Most computer systems are inherently distributed, ranging from high performance computing systems to small devices, and are used pervasively by our society. The emblematic example of a distributed system is the Internet with its associated technologies like the Web, peer-to-peer networks, computing grids and clouds, and (wireless) communication networks. This trend toward distributed architectures is expected to continue, and even intensify, in the foreseeable future. Computing devices and applications increasingly interact with the users and with each other, either individually, collectively or collaboratively. It is therefore essential for a computer scientist to master the concepts, methods, and tools necessary for the development and management of distributed systems as well as wired/wireless communication systems.
This track deals with the theoretical foundations and the practical aspects of distributed systems engineering, both at the network / infrastructure and application level. Core courses cover the basics of distributed systems by exploring their underlying concepts, e.g., coordination or concurrency, foundations and algorithms, verification and model checking, or communication systems and protocols. Further courses address more specific aspects in relation to the domains of expertise of the different research groups at the universities hosting the Master. Examples include bio‐inspired and parallel architectures, network security, advanced database systems and large‐scale distributed systems, pervasive and context-aware computing, mobile / wireless communications, sensor networks, web engineering, and peer-to-peer networks.