Distributed Networks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Distributed Networks - Essay Example e, the different peers provide the services and use the provided services [1]. Another difference between peer to peer networks is based on file storage and access; Client-server networks depend on a central dedicated server for file storage the clients then access the files from the server whereas in peer to peer networks file storage is in the different peers on the network. The security of the files in peer to peer networks is dependent on the end users while that of client-server networks is dependent on the server administrator. The server on a client server network provides secured access to the client thus providing better levels of security. Implementation of peer to peer network is much cheaper as compared to client-server because no centralized server is required [3]. Peer to peer networks have various benefits over other network architectures, they include; Peer to peer networks are cheaper to install as compared to other network architecture because no dedicated server is required for the network. Peer to peer is allows sharing of resources such as printers therefore saving on costs [4]. Installation and maintenance of peer to peer networks is easier because no network configurations are required. The peers on the network use individual operating systems. Peer to peer networks are more reliable because the devices on the network are independent i.e. they do not depend on a central server therefore failure of on peer does not affect the performance of the other peers [1]. Peer to peer networks save on time and resources because there is no need for a full time system administrator to manage a server [4]. The use of peer to peer networks has its own drawbacks, the disadvantages of this networks include; The security levels in peer to peer networks are limited thus there is likely to be transmission of viruses spywares and malware across the network [2]. In case of data loss it may be very difficult to recover because each peer on the network has its o wn backup system. Due to lack of centralized administration, it’s difficult to manage all the activities on the network. Peer to peer networks are good for small networks where high level of security is not required [3]. Some of the peer to peer tools currently available in the market include; Oversim- It’s an open source high performance simulation framework for peer to peer networks. It has an interactive user interface that visualizes network topologies messages and routing tables. Oversim simulation framework is flexible in its operations because it simulates both structured and unstructured overlay networks. Due to its high performance capability, Oversim can be used to simulate large networks of up to 10000 nodes and also has a network scheme that allows configuration of network topology with realistic bandwidths and packet relays which enhances its high performance [2]. Peerism is a java developed open source framework that was created to support large network s calability. Peerism is composed of two simulation engines