Tight coupling

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Not to be confused with the related concept in software architecture, tight coupling between two components of a distributed system, means that they are so closely interconnected or interrelated that the failure of one quickly or inevitably triggers failure of the other so that it is not practicable to shut the system down, isolate the failing component or otherwise reconfigure the wider system to operate safely before the failing components precipitate a catastrophic, system-wide failure.

See also

• Charles Perrow’s magnificent Normal Accidents, which introduced the concept of tight coupling in complex systems.
• DEPOSE components of a distributed system