Benefits of Distributed Databases
The separation of the various system components, especially the separation of application servers from database servers, yields tremendous benefits in terms of cost, management, and performance.
Tunability
A machine’s optimal configuration is a function of its workload. Machines that house web servers, for example, need to service a high volume of small transactions, whereas a database server with a data warehouse has to service a relatively low volume of large transactions (i.e., complex queries). Separating the web server from the database server in this example allows the system administrators to optimize these machines without compromise. A machine configured as a web server will differ from a machine configured as a data warehouse database server. If performance problems arise in a distributed architecture, it is much easier not only to identify problems but also to solve them without the risk of compromising other components.
Platform Autonomy
Since applications and databases do not reside on the same machines, there is no particular reason why they even need to reside on the same type of machine. SQL*Net and Net8 provide a protocol-independent network interface allowing connectivity among disparate platforms and even disparate database engines. This openness allows DBAs, developers, and desktop users to choose their platforms without being restricted by anybody else’s preferences or requirements. Whether you perform a major platform change such ...
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