Yksimasterijärjestelmiä

Yksimasterijärjestelmiä, often translated as "single-master systems" or "master-slave systems," refers to a network architecture where one device or process, designated as the master, controls one or more other devices or processes, referred to as slaves. The master initiates communication and dictates the actions of the slaves. Slaves, in turn, respond to commands from the master and may report their status or data.

This model is characterized by a clear hierarchical relationship. The master holds the authority and is responsible for managing the overall operation of the system. Slaves are subservient and typically perform specific, predefined tasks as instructed by the master. Communication flows primarily from the master to the slaves, although slaves can send data back to the master.

Yksimasterijärjestelmiä are commonly found in various applications. Examples include industrial automation, where a central controller (master) manages multiple sensors and actuators (slaves), or in older data storage systems where a primary drive (master) controlled secondary drives (slaves). In some communication protocols, one device acts as the master controlling the bus access for other devices.

The advantage of this architecture lies in its simplicity and ease of implementation, especially for straightforward control tasks. However, it can also present single points of failure, as the master's failure can bring down the entire system. Furthermore, the master can become a bottleneck if the communication load is excessively high.