ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the issues involved in distributed databases, where a database is stored on more than one computer. It provides an introduction to parallel and distributed computing as a foundation for the better understanding of cloud and big data computing. Distributed computing studies the models, architectures, and algorithms used for building and managing distributed systems. Architectural styles for distributed systems are helpful in understanding the different roles of components in the system and how they are distributed across multiple computers. Architectural styles are of two types: System architectural styles and Software architectural styles. Middleware is connectivity software that is designed to help manage the complexity and heterogeneity inherent in distributed systems by building a bridge between different systems, thereby enabling communication and the transfer of data. A distributed database is a logically interrelated collection of shared data physically distributed over a computer network. Reliability and availability are two of the most common potential advantages cited for distributed databases.
