In this chapter:
Distributed computing is nothing new. From the birth of computer science, there has been a struggle for distributed computing, whether it be using terminals to gain access to massive computers, running bulky clients to interact with remote servers over a LAN, or executing applets to manipulate data over the Internet. In this chapter, we will briefly examine the progress of distributed computing since the dawn of computer science.
As you read this chapter, notice that the communication infrastructure between two endpoints (e.g., a client and server) gradually becomes more sophisticated. Because of this sophistication, new approaches are needed to minimize the development effort of a given system. As a result, the support for this intercommunication is pushed increasingly closer toward the operating system as time unfolds. Developers need this support in order to concentrate their valuable time on developing the functionality of their software—not developing communications protocols, as this is complicated, time consuming, and error prone. We’ll start off talking about dumb terminals and eventually end up with what we desire to learn: distributed components.
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