Introduction

A distributed system, commonly known as distributed computing, is a system with multiple components, which are located on different computers. These components communicate and coordinate their actions to appear as a common cohesive unit to the end-users and achieve a common goal.

The distributed system includes computers, virtual machines, physical servers, containers, and anything that can have a memory, connect to the network, and communicate and coordinate by passing messages. There are generally two ways of distributing system functions. First, each machine, weather computer, container, etc. will work towards a common goal to appear as a unit to the end-user. Second, every user has its own machine facilitating sharing resources and communication services.

Although distributed systems can sometimes be unclear, there are still three significant characteristics of distributed systems: components concurrency, no global clock available, and components failing independently. With the rise in demand for developers in the market, the companies are always looking to hire distributed system developers who are skilled and can effectively manage the communication and coordination actions.

Tools and Technologies of Distributed System

Some of the common tools and development technologies of a distributed system are

• Agent-based approach architecture
• Agentless approach architecture
• Hybrid approach architecture
• Data stream-based architecture  

We at Skuad make sure that you could hire distributed system developers having sound knowledge of these development tools and technologies.

Roles and Responsibilities of Distributed System Developers

Being a distributed system developer is a position of pride. It comes with great responsibilities that one is expected to follow every day with high efficiency. The role of distributed developers cannot be put in a box, but there is a pool of duties that they regularly fulfill to maintain their position in the organization. Below are some major responsibilities of distributed system developers. 

• Design and implement complex distributed system platforms for storing excessive data.
• Design and implement distributed platforms for scaling parallel algorithms, etc.
• Analyze technical faults and troubleshoot effective solutions to solve them in no time.
• Analyze issues, performance, and challenges in the organization and give suggestions for improvements.
• Pinpoint even the slightest problem, instrument relevant components, and implement solutions before it's too late.
• Responsible for meeting the demands of rapidly growing services.
• Consistency and durability are key.
• Fulfill the expectations of the clients regarding availability and performance.
• Responsible for meeting deadlines.

Expertise Required

Hard Skills

• A solid understanding of remote machine access such as secure shell protocol or SSH. It is a network protocol that provides complete safety over an unsecured network.
• A good grasp over ACID Transactions, which are a set of properties that guarantee data availability despite errors, failures, and other mishappenings.
• Proper understanding of Consistency or Multiprocessing.
• Mastery over the divide and conquer algorithm, which includes breaking down problems in simpler forms until it becomes easy enough to solve.
• A good grasp of multiple programming languages.
• Understanding of Text Editor even if you are starting as a developer or already a well-established one.
• The ability to work with databases.
• A basic understanding of the fundamentals and mechanics of the operating system.
• Basic knowledge of the fundamentals of networking.
• Understanding of the proper life cycle of software from start to end.
• Understanding of Microsoft excels at tracking processes, numbers, and quality.

The list does not end here. Other than these, several hard skills should be present in distributed system developers to carry out the developing process much more easily and efficiently.

Soft Skills

• Being able to understand others’ perspectives
• Effective communication
• Teamwork
• A can-do attitude
• Approachable to people
• Patience, confidence, and diligence
• Open-mindedness
• The ability to analyze problems and rectify them then and there
• Own up to mistakes
• Be creative with thoughts and ideas
• Time management
• Never-give-up attitude towards the complex situation and work.

Experience

The functions and duties of distributed system developers are limited to one category, but they encompass various skills and fulfill numerous duties listed above. Along with these, they are sometimes expected to participate in additional duties that are listed below. Let's have a close look at the list:

• 2-3 years of experience in designing, building, and supporting large-scale systems.
• Well-versed in building large-scale distributed fault tolerance services.
• Excellent understanding of the operating system, including networking and storage, performance and scale, etc.
• Quick understanding of CS fundamentals, including algorithms, distributed systems, and data structure. 
• Excellent programming skills such as concurrency and multi-threading.
• Excellent knowledge of C++ and Java language.
• Ability to identify faults and implement effective solutions.
• Experience in working with cloud infrastructure such as AWS. Azure, or Google Cloud.
• Bachelors or/and masters in computer science, or relevant degrees.
• Great communication skills.
• Fluency in speaking English.
• Solving challenging technical problems related to distributed systems.
• Performance optimization.

Salary Structure

The salary of a distributed system developer is determined by various factors such as the job title, years of experience, and location. According to the latest market research, the average pay runs around USD 175,000 per annum. It starts with USD 110,000 per annum for entry-level developers and may go up to USD 195,000 per year for experienced developers.

Distributed System Developer Certification

Certification as a distributed system developer may help you to develop professionally and will also keep you ahead in your career. The field of a distributed system is massive. Before you step into the world of technology, it's extremely important to get certification to ensure your abilities to work as a developer and give you an upper hand in the organization. 

As an advanced technology, a distributed system is a difficult domain that requires a higher level of expertise because even the slightest mistake can cause a lot of issues in an existing system. Without a doubt, it's an honorable position that requires a lot of hard work and expertise to succeed. The certification course will provide an edge and technical advantages resulting in better career growth.

At Skuad, we can help you to hire talented and certified distributed system developers from all over the world at any time and anywhere under one roof. Be it freelancers, full-time, or contract, and we have everything covered for you all!

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Key Takeaways

• A distributed system is popularly known as distributed computing.
• A distributed system has multiple components that communicate and coordinate with each other so the actions appear to be happening from a single system to the end-user.
• Distributed systems include computers, physical servers, containers, virtual machines, etc.
• Offer three primary characteristics: components concurrent, lack of a global clock, and independent components fail.
• The major advantage of a distributed system is it is easy and inexpensive to add nodes and functionality as per needs.
• Distributed systems are extremely efficient as they divide the load between multiple machines.

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Industry Expertise

Skuad delivers services to a wide range of industries, including EdTech, Fintech, Healthcare, Logistics & Transport, Retail & Ecommerce, Travel, Banking, Media, and many more. We function as your local HR and efficiently manage your day-to-day activities involving international employees, from selection through onboarding, invoicing compliance, and taxation. We end all your worries related to Human Resource management for your company. So, you can concentrate solely on your company's expansion.

Talk to Skuad experts today!