Database Architecture
We are now in a position to provide a single picture (Figure 1.5) of the various
components of a database system and the connections among them.
The architecture of a database system is greatly influenced by the underlying
computer system on which the database system runs. Database systems can be
centralized, or client-server, where one server machine executes work on behalf
of multiple client machines. Database systems can also be designed to exploit parallel
computer architectures. Distributed databases span multiple geographically
separated machines.
The issues include how to store data, how to ensure atomicity of
transactions that execute at multiple sites, how to perform concurrency control,
and how to provide high availability in the presence of failures. Distributed query
processing and directory systems are also described in this chapter.
Most users of a database system today are not present at the site of the
database system, but connect to it through a network. We can therefore differentiate
between client machines, on which remote database users work, and server
machines, on which the database system runs.
Database applications are usually partitioned into two or three parts, as in
Figure 1.6. In a two-tier architecture, the application resides at the client machine,
where it invokes database system functionality at the server machine through
query language statements. Application program interface standards like ODBC
and JDBC are used for interaction between the client and the server.
In contrast, in a three-tier architecture, the client machine acts as merely a
front end and does not contain any direct database calls. Instead, the client end
communicates with an application server, usually through a forms interface.
The application server in turn communicates with a database system to access
data. The business logic of the application, which says what actions to carry out
under what conditions, is embedded in the application server, instead of being
distributed across multiple clients. Three-tier applications are more appropriate
for large applications, and for applications that run on the WorldWideWeb
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