Patterns of Distributed Systems

The Limits of a Single Server

In this book, we will discuss distributed systems. But what exactly do we mean when we say “distributed systems”? And why is distribution necessary? Let’s start from the basics.

In today’s digital world, the majority of our activities rely on networked services. Whether it’s ordering food or managing finances, these services run on servers located somewhere. When using cloud services like AWS, GCP, or Azure, these servers are managed by the respective cloud providers. They store data, process user requests, and perform computations using the CPU, memory, network, and disks. These four fundamental physical resources are essential for any computation.

Consider ...