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Name : ……………………………………………………………
Roll No. : ………………………………………………………..
Invigilator’s Signature : ………………………………………..
CS/M.Tech (CSE)/SEM-2/MCS-203/2010
2010
DISTRIBUTED COMPUTER SYSTEMS
Time Allotted : 3 Hours Full Marks : 70

The figures in the margin indicate full marks.

1. a) What are the different types of hardware architectures

on which a distributed system can be built ? Explain

their main features & the types of O.S. that utilize these

hardwares. 4

b) What is the Cache coherence problem ? Explain a

directory based protocol which provides a solution to

the problem. 2+4

c) In case of NORMA architecture, what strategies are

taken to improve performance when access is made to

i) read only page

ii) writable page ? 4

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2. a) What are the assumptions involved for ensuring a

sequentially consistent execution of a program ?

Compare with strict consistency & explain with the help

of a program code example. 6

b) How is it possible to enforce strict consistency on

program codes which are basically sequentially

consistent ? 4

c) In most implementations of Release Consistency in DSM

system shared variables are synchronized on Release

but not on Acquire. Why is Acquire needs at all ? 4

3. a) Why is Logical clock in a distributed system more

relevant from the point of view of Event ordering ? Give

two examples of situation where synchronization on

Physical clock time is essential. 2+2

b) State the principles behind Lamport’s Algorithm for

clock synchronization. 4

c) What are the drawbacks of a Centralized Clock

synchronization algorithm ? Give an example of

Decentralized Clock synchronization algorithm. How

does it improve upon the problems inherent in the

Centralized algorithm ? 6

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 CS/M.Tech (CSE)/SEM-2/MCS-203/2010

4. a) In a distributed system running the same kernel image,

what is the generic methodology for controlling access to

the critical region ? Describe any algorithm. 2+4

b) What are the usual load measurement strategies in a

distributed system ? Describe a processor allocation

algorithm where co-ordinator failure does not form a

bottleneck. 2+6

5. a) What are the necessities of properties – Atomicity,

Consistency, Isolation & Durability in distributed

transaction processing ? Explain with the help of

examples. 8

b) A process with transaction timestamp 50 needs a

resource held by a process with transaction timestamp

100. What happens in

i) Wait – Die

ii) Wound – Wait. 3+3

6. a) Describe the situations in which an Election algorithm

is used. Also describe any one of Election algorithms. 7

b) What is the type of architecture which can support a

DSM ? Describe the three main models followed for the

implementation of DSM. 1+6

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7. a) If in a remote procedure call – read (fd, buf, nbytes)

where buf represents a pointer to an array is called by a

Client program, how is the parameter passing done as

the memory architecture for the client & the server may

be different ? 6

b) Explain the relative advantages and disadvantages of

stateful and stateless servers. 4

c) ‘‘VNODE’’ is a generalization of ‘‘INODE’’ in the Unix File

System architecture. Explain the statement in the

context of Network File System. 4

8. Write short notes on any two of the following : 2×7

a) Detection of Byzantine System Faults.

b) Transaction Rollback using Intentions List & two phase

commit protocol where one subordinate process is not

prepared to commit.

c) Application of Voting algorithm in a Replicated File

System.

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