Scribd
Upload
73 views2 pages

Cosc 465

This document contains instructions and questions for an exam on distributed systems. Section A contains one compulsory question with multiple parts asking students to define distributed systems, discuss mobile and ubiquitous computing, openness in distributed systems, failure detection, benefits of threads, and time synchronization issues. Section B contains four optional questions, asking students to discuss mutual exclusion, characteristics of distributed systems, clock synchronization, failure types, scalability, heterogeneity, transparencies, and ACID transactions. The exam is closed book and lasts 2 hours.

Uploaded by

Charity Ndanu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
73 views2 pages

Cosc 465

This document contains instructions and questions for an exam on distributed systems. Section A contains one compulsory question with multiple parts asking students to define distributed systems, discuss mobile and ubiquitous computing, openness in distributed systems, failure detection, benefits of threads, and time synchronization issues. Section B contains four optional questions, asking students to discuss mutual exclusion, characteristics of distributed systems, clock synchronization, failure types, scalability, heterogeneity, transparencies, and ACID transactions. The exam is closed book and lasts 2 hours.

Uploaded by

Charity Ndanu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

COSC 465

CHUKA UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS 2021

EXAMINATION FOR THE AWARD OF DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE


(COMPUTER SCIENCE)

COSC 465: DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS

STREAMS: BSC (COMP SC) Y4S2 TIME: 2 HOURS

DAY/DATE: THURSDAY 23/09/2021 2.30 P.M. – 4.30 P.M.


INSTRUCTIONS:

 Answer question ONE in section A and any other TWO questions from section B
 Do not write on this question paper
 This is a closed book exam, Reference materials are not allowed in exam room

SECTION A: COMPULSORY
Question 1 [30 Marks]
a) Define Distributed System and give an example [4 marks]
b) Mobile and Ubiquitous computing is a new phenomenon in Distributed Computing.
Discuss [6 marks]
c) One of the goals of any Distributed System is Openness. Discuss and explain its need
[4 marks]
d) In order to mask failure in Distributed System, there is need for them to be detected as
Well. Discuss. [6 marks]
e) Threads usage in Distributed Systems presents several benefits. Explain any two.[4 marks]
f) In Distributed Systems, virtualizations can take place in many different ways. Explain.
[4 marks]
g) Time synchronization algorithms such as NTP, the time server is passive. Explain a problem
that can arise in using a passive time server. [2 marks]

Page 1 of 2
COSC 465

SECTION B: ANSWER ANY TWO QUESTIONS FROM THIS SECTION

Question 2 [20 marks]


a) With use of appropriate examples and sketches, Discuss Mutual Exclusion and how it is
achieved in Distributed System. [10 marks]
b) Discuss any five (5) Characteristics of a distributed System [10 marks]

Question 3 [20 marks]


a) What is a physical clock, Explain how clock synchronization done in distributed system.
[10 marks]
b) Being Fault Tolerance means that the system is also dependable. Discuss the properties of a
dependable system. [10 marks]

Question 4[20 marks]


a) A system that fails is not adequately providing the service it was designed for. Discuss
the various types of failures that can occur in a Distributed system [10 marks]
b) Discuss Scalability, types and importance. [10 marks]

Question 5 [20 marks]


a) Discuss heterogeneity and its purpose in mobile code. [4 marks]
b) Discuss the various types of Transparencies in Distributed System [8 marks]
c) Define and Discuss, the ACID properties of a transaction [8 marks]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Page 2 of 2

You might also like