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DEDAN KIMATHI UNIVERSITY

ICS 2403: DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS
TERM PAPER
The dramatic reductions in digital-technology costs, the new opportunities for multi-
media communication, new common-carrier data networks and local area networks, as
well as the progress in programming techniques provide both new opportunities and
challenges in the usage of computer systems. The challenges tend towards a greater
distribution of function through the network, with associated architectural needs.
However despite of this advances there remain many challenges in the implementation of
distributed systems. Key issues are services for distributed invocation, for directories and
for security. Known solutions have been discussed and some open problems are
identified by many scholars.

As part of the ICS 2304 course assessment, you are required to develop a well-researched
term paper on one of these critical topics in distributed systems. Select a topic from one
of the listed below.

Important instructions:
Your paper should be double spaced times new roman and not more than 4 pages
Duration: strictly 14 days from today 27
th
June 2014
A comparison scan will be conducted and any two answers that will be similar
will lead to a score of ZERO without any reference to the persons concerned. It
will also be considered as an examination malpractice; hence necessary
disciplinary action will be instituted.
see attached paper format
mode of presentation : Printed

RESEARCH TOPICS
No. Topic
1. Reliable and Fault-tolerant Middleware platforms
2. Mobile Computing Middleware
3. Middleware Protocols & Services for Information Assurance and Security
4. Applications of Middleware Technologies
5. Open Architectures for Re-configurable Middleware
6. Distributed Object Databases
7. Applications of Distributed Database systems
8. Using Logical Clocks as a way of Synchronization in a Distributed System
9. Models of Synchronizing Physical Clocks in a Distributed System
10. Clock Synchronization Algorithms in Distributed Systems
11. Achieving Fault tolerance in Critical Real-time Distributed Systems
12. Election Algorithms in Distributed Systems
13. Issues in Design and Implementation of Distributed File Systems (DFS)
14. Practical implementation of a Directory (Naming) Service in a DS
15. Transaction Management in Distributed Database Systems

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RESEARCH PAPER FORMAT

Topic of Research
Name:
registration no: ..

Abstract
a short summary of the topic

1. Introduction
The introduction should define the problem you are studying, discuss the history of the
problem and state its importance in the field. Applications of the problem can be
discussed and basic examples should be given to illustrate the concepts, using figures if
possible. Basic terminology should be defined and explained.

2. Background
In the Background section, additional terms are defined and more historical information,
such as previous results and a review of related papers, is given. It is in the Introduction
and Background sections that you must ensure that your reader understands the problem
and the terminology as well as show the reader that you have done your homework, in
terms of your library work.

3. Results
The results are stated and explained. More than one section may be used in order to break
the paper into logical, readable modules. Discuss most of the important ideas on the
particular topic.

4. Conclusion
Present conclusion as per the result findings

5. Reference
use the harvard referencing style