CISSP Training Guide

Domain 4, “Applications and Systems Development Security”

Centralized and Distributed Systems

Systems can be centralized, distributed, or some blending of the two. Most systems fall into the following categories:

• Centralized— All computing takes place in one place. The old mainframe/data center approach is one example; another is the use of a mini-computer or mini-computers located in one place and held under the central control of one department. A single PC, used to support recordkeeping or other computing at a small company, can also be considered as centralized computing.

• Centrally controlled computing— In this scenario, computers can exist in a widely distributed fashion both within headquarters and at remote offices. They are, however, ...