Difference between Network Operating System and Distributed Operating System

In this article, you will learn the differences between network and distributed operating systems (DOS). But before discussing the differences, you need to know about the network and distributed operating system.

What is Network Operating System?

Network operating systems are server-based operating systems that provide networking-related functionality. It manages the users, groups, data and provides security. These operating systems permit the users to transfer the files and share devices like printers among various devices in a network like a LAN (Local Area Network), a private network, or another network. It is the most popular type of operating system used in distributed architectures. The goal of a network operating system is to allow resource sharing between two or more computers operating different operating systems.

Another important factor is server accessibility. The centralized server in these systems is highly reliable. New technologies, upgradation, and hardware may be easily integrated into this operating system. The server's setup and operation are both expensive. Moreover, these systems need regular maintenance and updates. Some network operating systems are Linux, Microsoft Windows Server, and Novel Netware.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Network Operating System

There are various advantages and disadvantages of a network operating system. These are as follows:

Advantages

There are various advantages of a network operating system. Some of them are as follows:

1. It is possible to gain remote access to servers from various locations and system types.
2. New technologies, upgradation, and hardware may be easily integrated into this operating system.
3. The servers handle its security concerns.
4. Highly stable centralized servers.

Disadvantages

There are various disadvantages of a network operating system. Some of them are as follows:

1. Network operating systems are very expensive.
2. It needs regular maintenance and updates.
3. The user must rely on the central location for most processes.

What is Distributed Operating System?

A distributed operating system (DOS) is an essential type of operating system. Distributed systems use many central processors to serve multiple real-time applications and users. As a result, data processing jobs are distributed between the processors.

It connects multiple computers via a single communication channel. Furthermore, each of these systems has its own processor and memory. Additionally, these CPUs communicate via high-speed buses or telephone lines. Individual systems that communicate via a single channel are regarded as a single entity. They're also known as loosely coupled systems.

This operating system consists of numerous computers, nodes, and sites joined together via LAN/WAN lines. It enables the distribution of full systems on a couple of center processors, and it supports many real-time products and different users. Distributed operating systems can share their computing resources and I/O files while providing users with virtual machine abstraction.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Distributed Operating System

There are various advantages and disadvantages of the distributed operating system. These are as follows:

Advantages

There are various advantages of the distributed operating system. Some of them are as follows:

1. It may share all resources (CPU, disk, network interface, nodes, computers, and etc.) from one site to another, increasing data availability across the entire system.
2. The entire system operates independently of one another, and as a result, if one site crashes, the entire system does not halt.
3. It reduces the probability of data corruption because all data is replicated across all sites; if one site fails, the user can access data from another operational site.
4. It is an open system since it may be accessed from both local and remote locations.
5. It increases the speed of data exchange from one site to another site.
6. Most distributed systems are made up of several nodes that interact to make them fault-tolerant. If a single machine fails, the system remains operational.
7. It helps in the reduction of data processing time.

Disadvantages

There are various disadvantages of the distributed operating system. Some of them are as follows:

1. The system must decide which jobs must be executed, when they must be executed, and where they must be executed. A scheduler has limitations, which can lead to underutilized hardware and unpredictable runtimes.
2. The underlying software is extremely complex and is not understood very well compared to other systems.
3. It is hard to implement adequate security in DOS since the nodes and connections must be secured.
4. The more widely distributed a system is, the more communication latency can be expected. As a result, teams and developers must choose between availability, consistency, and latency.
5. The database connected to a DOS is relatively complicated and hard to manage in contrast to a single-user system.
6. Gathering, processing, presenting, and monitoring hardware use metrics for big clusters can be a real issue.
7. These systems aren't widely available because they're thought to be too expensive.

Key differences between the network operating system and distributed operating system

There are various key differences between the network operating system and distributed operating system. These are as follows:

1. Network operating systems are used in heterogeneous computers and are known as loosely coupled systems. On the other hand, distributed operating systems (DOS) are tightly connected systems, and it mostly used in homogeneous computers or multiprocessors.
2. Communication between computers (nodes) in a distributed operating system is achieved through shared memory or by sending messages. On the other hand, the network operating system transfers files to interact with other nodes.
3. The operating system installed on the computers in a network operating system can vary, but it is not the case in a distributed system.
4. The network operating system's primary goal is to give local services to remote users. In contrast, DOS's goal is to handle the computer hardware resources.
5. The network operating system has a low level of transparency. On the other hand, the DOS is highly transparent and hides resource usage.
6. The network operating system's scalability is higher than the DOS.
7. The network operating system uses a two-tier client/server architecture, whereas the DOS uses an n-tier architecture.
8. The network operating system maintains resources at each node, whereas the distributed operating system manages resources globally, whether they are centered or distributed.

Head-to-head comparison between network operating system and distributed operating system

There are various head-to-head comparisons between the network and distributed operating system. Some of them are as follows:

Conclusion

The main difference between the network and distributed operating system is in their implementation. In the network operating system, no modifications or changes are made to the core system. In contrast, in DOS, the system components may be upgraded if necessary.