Distributed Systems and Applications Specialization (M2) – (M.Sc.)

Distributed systems and applications run on a set of networked machines. They are a collection of components which cooperate to achieve a joint objective using the network as a way of exchanging data. The internet is a typical case of a distributed system: each component (browser, general server or one providing specific services) participates in making services available to users. Other applications exist such as the use of "gridworks of machines" to make complex calculations. Note that the most powerful machines in the world are nearly all collections of PC-type computers sometimes numbering as many as several hundred; the applications running on these systems make intensive use of the network and are regarded as distributed applications.

The design and development of these systems is a difficult problem which requires:
infrastructure capable of supporting cooperation between the components of the system, applications whose behavior must remain predictable whatever the operating conditions are, the taking into account of limitations (real-time, memory footprint or any other constraint) in their execution.

This specialization uses the expertise of the following institutions:
the Pierre & Marie Curie University's Computer Science Laboratory (LIP6),
the Information Processing and Communication Laboratory (LTCI) of TELECOM ParisTech (formerly ENST),
the Research and Acoustic/Music Coordination Institute (IRCAM).

Opportunities
The Distributed Systems and Applications (SAR) trains specialists in the design and development of distributed systems, capable of understanding and implementing the methods, techniques and mechanisms of the system. There are opportunities in both the industry sector and (university or industrial) research centers.

Opportunities in the industrial sector are for experts in the design and implementation of distributed system infrastructure, the design/production of distributed and/or embedded applications, the integration of systems and the design and implementation of distributed databases.

Opportunities in the academic world are doctorates in the following fields: adaptable and large-scale peer-to-peer systems; the modeling/analysis and production of reliable distributed applications (i.e. whose behavior is predictable); the analysis/production of partially embedded distributed systems and subject to real-time constraints and musical computer processing (taking into account multi-media aspects).