Case Study: IWIK Ltd $-$ Embracing Distributed Systems for Media Content Delivery

IWIK Ltd$,$ standing for "I Watch I Know," is a leading Jamaican News Media company revered for its commitment to delivering local news content that resonates with the diverse Jamaican population. Recognized for its comprehensive coverage and engaging dialogue, IWIK disseminates content across multiple platforms, including social media, television, and radio. The company's goal is to provide timely, accurate, and culturally relevant news to its audience both locally and in the Jamaican diaspora.

Current Challenges Faced

$1.$ Content Delivery: With the rapid increase in digital consumption, IWIK faces challenges in streaming media content effectively across various platforms. The need to maintain high$-$quality video and audio streams without latency or interruption is a critical focus for the company.

$2.$ Scalability: IWIK's platforms must dynamically handle fluctuating viewer demand, particularly during live events or breaking news. Their existing infrastructure struggles with scaling up to meet peak demands efficiently.

$3.$ Data Management and Subscriber Services: Managing a growing subscriber base presents challenges in data integrity, personalized content delivery, and user engagement. The system must efficiently store and process subscriber data while ensuring privacy and compliance with data protection regulations.

$4.$ Integration of Legacy Systems: IWIK has several legacy systems in their operational framework for content editing and scheduling, which must be integrated smoothly with new distributed systems for seamless operations.

Proposed Solution

To address these challenges, IWIK Ltd is seeking to implement a distributed system. This system will:

$$ Use Content Delivery Networks $($CDNs$)$ to ensure efficient streaming and reduce latency by caching content closer to viewers worldwide.

$$ Implement micro$-$services architecture to allow independent scaling of different system components, enhancing their ability to meet variable demand.

$$ Use cloud$-$based infrastructure to manage subscriber data and leverage AI for personalized content recommendations.

$$ Facilitate seamless integration of new system components with existing legacy systems without disruptions.

Question One $$ Unit $1[10$ marks$]$

What are some of the objectives or goals that you believe the new distributed system could give to IWIK Ltd$.$ based on the rich services and standards that you know distributed systems can generally provide?

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Question Two $$ Unit $1[13$ marks$]$

Discuss how $$distribution transparency$$ can be leveraged in the design of IWIK Ltd$.\text{'}$s distributed system to enhance the seamless delivery of media content across its various platforms $($social media, television, and radio$).$ Consider the implications of transparency on both system performance and user experience, providing examples relevant to media companies.

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Question Three $$ Unit $2[15$ marks$]$

Evaluate the potential use of structured versus unstructured overlay network architectures in the implementation of IWIK Ltd$.\text{'}$s distributed system, particularly in the dissemination of media content across its platforms. What advantages and disadvantages would each type of overlay network offer for IWIK, considering the company$$s need for efficient, scalable, and reliable content delivery?

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Question Four $$ Unit $2[15$ marks$]$

Discuss the implementation of a three$-$tiered client$-$server architecture for IWIK Ltd$.$s distributed system designed to manage the delivery and dissemination of media content across platforms like social media, television, and radio. What are the roles and benefits of each tier in this architecture, and how might they collectively enhance IWIK$$s operational efficiency and user experience?

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Question Five $$ Unit $3[12$ marks$]$

In the case of IWIK Ltd$.,$ would it make sense for the distributed system developers to limit the number of threads in each of their server processes if a client$-$server design is chosen for implementation? Explain why or why not.

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Question Six $$ Unit $4[15$ marks$]$

In the context of distributed systems, define and differentiate between the different types of Remote Procedure Call $($RPC$)$ methods, including synchronous, asynchronous, deferred synchronous, and one$-$way RPCs$.$ Illustrate how each of these RPC types could be effectively utilized in a distributed client$-$server architecture for IWIK Ltd to optimize the delivery and dissemination of media content.