What are distributed systems?

Distributed systems are how large organizations manage a group of computers to work together to appear as a single computer to the end-user. Distributed systems share singular components on different computers or machines that are networked together through a distribution system. This helps the various users in organizations achieve common goals via a single, integrated network. Distributed systems are essential in our networked world for sharing different resources and capabilities. Sometimes called distributed computing, the systems work on the idea that a linked system can help to maximize resources and information while preventing any system-wide failures. In the case of a computer failure, the availability of service would not be affected with distributed systems in place.

Why is it important to learn about distributed systems?

Distributed systems are valuable to learn because you might start to understand how distributed systems help technology services adjust to meet the demand for certain workloads. Distributed systems are what power our favorite web services and keep them available during times of great user activity. Learning about distributed systems may help you to understand the basic fundamentals of the speedy expansion and reduction of an organization’s network resource allocation. You may also learn about the benefits of distributed systems to organizations, like network openness, reliability, transparency, performance, and scalability.

What are typical career opportunities that use distributed systems?

Careers in distributed systems may include jobs like software engineers in cloud distributed systems, distributed computing engineers, architects of distributed systems, and other high-knowledge software engineering positions. Working in this area may expose you to concepts like understanding the critical nature of queue-based systems, which are related to distributed systems, in that they allow for the correct measures of resource utilization and throughput.

How can taking online courses help me learn about distributed systems?

Taking online courses to learn distributed systems may provide you with new knowledge about how distributed systems operate by spreading out network requests and workloads. You may gain new insights about how distributed systems support more computing jobs in an organization than a standard single system. This is important to anyone who works in networked systems in organizations. When you take online courses on distributed systems, you may learn how to apply different programming languages like Python, SQL, or Java in distributed systems environments.

What are the benefits of taking an online Distributed Systems course?

Online Distributed Systems courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Distributed Systems skills. Choose from a wide range of Distributed Systems courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Distributed Systems courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Distributed Systems, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Best Distributed Systems Courses & Certificates [2025]

Explore the Distributed Systems Course Catalog

Status: Free Trial
Rice University
Parallel, Concurrent, and Distributed Programming in Java
Skills you'll gain: Apache Kafka, Apache Spark, Apache Hadoop, Distributed Computing, Dataflow, Java Programming, Java, Middleware, Scala Programming, Data Structures, System Programming, Programming Principles, Servers, Application Frameworks, Debugging, Algorithms, Performance Tuning, Network Protocols, Computer Science
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
1.6K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Packt
Building Modern Distributed Systems with Java
Skills you'll gain: Distributed Computing, Java, Middleware, NoSQL, Event-Driven Programming, Databases, Software Architecture, Servers, Web Services, Microservices, Scalability, Communication Systems
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Cloud Computing
Skills you'll gain: Distributed Computing, Cloud Infrastructure, Cloud Services, Big Data, Apache Spark, Cloud Computing, Cloud Storage, Cloud Platforms, Network Architecture, Data Storage Technologies, Computer Networking, File Systems, Apache Hadoop, Network Infrastructure, Cloud Applications, Infrastructure As A Service (IaaS), Middleware, Containerization, Software-Defined Networking, NoSQL
4.3
Rating, 4.3 out of 5 stars
2.1K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Johns Hopkins University
Large-Scale Database Systems
Skills you'll gain: Data Warehousing, Apache Hadoop, Distributed Computing, Scalability, Transaction Processing, Database Systems, Database Design, Database Management Systems, Relational Databases, Database Architecture and Administration, Database Management, Cloud Computing, Query Languages, Big Data, Databases, Data Processing, Machine Learning, SQL, Data Access, Performance Tuning
Intermediate · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Codio
Introduction to Operating Systems
Skills you'll gain: File Systems, Operating Systems, OS Process Management, C (Programming Language), System Programming, Virtualization, Data Integrity, Debugging, Systems Design, Performance Tuning, Distributed Computing, Data Storage, Computer Systems, Command-Line Interface, Virtual Machines, Data Security, Computer Hardware, Scalability, Data Structures, Linux
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
275 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Colorado Boulder
Software Architecture for Big Data
Skills you'll gain: Service Level, Performance Testing, Software Engineering, Data Architecture, Web Applications, Software Architecture, Scalability, Functional Requirement, Distributed Computing, Databases, Microservices, Acceptance Testing, Application Deployment, Predictive Modeling, Application Development, Application Performance Management, Software Testing, Development Testing, System Design and Implementation, Big Data
Build toward a degree
3.5
Rating, 3.5 out of 5 stars
101 reviews
Advanced · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months

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Status: New
Status: Free Trial
University of Colorado Boulder
High-Performance and Parallel Computing
Skills you'll gain: Bash (Scripting Language), Distributed Computing, Scalability, Software Architecture, Big Data, Operating Systems, File Systems, Cloud Development, Scripting, Command-Line Interface, C and C++, Performance Tuning, Linux, Programming Principles, Computer Architecture, Data Sharing, Communication Systems
3.7
Rating, 3.7 out of 5 stars
143 reviews
Advanced · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Preview
The University of Sydney
Blockchain Scalability and its Foundations in Distributed Systems
Skills you'll gain: Blockchain, Distributed Computing, Security Engineering, Network Security, Scalability, Cryptography, Data Integrity, Transaction Processing, Algorithms
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
119 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Database systems
Skills you'll gain: NoSQL, Data Warehousing, Database Systems, Relational Databases, Database Management, Extract, Transform, Load, SQL, Databases, Data Mining, Business Intelligence, Big Data, Database Architecture and Administration, Information Systems, MySQL, Predictive Analytics, Database Design, MongoDB, Analytics, Scalability, Database Management Systems
4.3
Rating, 4.3 out of 5 stars
685 reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Colorado Boulder
Introduction to High-Performance and Parallel Computing
Skills you'll gain: Bash (Scripting Language), Scalability, Distributed Computing, Big Data, Operating Systems, File Systems, Linux, Scripting, Command-Line Interface, Performance Tuning, Programming Principles, Computer Architecture
Build toward a degree
3.7
Rating, 3.7 out of 5 stars
143 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Cloud Computing Concepts, Part 1
Skills you'll gain: Distributed Computing, NoSQL, Apache Cassandra, Cloud Computing, Systems Design, Data Storage Technologies, Apache Hadoop, Database Theory, Algorithms, Theoretical Computer Science, Scalability, C++ (Programming Language), Network Protocols
4.3
Rating, 4.3 out of 5 stars
1.1K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Preview
MathWorks
Systems Engineering
Skills you'll gain: Model Based Systems Engineering, Systems Engineering, Systems Architecture, Functional Design, System Design and Implementation, Requirements Analysis, Requirements Elicitation, Verification And Validation
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
256 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks