Following are some of the issues found in distributed systems:

• Heterogeneity: The Internet allows applications to run over a heterogeneous collection of computers and NETWORKS. There would be different types of networks and the differences are masked by the usage of standard Internet protocols for communicating with each other. This becomes an issue while designing distributed applications
• Openness: Openness represents the measure by which a system can be EXTENDED and re-implemented in different ways. In distributed systems, it specifies the degree to which new sharing services can be added and made available for client usage.
• Security: The information maintained in distributed systems need to be secure as they are valuable to the users. The confidentiality, availability and integrity of the distributed systems have to be maintained and this sometimes becomes a challenge.
• Scalability: A system is scalable if it remains EFFECTIVE when there is a SIGNIFICANT increase in the request traffic and resources. Designing a distributed system involves planning well in advance how well the system can be made scalable under varying user loads.
• Failure HANDLING: In a distributed environment, the failures are partial, meaning if some components fail, others would still function. It becomes challenging to handle these failures as it involves identifying right components where the failures occur.