
C. To replace all application software
D. To guarantee that networks never fail
B. To define rules that allow distributed components to exchange and
interpret messages correctly
Communication protocols specify how messages are structured,
transmitted, interpreted, and sometimes acknowledged. They provide the
conventions required for independent components to communicate
reliably.
9. Which communication model involves a sender explicitly transmitting
a message to a receiver?
A. Message passing
B. Shared-memory execution
C. Local procedure execution
D. Batch compilation
