What are centralized and decentralized networks?
A “centralized” network is a network configured such that all of the client computers rely on one server computer for all of the services on the network. A “decentralized” network is a network that is configured such that multiple server computers provide the services used by the client computers. The best example of a centralized network is one that is made up of “dumb terminals” that look to a mainframe computer. (These networks were common from the 1960’s through the 1980’s and are still in place today in many busniesses, especially newspapers and banks.) The dumb terminals get their name because they are computers that are unable to function independently of a server or an intermediate computer that carries requests to the server. The dumb terminals only provide a display and keyboard/mouse inputs to the server, and their purpose is to allow the users to interact with the server. An example of a decentralized computer network is one in which the client computers utilize one server
