A distributed system consists of a collection of autonomous computers linked by a computer network and equipped with distributed system software. This software enables computers to coordinate their activities and to share the resources of the system hardware, software, and data. Users of a distributed system should perceive a single, integrated computing facility even though it may be implemented by many computers in different locations. This is in contrast to a network, where the user is aware that there are several machines whose locations, storage replications, load balancing, and functionality are not transparent. Benefits of distributed systems include bridging geographic distances, improving performance and availability, maintaining autonomy, reducing cost, and allowing for interaction.