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Computing systems whose tasks and resources run across multiple locations or machines.
Different components may handle separate jobs, such as storing customer records, calculating routes or processing payments. Some information can be copied between machines, while other operations must coordinate to avoid inconsistent results. Network delays and partial failures complicate this coordination. Reliability depends on where critical functions sit, whether alternatives exist and how the system behaves when only some parts fail.
Imagine a hypothetical shopping platform. Its catalogue runs in location A, while order confirmation depends on a stock database in B. A failure in B can leave product browsing available but prevent checkout in A. If the stock database is replicated elsewhere and the software can safely switch to it, orders may resume. Without that arrangement, a working catalogue cannot replace the missing stock checks. This example does not describe any named company's actual design.
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