Editing Node (networking) (section)

==Distributed systems==
In a [[distributed system]] network, the nodes are [[client (computing)|clients]], [[Server (computing)|servers]] or [[peer (networking)|peers]]. A peer may sometimes serve as client, sometimes server. In a [[peer-to-peer]] or [[overlay network]], nodes that actively route data for the other networked devices as well as themselves are called [[supernode (networking)|supernodes]].

Distributed systems may sometimes use ''virtual nodes'' so that the system is not oblivious to the heterogeneity of the nodes. This issue is addressed with special algorithms, like [[consistent hashing]], as it is the case in [[Dynamo (storage system)|Amazon's Dynamo]].<ref>{{cite web 
| access-date = 2011-03-17
| website = www.allthingsdistributed.com
| publisher = All things distributed
| title = Dynamo: Amazon's Highly Available Key-value Store: 4.2 Partitioning Algorithm
| quote = the basic algorithm is oblivious to the heterogeneity in the performance of nodes. To address these issues, Dynamo uses a variant of consistent hashing: instead of mapping a node to a single point in the circle, each node gets assigned to multiple points in the ring. To this end, Dynamo uses the concept of “virtual nodes”. A virtual node looks like a single node in the system, but each node can be responsible for more than one virtual node. Effectively, when a new node is added to the system, it is assigned multiple positions (henceforth, “tokens”) in the ring.
| url = http://www.allthingsdistributed.com/files/amazon-dynamo-sosp2007.pdf}}</ref>

Within a vast computer network, the individual computers on the periphery of the network, those that do not also connect other networks, and those that often connect transiently to one or more [[cloud computing|clouds]] are called end nodes. Typically, within the cloud computing construct, the individual user or customer computer that connects into one well-managed cloud is called an end node. Since these computers are a part of the network yet unmanaged by the cloud's host, they present significant risks to the entire cloud. This is called the [[end node problem]].<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.nets-find.net/Meetings/S09Meeting/Talks/clark.ppt |title=Architecture from the top down |author=David D. Clark |date=April 2009 |access-date=2017-05-14 |archive-date=2021-08-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813140541/http://www.nets-find.net/Meetings/S09Meeting/Talks/clark.ppt |url-status=dead }}</ref> There are several means to remedy this problem but all require instilling trust in the end node computer.<ref>{{cite web |title=LPS-Public |url=http://www.spi.dod.mil/lipose.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110129060950/http://www.spi.dod.mil/lipose.htm |archive-date=2011-01-29 |url-status=dead}}</ref>