distributed computing (DC)

Definition

Computer networking scheme in which not only the data, programs, and storage devices of the connected computers is shared but their data processing power is also pooled. In this arrangement, an extremely complex or large problem is portioned out to hundreds or thousands of computers connected usually through the internet. Each computer's processing power is used only when it is on but idle, such as when its user is reading the screen or typing on the keyboard. This technique results in huge cost savings over buying supercomputers, and is generally more reliable because it is unaffected by the failure of even a large percentage of connected computers. However, it requires sophisticated software and powerful servers to systematically farm out the workload and collect and assemble the results.