In a distributed computing system, data serialization is the process of converting data into a byte stream format. This conversion is essential for transmitting data across a network or storing it in a manner that allows for easy reconstruction on various nodes or systems. Serialization plays a critical role in distributed computing by facilitating the efficient and standardized transfer of data between different components or nodes. While options like data compression, encryption, and encoding for transmission are related concepts, they serve different purposes. Serialization specifically ensures data can be communicated as a sequence of bytes, enhancing interoperability among distributed components.