Distributed Computing with Python

Distributed computing

For the remainder of this book, we will adopt the following working definition of distributed computing:

Distributed computing is the simultaneous use of more than one computer to solve a problem.

Typically, as in the case of parallel computing, this definition is oftentimes further restricted. The restriction usually is the requirement that these computers appear to their users as a single machine, therefore hiding the distributed nature of the application. In this book, we will be happy with the more general definition.

Distributing computation across multiple computers is again a pretty obvious strategy when using systems that are able to speak to each other over the (local or otherwise) network. In many respects, in fact, ...