Distributed

Database Management System

What is Distributed Database?
A distributed
database (DDB) is an
integrated collection
of databases that is
physically distributed across
sites in a computer
network. ... To form
a distributed
database system (DDBS), the
files must be structured,
logically interrelated, and
physically distributed across
multiple sites.
Distributed Database - Why?
 Data are always available to end users, i.e., they are easily
accessible.
 The availability makes the total system reliable.
 Distributed database increases the performance of the overall
system. Because, the servers are available near the place
where it is very much needed.
Let us consider the scenario of XYZ bank which is
headquartered in New Delhi. Also, assume that the
bank maintains its server in its head office. Now, all
the bank transactions done at all the branches of XYZ
bank must reach the central server to access the
data. For example, consider a customer who is trying
to withdraw the money from his account through an
ATM located in Chennai. His withdrawal request
must be sent to the central server, processed in
central server, and money will be disbursed in the
ATM. 
The following image shows the Distributed Server approach for the
above given scenario. Now assume that, XYZ bank established
several servers which are distributed throughout the country, say 10
different servers. Now, any request generated from the ATM from
any part of the country will be forwarded to the server available in
that part of the country. For any reason, if the requested data is not
available with the local server, the server searches for the actual
location of the requested data and forwards the request to that
server, and routes the answer to the initiator
 Types of Distributed Databases

 Homogeneous Distributed Database

 Identical software are  used in all the sites

 All sites are well known. 
 Partial control over the data of other sites 
 Heterogeneous Distributed Database 

 Different sites uses different database software

 The structure of databases reside in different sites may
be different (because of data partitions)
 Co-operation between sites are limited. That is, it is not
easy to alter the structure of the database or any other
software used
Distributed Databases - Important considerations

 Data allocation - We need to know the answers for

the following questions; What to store? Where to
store? and How to store?
 Data fragmentation - It is about, How one should
organize the data?
 Distributed queries and transactions - We must
find a way to handle the data using queries and to
handle transactions which are happening in
multiple distributed sites
Different options for distributing a database
in a distributed database system
 Data replication –
 It is about keeping the same copies at
different sites.
 The whole database may be reproduced
and maintained at all or few of the sites, or
 A particular table may be reproduced and
maintained at all or few of the sites
Horizontal partitioning –
For example, if you have a table EMP which stores data
according to a schema EMP(Eno, Ename, Dept,
Dept_location), then horizontal partitioning of EMP on
Dept_location is about breaking employee records
according to the department location values and store
different set of employee details at different locations. The
data at different locations will be different, but the schema
will be the same, ie., EMP(Eno, Ename, Dept,
Dept_location).
Vertical partitioning

For example, assume the schema EMP(Eno, Ename, Dept,

Dept_location). If you would like to break the above schema like one
to store employee details and the other to store the department
details, it can be done as follows;
EMP(Eno, Ename, Dept), and DEPT(Dept, Dept_location)
These two tables might be stored at different locations for ease of
access according to the defined organization policies for example.
 Hybrid approach 

 Horizontal partitioning and replication of few or all horizontal

partitions.
  Vertical partitioning and replication of few or all vertical
partitions.
 Vertical partitioning, followed by horizontal partitioning of
some vertical partitions, followed by replication of few
horizontal partitions, etc.
 Keywords and Definitions in Distributed Database

Replication (in Database)

R in Site 1 = R in Site 2 = R in Site 3 = ... = R in Site n