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, Java Programming, Dataflow, Java, Software Architecture, Systems Architecture, Data Structures, System Programming, Programming Principles, Servers, Application Frameworks, Algorithms, Performance Tuning, Network Protocols, Computer Science, Functional Design, Scalability
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
1.6K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 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, Data Store
4.3
Rating, 4.3 out of 5 stars
2.1K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Packt
Building Modern Distributed Systems with Java
Skills you'll gain: Distributed Computing, Java, Load Balancing, Middleware, NoSQL, Event-Driven Programming, Databases, Software Architecture, Servers, Remote Access Systems, Microservices, Scalability, Transaction Processing, Service Management
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: New
Status: Free Trial
Meta
Meta Full-Stack Developer
Skills you'll gain: Jest (JavaScript Testing Framework), Django (Web Framework), Version Control, Restful API, Responsive Web Design, Unix Commands, HTML and CSS, Git (Version Control System), GitHub, Relational Databases, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Database Management Systems, Bootstrap (Front-End Framework), React.js, Mobile Development, SQL, Database Design, API Design, Linux Commands, Python Programming
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
24K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Google Cloud
Preparing for Google Cloud Certification: Cloud Engineer
Skills you'll gain: Cloud Infrastructure, Identity and Access Management, Kubernetes, Google Cloud Platform, Prompt Engineering, Cloud Storage, Containerization, Infrastructure As A Service (IaaS), Cloud Computing Architecture, Cloud Management, Cloud Services, Load Balancing, Cloud Engineering, Application Deployment, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Virtual Machines, Data Storage Technologies, Cloud Computing, Network Infrastructure, Docker (Software)
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
59K reviews
Intermediate · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 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, Virtual Machines, Computer Systems, Command-Line Interface, Programming Principles, Data Security, Computer Hardware, Virtualization and Virtual Machines, Scalability
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
261 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

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The University of Sydney
Blockchain Scalability and its Foundations in Distributed Systems
Skills you'll gain: Blockchain, Distributed Computing, Security Engineering, Network Security, Threat Modeling, 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
Packt
CISSP Certified Information Systems Security Professional
Skills you'll gain: Identity and Access Management, Business Continuity, Network Security, Cryptography, AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Encryption, User Provisioning, Security Management, Penetration Testing, Vulnerability Scanning, ISO/IEC 27001, Threat Management, Network Performance Management, Information Systems Security, Network Architecture, DevSecOps, Cyber Operations, Data Management, Software Development Methodologies, Cybersecurity
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
91 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Meta
Meta Front-End Developer
Skills you'll gain: Jest (JavaScript Testing Framework), Version Control, UI/UX Research, Usability Testing, Responsive Web Design, Data Structures, Unix Commands, HTML and CSS, Git (Version Control System), Persona (User Experience), GitHub, Interaction Design, Bootstrap (Front-End Framework), React.js, Mobile Development, Front-End Web Development, Algorithms, Web Development Tools, Javascript, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
Build toward a degree
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
23K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
IBM Generative AI Engineering
Skills you'll gain: Exploratory Data Analysis, Prompt Engineering, Data Wrangling, Large Language Modeling, Unsupervised Learning, PyTorch (Machine Learning Library), Generative AI, Restful API, ChatGPT, Keras (Neural Network Library), Data Transformation, Supervised Learning, Flask (Web Framework), Data Analysis, Data Cleansing, Data Manipulation, Deep Learning, Jupyter, Regression Analysis, Data Import/Export
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
89K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Colorado Boulder
Introduction to Systems Engineering
Skills you'll gain: Systems Engineering, Failure Analysis, Model Based Systems Engineering, Engineering Management, Requirements Management, Design Reviews, Scope Management, Project Scoping, Root Cause Analysis, Test Engineering, Program Management, Engineering Practices, Systems Thinking, User Requirements Documents, Business Requirements, Cost Management, Product Requirements, Contract Management, Risk Management, Requirements Analysis
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
119 reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: New
Status: Free Trial
Whizlabs
Azure Compute and Application Architecture Solutions
Skills you'll gain: Microsoft Azure, Real Time Data, Serverless Computing, Cloud Applications, Virtual Machines, Cloud Computing Architecture, Microservices, Event-Driven Programming, Kubernetes, Solution Architecture, Infrastructure As A Service (IaaS), Cloud Services, Containerization, API Design
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks