What is Distributed Processing?

Distributed processing refers to the practice of spreading workload across multiple computers rather than relying on a single centralized system. This approach allows for improved efficiency, scalability, and fault tolerance. By utilizing multiple machines, tasks can be executed concurrently, which can significantly enhance performance, especially in environments where large amounts of data or numerous requests must be processed.

In distributed processing, each computer or node in the system may handle a portion of the total workload, and they often communicate with each other to complete complex tasks more efficiently. This setup can be beneficial for applications that require high availability and performance, making it an essential concept in modern information systems design.

The other options describe approaches that limit processing to a single location or system, which does not harness the benefits of distributed processing, such as increased resource utilization and resilience against failures. Consequently, spreading workload across multiple computers is what characterizes distributed processing.