Fencing is a crucial technique used in distributed systems to protect shared resources and maintain system stability. It involves isolating problematic nodes or preventing them from accessing shared resources, ensuring data integrity and overall system reliability. In this article, we will explore the concept of fencing in detail, discuss its importance in distributed systems design, and examine a real-world example of how Twitter uses fencing to maintain its service availability and performance.
Understanding Fencing in Distributed Systems
Distributed systems consist of multiple nodes working together to achieve a common goal, such as serving web pages or processing large volumes of data. In such systems, nodes often need to access shared resources, like databases or file storage. However, when a node experiences issues like crashes or malfunctions, it can compromise the entire system, leading to data corruption or loss.
