Exploring Key Distributed System Algorithms and Concepts Series: 9— Distributed Hash Tables (DHT), Raft Consensus Algorithm and Physical Clock.

Distributed Hash Tables

Distributed Hash Table (DHT) is a decentralized distributed system that provides a scalable and fault-tolerant way to map keys to values in a distributed network. It serves as a distributed data structure, allowing nodes in a network to find and store data efficiently without the need for centralized coordination or a single point of failure. DHTs are commonly used in peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, distributed file systems, and distributed databases.

Key characteristics and concepts associated with Distributed Hash Tables:

1. Decentralization: In a DHT, there is no central authority or centralized data repository. Instead, data is distributed across multiple nodes in the network.

2. Key-Value Storage: DHTs are used to store and retrieve key-value pairs, where each key corresponds to a value or piece of data. The DHT algorithm ensures that keys are distributed across nodes and that each node is responsible for a portion of the keyspace.

3. Scalability: DHTs are designed to scale gracefully as the network size grows. New nodes can join the network, and existing nodes…