Distributed Processing

Distributed Processing, in computer science, a form of information processing in which work is performed by separate computers that are linked through a communications network. Distributed processing is usually categorized as either plain distributed processing or true distributed processing. Plain distributed processing shares the workload among computers that can communicate with one another. True distributed processing has separate computers perform different tasks in such a way that their combined work can contribute to a larger goal, such as the transfer of funds from one bank to another. This latter type of processing requires a highly structured environment that allows hardware and software to communicate, share resources, and exchange information freely. At the highest (and most visible) levels, such distributed processing can also require data-transfer mechanisms that are relatively invisible to users but that enable different programs to use and share one another's data. See also Client/Server Architecture; Telecommunications.