Why Distributed Computing

Arguments for:

• Computers are cheap, network is available.
• Architecture mirrors that of organization and resource availability.
• It can, sometimes, scale well by adding more machines.
• If a machine breaks we can replace it with a new one.

Arguments against:

• A distributed system is one in which the failure of a computer you didn't know existed can render your own computer unusable. — Lamport
• It adds a lot of new security headaches.