Fallacies of distributed computing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fallacies of distributed computing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The fallacies are summarized below:^[1]

1. The network is reliable.
2. Latency is zero.
3. Bandwidth is infinite.
4. The network is secure.
5. Topology doesn't change.
6. There is one administrator.
7. Transport cost is zero.
8. The network is homogeneous.

Effects of the fallacies[edit]

1. Ignorance of network latency, and of the packet loss it can cause, induces application- and transport-layer developers to allow unbounded traffic, greatly increasing dropped packets and wasting bandwidth.
2. Complacency regarding network security results in being blindsided by malicious users and programs that continually adapt to security measures.^[2]
3. Multiple administrators, as with subnets for rival companies, may institute conflicting policies of which senders of network traffic must be aware in order to complete their desired paths.
4. The "hidden" costs of building and maintaining a network or subnet are non-negligible and must consequently be noted in budgets to avoid vast shortfalls.
5. Ignorance of bandwidth limits on the part of traffic senders can result in bottlenecks over frequency-multiplexed media.

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