The Cybersecurity Body of Knowledge: The ACMIEEEAISIFIP Recommendations for a Complete Curriculum in Cybersecurity by Dan Shoemaker; Anne Kohnke; Ken Sigler

Author:Dan Shoemaker; Anne Kohnke; Ken Sigler
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CRC Press
Published: 2020-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

Knowledge Unit Four: Distributed Systems Architecture

The distributed systems topic introduces the general architectural principles that underlie the mechanism of connecting ourselves together. The aim of this topic is to help the student understand the concept of distributed systems and their interconnection methods. The idea of distributed systems really took off in the 1990s when client–server architecture first became popular. In essence, for the first time, a diverse array of computers could be interconnected using some type of centralized processor. The enabling software was typically termed “netware,” or a “network operating system.” The single, cohesive result was a comprehensive collection of components spread over a wide geographic area. That integration of processing power enabled an extensive range of capabilities, as well as allowed easier sharing. The most common example of that concept now is the Internet. However, the student must still understand that the Internet is not the only network and TCP/IP is not the only protocol.

Architecture at its lowest level in the hierarchy is the interconnection of multiple CPUs in some form of LAN arrangement. At the highest level, a massive array of shared computing processes can be enabled in a wide area network (WAN) architecture that will produce the equivalent of a supercomputer. The wide area concept allows for everything from simple virtual private networks (VPNs) to the architecture of the World Wide Web. Normally, in the latter type of environment, all of the clients are stateless, and the sharing architecture can involve anything from simple client–server connections to peer-to peer arrangements. At the message transfer level, the interconnection of networks is normally enabled through various packet-based messaging protocols, such as TCP/IP, User Datagram Protocol (UDP), or Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Each implementation has specific characteristics and different potential vulnerabilities. The focus of the learning should be on the similarities, and differences in these approaches, and why design choices are made.

Network architectures are planned and designed. Therefore, knowledge of general principles, network constituents, and interconnection methods is a must. As shown in Figure 6.13, there are seven subtopic areas in the Distributed Systems Architecture knowledge area: (1) Network Architectures, General Concepts: designing and building an enterprise network; (2) World Wide Web: specific protocols that enable the worldwide web; (3) The Internet: evolution of the Internet; (4) Protocols and Layering: operational layers; (5) High Performance Computing (Supercomputers): aggregating computer resources to accomplish a given task; (6) Hypervisors and Cloud Computing Implementations: infrastructure as a service (IaaS), software as a service (SaaS), and platform as a service (PaaS); and (7) Vulnerabilities: the attack surface of a network.

Figure 6.13 The Distributed Systems Architecture knowledge unit topics.

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