The expansion of the practice of using information materials in digital form due to ergonomic, functional and technical advantages. The conditional “figure” has replaced the huge arrays of file cabinets, physical databases, book repositories and other reference materials. However, the tasks of streamlining, segmentation and classification of information remained, and in some aspects, aggravated. In the context of solving this problem, the concept of distributed information systems (RIS) also emerged, within the framework of which a clear structuring of data is supposed taking into account the nuances of organizing user interaction with them.
The concept of FIG
The need to create models for organizing the data of information systems was identified back in the 1970s. At the same time, the principles of designing RIS as one of the methods of structuring the functional scheme of databases were highlighted. Today, such models are considered only in the context of automation of information flows without a single control center. So what is a distributed automated information system? This is a digital information environment, the functional objects of which, when interacting with control computers, are divided into coordinated channels in accordance with the established algorithm. Networks are the working elements of the infrastructure, and the objects are information messages, data units and technological materials.
Principles of creating RIS
Achieving high performance of RIS is possible only if the following principles of networking are observed:
- Transparency. In the eyes of the user, the target database in the distributed network should be presented in the same way as in the format of the unallocated system.
- Independence. Other networks should not affect the operation of a particular RIS. In this part, it is worth noting the principle of autonomy in the sense of technological self-sufficiency.
- Synchronization. The state of the data should be unchanged and constant during the period of operation of the RIS.
- Isolation of "consumers" of data. In the process of working with data, users should not influence each other or intersect in one way or another, if this is not provided for by the format of their work process.
RIS Design
The main design objective is to develop a functional RIS model in which configurations of interaction between objects within the framework of the infrastructure will be determined, as well as coordination schemes for working with elements of the intermediate environment. As a rule, the output is an image of a network with established connections between the components of a distributed system. The parameters of these ligaments, their means of maintenance and management are determined. To date, the design of distributed information systems uses two approaches to the functional organization of the work environment:
- With an emphasis on messaging processes between system elements.
- Based on the regulation of procedure calls in the server support system.
The technical organization of the work of a distributed network provides for a detailed study of communication protocols, network modules for servicing call commands and characteristics of auxiliary service equipment, which will provide a hardware platform for the implementation of the project.
Design levels
A full-fledged development of the RIS model is impossible without the coverage of several functional layers of the network representation. In particular, projects for distributed information systems cover the following levels:
- Physical. Technical infrastructure directly responsible for data transmission. It does not matter what kind of data distribution scheme will be, but in any case, it involves work on the basis of mechanical, signal and electrical interfaces with specific protocols. It is the organization of the infrastructure of communication carriers with certain standards that the designers of the physical layer expect.
- Channel. A kind of process of converting signals and data packets into an acceptable format for its convenient reception and transmission within the framework of a stream distribution system. A bitmask is developed, a datagram is built, and a checksum is calculated in accordance with the marking of messages packed for the bitstream.
- Networked. By the time of designing, at this level, the physical infrastructure for the operation of a distributed information system and network should be ready, as well as a model for converting data for subsequent circulation in flows. At the network level, specific communication lines are built up, parameters for their interaction with machines are thought out, routes and intermediate data processing points are organized.
Client-Server Technology
The concept of the client-server network presentation model has existed since the advent of the first multi-user information systems, but to this day this principle of organizing user interaction with a structured database is fundamental in the context of the implementation of RIS. Today, this model is modified, adjusted to specific tasks, combined with other concepts of a network organization, but two of its basic ideas are necessarily preserved:
- Data hosted on one or more servers remains available to a wide array of users. The specific number of users with access may vary depending on current tasks, but in principle the possibility of unlimited access is preserved.
- In the process of using a distributed information system, its users should be able to jointly process data in simultaneous or parallel operation on different channels.
The key distribution factor in “client-server” systems relates specifically to users, since they are also considered in a wide range of representations, from a client-consumer to a service machine that operates a database using specified algorithms in accordance with specific access rights.
Remote Data Access Technologies
One of the primary conditions for ensuring constant access to information in the RIS is the ability to enter the data warehouse through the server. For this, different component models are used with access to a database like RDA. In such models, the input is implemented as an independent program function of the database management system. For example, geographically distributed information systems usually operate through the SQL server infrastructure on their own computing installation. The functionality of this server is limited to low-level operations related to organization, placement, storage and various manipulation tools in the physical memory of the storage. The system database file should also contain information about registered users with a list of their remote access rights.
Application Server Technologies
Stable functioning of the RIS is realized only with an effective data distribution system according to the requirements for server computing resources. In particular, compliance must be respected in terms of memory size and speed. The essence of the technology of distributed information systems in this part of the server software is to evaluate and support the power indicators of the technical infrastructure. If necessary, the system automatically connects additional server resources. Specifically, this function is implemented by the application server, directing the corresponding calls at the procedure level. How effective a particular resource regulation module will be depends on the construction scheme of a particular computing system and its power potential.
Security in Distributed Information Systems
No system that regulates the flow of information distribution, today is not able to guarantee complete security. This does not concern the system level of security, but, in principle, practically functioning models in which specialized protection tools are implemented. Adequate measures to increase the security of channels reduce the effectiveness of attackers at different levels, ultimately creating conditions under which attempts to penetrate the system become inappropriate. Information security tools for distributed information systems should be designed and built into the working group only after a comprehensive analysis of potential threats. A comprehensive risk analysis will give an objective assessment of the factors and parameters of a possible intrusion of intruders, third-party system failure, data interception, etc.
FIG Security Tools
The main methods of increasing the resistance of RIS to various threats of informational properties include:
- Encryption. Today, server and user encryption algorithms with 56-bit keys like DES and its analogues are widely used.
- Effective regulation of access rights. Confidentiality and authentication have long been central concepts in ensuring the information security of distributed automated systems, but the loss of administrators' attention to new means of identifying users ultimately leads to serious gaps in network security.
Reduced data distortion
Even without the influence of intruders, full-time operation of the RIS can be accompanied by negative processes, which include distortion of information packets. It is possible to deal with it by introducing cryptographic protection of content, in the framework of which uncontrolled processes of replacing and changing data are prevented.
Conclusion
An increase in the productivity of software and hardware and an increase in the volume of information exchange logically determines the need for forms of rational organization of digital space. The idea of distributed information systems in this sense is one of the central concepts for designing complex models of user interaction with databases at different levels. Along with this, approaches to the server device, technological regulation of data flows, computational processes, etc. are also changing. Issues related to ensuring security and the economic component with the support of RIS also remain relevant.