Network Protocols in Distributed Systems: Master the Fundamentals

Question 1

Which layer in the TCP/IP model is responsible for routing packets?

Accepted Answer

Network

Answer

Application

Answer

Transport

Answer

Data Link

Question 2

Which protocol offers a connectionless, unreliable transport service?

Accepted Answer

UDP

Answer

TCP

Answer

RPC

Answer

HTTP

Question 3

What is the primary function of a port number in UDP?

Accepted Answer

To identify the destination application

Answer

To establish a reliable connection

Answer

To ensure guaranteed delivery

Answer

To determine the route to the destination

Question 4

What is a key advantage of using RPC (Remote Procedure Call) over a local function call?

Accepted Answer

It allows communication between processes on different machines

Answer

It ensures guaranteed message delivery

Answer

It is more efficient

Answer

It is easier to implement

Question 5

Which function is NOT typically handled by the Network layer in the TCP/IP model?

Accepted Answer

Data encryption

Answer

Routing

Answer

Error detection

Answer

Flow control

Question 6

Which protocol is responsible for assigning IP addresses to network devices?

Accepted Answer

DHCP

Answer

ARP

Answer

DNS

Answer

TCP

Question 7

What is the key difference between synchronous and asynchronous RPC?

Accepted Answer

Synchronous RPC blocks the caller until a response is received, while asynchronous RPC does not

Answer

Synchronous RPC is more efficient than asynchronous RPC

Answer

Asynchronous RPC is more reliable than synchronous RPC

Answer

There is no difference between synchronous and asynchronous RPC

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of distributed systems?

Accepted Answer

Enhanced security

Answer

Increased scalability

Answer

Improved reliability

Answer

Reduced cost

Question 9

Analyze the design principles of TCP/IP and UDP protocols. Discuss their strengths and weaknesses in terms of connection orientation, reliability, and delivery order.

Accepted Answer

TCP/IP: connection-oriented, reliable, ordered delivery; UDP: connectionless, unreliable, unordered delivery

Answer

UDP: connection-oriented, reliable, ordered delivery; TCP/IP: connectionless, unreliable, unordered delivery

Answer

Both protocols are connection-oriented and reliable

Answer

Both protocols are connectionless and unreliable

Question 10

Which transport protocol, widely used in distributed systems, ensures reliable data delivery and establishes a connection before data transmission?

Accepted Answer

TCP

Answer

UDP

Answer

SCTP

Answer

HTTP

Question 11

In the TCP/IP model, which layer is responsible for addressing and routing packets across networks?

Accepted Answer

Network layer

Answer

Transport layer

Answer

Application layer

Answer

Data link layer

Question 12

What is the primary purpose of a Remote Procedure Call (RPC) in distributed systems?

Accepted Answer

To enable a program on one computer to invoke a procedure on another computer seamlessly.

Answer

To provide a secure encrypted channel for data exchange.

Answer

To transfer large files efficiently between systems.

Answer

To synchronize clocks across distributed systems.

Question 13

What is the primary role of a firewall in a distributed system?

Accepted Answer

To monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic, preventing unauthorized access.

Answer

To optimize network performance by reducing unnecessary traffic.

Answer

To encrypt data transmissions, ensuring confidentiality and integrity.

Answer

To detect and mitigate malware attacks.

Question 14

What is the main purpose of a distributed hash table (DHT) in distributed systems?

Accepted Answer

To efficiently store and retrieve data across a large number of nodes, providing scalable data management.

Answer

To act as a centralized directory service, managing resource and service discovery.

Answer

To balance network load and optimize resource utilization.

Answer

To implement a distributed file system, allowing concurrent access to shared files.

Question 15

In distributed systems, which factor does NOT directly influence the performance of network protocols?

Accepted Answer

Processing power of end devices

Answer

Network topology

Answer

Traffic load

Answer

Protocol overhead

Question 16

What is the intended purpose of a firewall in a distributed system?

Accepted Answer

To safeguard the network from unauthorized access

Answer

To regulate traffic flow between networks

Answer

To identify and mitigate malware

Answer

To encrypt data transmissions

Question 17

What is the purpose of a network address translator (NAT)?

Accepted Answer

To map private IP addresses to public IP addresses

Answer

To offer network security

Answer

To optimize network performance

Answer

To detect network anomalies

Question 18

What is a potential disadvantage associated with using a multicast protocol?

Accepted Answer

Increased network traffic

Answer

Reduced security

Answer

Challenging configuration

Answer

Limited reliability

Question 19

What is the primary goal of a routing protocol in a distributed system?

Accepted Answer

To establish optimal data packet paths

Answer

To prevent network congestion

Answer

To detect and isolate network failures

Answer

To optimize network bandwidth utilization

Question 20

Which network protocol is commonly used in distributed systems for file transfers?

Accepted Answer

FTP

Answer

HTTP

Answer

SMTP

Answer

SSH

Question 21

How does a virtual private network (VPN) differ from a secure socket layer (SSL) connection?

Accepted Answer

A VPN establishes a private network over the public internet, while SSL protects communication between clients and servers.

Answer

A VPN encrypts all network traffic, while SSL encrypts specific applications.

Answer

A VPN offers superior security to SSL.

Answer

A VPN is used exclusively for remote access, whereas SSL is used for both remote access and web browsing.

Question 22

Which layer of the TCP/IP model is responsible for ensuring that packets reach their intended destinations?

Accepted Answer

Network

Answer

Transport

Answer

Application

Answer

Data Link

Question 23

What is the key distinction between the TCP and UDP protocols?

Accepted Answer

TCP establishes a connection before sending data while UDP does not.

Answer

UDP is reliable while TCP is unreliable.

Answer

TCP is used for streaming applications while UDP is for file transfer.

Answer

UDP uses ports while TCP does not.

Question 24

What is the primary purpose of a socket in network programming?

Accepted Answer

To create a communication endpoint for exchanging data with remote processes.

Answer

To store network data temporarily.

Answer

To ensure secure data transmission.

Answer

To translate domain names to IP addresses.

Question 25

Which feature is NOT associated with the HTTP protocol?

Accepted Answer

Reliable

Answer

Stateless

Answer

Cacheable

Answer

Secure

Question 26

What is the primary function of a DNS server in a network?

Accepted Answer

To resolve domain names to IP addresses.

Answer

To store and forward email messages.

Answer

To provide security for web browsing.

Answer

To control network traffic flow.

Question 27

What is the primary purpose of a firewall in network security?

Accepted Answer

To block unauthorized access to a network by monitoring and filtering incoming and outgoing network traffic.

Answer

To detect and prevent malicious attacks.

Answer

To encrypt data in transit.

Answer

To manage network traffic flow.

Question 28

Which protocol is used for secure communication over the web?

Accepted Answer

HTTPS

Answer

HTTP

Answer

FTP

Answer

Telnet

Question 29

What is network latency and how does it impact the performance of distributed systems?

Accepted Answer

Network latency refers to the delay in data transmission, which can significantly affect the responsiveness and performance of distributed systems.

Answer

Latency is only a concern for low-bandwidth networks.

Answer

Latency can be completely eliminated by using faster network hardware.

Answer

Latency is not a critical factor in distributed system design.

Question 30

In distributed systems, which protocol is the primary choice for reliable and connection-oriented communication?

Accepted Answer

TCP

Answer

UDP

Answer

RPC

Question 31

Which of the following attributes is not characteristic of UDP?

Accepted Answer

Reliable

Answer

Connectionless

Answer

Unreliable

Question 32

What is the primary purpose of the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) protocol?

Accepted Answer

Enabling communication between processes on different machines

Answer

Providing reliable data transfer

Answer

Establishing network connections

Question 33

In distributed systems, which protocol is commonly used at the transport layer?

Accepted Answer

TCP

Answer

Ethernet

Answer

IP

Question 34

What is the primary function of the Internet Protocol (IP)?

Accepted Answer

Addressing and routing data packets across the network

Answer

Establishing and maintaining network connections

Answer

Ensuring data integrity during transmission

Question 35

Which of the following is not an advantage of using RPC in distributed systems?

Accepted Answer

Enhanced network performance

Answer

Simplified remote method invocation

Answer

Reduced complexity in inter-process communication

Question 36

What is the purpose of the Domain Name System (DNS)?

Accepted Answer

Translating domain names into IP addresses

Answer

Providing email services

Answer

Establishing secure network connections

Question 37

Which protocol in the TCP/IP suite is the primary choice for reliable data transmission in distributed systems, ensuring that data sent is received in the same order and without errors?

Accepted Answer

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)

Answer

UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

Answer

IP (Internet Protocol)

Answer

ARP (Address Resolution Protocol)

Question 38

Which protocol, commonly used in distributed systems, provides low-latency, connectionless data delivery but does not guarantee data integrity or ordered delivery?

Accepted Answer

UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

Answer

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)

Answer

IP (Internet Protocol)

Answer

DNS (Domain Name System)

Question 39

In the TCP/IP model, which layer is responsible for determining the path that packets take across a network, ensuring they reach their intended destination?

Accepted Answer

Network Layer

Answer

Transport Layer

Answer

Application Layer

Answer

Data Link Layer

Question 40

RPC (Remote Procedure Call) is a fundamental technique used in distributed systems. Which of the following is a key advantage of RPC, contributing to its widespread adoption?

Accepted Answer

Automatic data marshalling, handling the conversion of data between different systems and representations

Answer

Asynchronous communication, allowing processes to continue without waiting for responses

Answer

Synchronous communication, ensuring that the caller waits for the response before proceeding

Answer

Guaranteed delivery, providing assurance that data will reach its destination without loss

Question 41

Which protocol is primarily responsible for translating human-readable domain names, such as 'www.google.com', into numerical IP addresses, enabling the location of resources on the internet?

Accepted Answer

DNS (Domain Name System)

Answer

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)

Answer

UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

Answer

ARP (Address Resolution Protocol)

Question 42

In the context of network performance optimization, which technique is employed to distribute network traffic across multiple paths, reducing congestion and improving overall throughput?

Accepted Answer

Load balancing, distributing traffic across multiple resources

Answer

Routing, determining the best path for packets to take

Answer

Multicasting, sending data to multiple destinations simultaneously

Answer

Bridging, connecting different network segments

Question 43

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a widely used protocol in distributed systems. Its primary purpose is to facilitate:

Accepted Answer

File transfer between computers

Answer

Interactive text-based communication

Answer

Email transmission and retrieval

Answer

Domain name resolution

Question 44

TCP, a fundamental transport layer protocol, consists of different subprotocols. Which subprotocol is specifically responsible for establishing and maintaining connections between two endpoints?

Accepted Answer

TCP Handshake

Answer

TCP Window Management

Answer

TCP Slow Start

Answer

TCP Congestion Control

Question 45

Which protocol in the TCP/IP suite is responsible for assigning unique numerical addresses to devices on a network, ensuring that data can be routed and delivered to the correct destination?

Accepted Answer

IP (Internet Protocol)

Answer

UDP (User Datagram Protocol)

Answer

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)

Answer

DNS (Domain Name System)

Question 46

Which protocol is connection-oriented, providing reliable data transmission with flow control and error checking?

Accepted Answer

TCP

Answer

HTTP

Answer

DNS

Answer

UDP

Question 47

A client application sends a request to a server using UDP. Which of the following is TRUE about the communication?

Accepted Answer

The server may not acknowledge receipt of the request.

Answer

The data is sent in a stream, ensuring order of delivery.

Answer

The communication is guaranteed to be secure.

Question 48

In a distributed system, a client application needs to access a remote procedure on a server. Which protocol is typically used to facilitate this interaction?

Accepted Answer

RPC

Answer

SMTP

Answer

FTP

Answer

ICMP

Question 49

Which of the following is NOT a layer in the TCP/IP model?

Accepted Answer

Session Layer

Answer

Application Layer

Answer

Transport Layer

Question 50

A client application needs to resolve a hostname to its corresponding IP address. Which protocol is responsible for this task?

Accepted Answer

DNS

Answer

HTTP

Answer

DHCP

Answer

FTP

Question 51

A network administrator needs to configure a device to automatically obtain an IP address and other network parameters. Which protocol should be used?

Accepted Answer

DHCP

Answer

DNS

Answer

SMTP

Answer

FTP

Question 52

Which protocol is responsible for sending and receiving email messages?

Accepted Answer

SMTP

Answer

DNS

Answer

FTP

Answer

HTTP

Question 53

A web browser requests a web page from a server. Which protocol is used for this communication?

Accepted Answer

HTTP

Answer

SMTP

Answer

FTP

Answer

DNS

Question 54

What is the main advantage of using UDP over TCP for certain applications?

Accepted Answer

Lower latency and reduced overhead

Answer

Higher throughput for large data transfers

Answer

Guaranteed delivery of data packets

Answer

Enhanced security and data integrity

Question 55

Which of the following is a key challenge in designing distributed systems that rely on network protocols?

Accepted Answer

Managing network latency and ensuring fault tolerance

Answer

Developing secure encryption methods for sensitive data

Answer

Implementing efficient data compression algorithms