DISTRIBUTED AND CLIENT-SERVER DBMS: UNDERPINNING FOR DOWNSIZING

Source: White Paper by George Schussel Published: Jun 1992

This paper explains in some detail the difference between client/server DBMS and distributed DBMS, a point of interest to technicians implementing wide area databases.

One of the key trends of modern computing is the downsizing and distributing of applications. This is happening because companies want to take advantage of modem microprocessor technology and at the same time gain the benefits of new styles of software using graphical interfaces (GUI). Client/server and distributed database technologies are fundamental enabling technologies for downsizing.

Client/server approaches allow the distributing of applications over multiple computers, with the databases residing on server machines, while applications run on client computers, usually PC’s. A local area network (LAN) provides the connection and transport protocol to connect the clients and servers.

Distributed databases offer capabilities similar to client/server databases, except more so. More so in the sense that a database management system (DBMS) resides on each node of the network and allows transparent access to data anywhere on the network, without requiring the user to physically navigate to the data. Many of the advanced functions described later in this chapter such as stored procedures and triggers and two phase commit are available in both client/server and distributed DBMS.
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