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Distributed Systems - Comp 464 Question Paper

Distributed Systems - Comp 464

Course:Bachelor Of Computer Science

Institution: Kabarak University question papers

Exam Year:2009

COURSE CODE: COMP 464
COURSE TITLE: DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS

STREAM: Y4S2
DAY: TUESDAY
TIME: 9.00 – 11.00 A.M.
DATE: 08/12/2009

INSTRUCTIONS:
Answer Question 1 and two other Questions
QUESTION 1 (30 MARKS)

(a) Explain the following terms
(i) Middleware (1 Mark)
(ii) Fat client architecture (2 Marks)
(iii) Transaction (1 Mark)

(b) Describe possible problems with distributed applications without the following
transparencies
(i) Replication transparency (2 Marks)
(ii) Naming transparency (2 Marks)
(iii) Location transparency (2 Marks)

(c) Explain VB.NET objects you would use to develop distributed transaction applications
that accesses SQL server database. (4 Marks)

(d) (i) Explain four services provided by LDAP directory interfacing protocol to a user
application (3 Marks)
(ii) Explain three ways of interfacing directories. (3 Marks)

(e) Explain six ways in which a developing a distributed application differs from a non
distributed application and role middleware plays in dealing with these differences.
(8 Marks)

(f) Explain two main types of support a client program requires from client operating
systems. (2 Marks)

QUESTION 2 (20 MARKS)

(a) Describe the following middleware give two strengths and one weaknesses
(i) Publish /subscribe (4 Marks)
(ii) Jini (5 Marks)

(b) Explain four internet technologies that are important to consider when developing distributed
non internet application. What type of applications are they likely to be used in and when is
it not appropriate to use those technologies. (7 marks)

(c) Describe four types of locks supported by SQL server (4 Marks)

QUESTION 3 (20 MARKS)

(a) Discuss Major factors and features you need to consider in order to choose between using
service oriented solution or distributed object architecture to implement a distributed
system. (7 Marks)

(b) (i) Explain features of .Net Framework that assist in developing distributed applications
(5 Marks)
(ii) Explain four problems of using .Net framework to develop applications. (4 Marks)

(c) Describe the file based middleware. (4 Marks)

QUESTION 4 (20 MARKS)

(a) Name and explain four value added extensions that transaction monitors have over traditional
client/server communication and Remote procedure call (RPC) and Object Request Broker
(ORB) invocation. (4 Marks)

(b) Describe sun Network File system and discuss its availability, scalability and performance
(7 Marks)

(c) (i) Describe the structure of ODBC and functions of various components of ODBC
(7 Marks)
(ii) Explain how ODBC is suitable for universal database interface (2 Marks)

QUESTION 5 (20 MARKS)

(a) Explain four benefits of transaction monitors to users of the distributed system.
(4 Marks)

(b) (i) Describe architecture of CORBA (5 Marks)
(ii) Explain how components in b (i) assist in developing distributed sales and product
Shipping application for an organization (5 Marks)
(iii) Explain advantages of developing above application with CORBA instead of client/server
architectures (3 Marks)

(c) (i) What is Grid computing? (1 Mark)
(ii) Discuss its application in developing distributed application (2 Marks)

Distributed Systems - Comp 464 Question Paper

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