Difference between Distributed computing and computer networks

[Fernandoa]

This is the simplest differentiation between Distributed computing and Computer networks:

A computer network: It is when more than one computer is connected through hardware, and it communicates through some protocols to other computer which allows data transfer, commands and other services.

Distributed computing: It is when more than one computer do a job that can be done with single computer itself.

Distributed computing can be explained as follows:

When more than one microprocessor computers are doing the job that mainframe would otherwise do. A specific job is sent to several microprocessor computers from a controlling computer. For any kind of distributed computing you are going to need a computer network, so that data can be transmitted to the destination.And sometimes for better networking you need computer/s which is/are handling services on the network.

E.g.: This could be mainframe handling services for a whole bunch of desktop computers.

However, Mainframes are very expensive and any big job can be divided into small tasks for microprocessors and be completed at very low cost. So, for low cost network you can just assign different services to the different microprocessors running at the same time resulting into Distributed computing.

Sometimes computer network may describe some distributed computing capabilities:

services on a network may be centralized or distributed across the network.E.g.: If I plug two windows 98 machines together through a LAN cable, they can talk to each other through TCP/IP or IPX and they are. Here, because all of the computers on the network have the same services running, which in theory could be handled from one central server, for this reason you could call this distributed computing. However normal people call this a computer network.

However if I am at a university, I may have one microcomputer that handles the web-pages of my department, another computer that authenticates and gives access to the users data, and another computer that handles the emails. These computers are all linked by a network, and the jobs that they do may be somewhat dependent on the jobs of the other computers on this university network, however all of these computers are doing basically different jobs and giving me different services. These all jobs can be done by the same computer also that’s why I call it as distributing computing.

[FlashX]

All the elements that are inter-connected and operate under one operating system are called distributed computing. For a user it seems like a virtual uni-processor system. In a computer network the user has to specify and log in on a specific computer and every pc on the network has a specific address. All other computers communicate bu using the network that exists among them.

[Zariah]

The main difference in distributed system is that the existence of multiple autonomous computers is transparent, which is not visible to the user. Anyone can type a command to run a software and then it will start to run. Based on the operating system the best processor is selected, find and transport all the input files to that processor and put the results in the right place.