Distributed Database: Examples, Promises, and Problems

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Discover the 5 main advantages of a distributed database, its most common applications and the 3 problems they pose.

A distributed database spans multiple nodes, such as a collection of different, logically interrelated databases on a computer network. This type of database promotes integration, rather than centralization (these are two very different concepts), and aims for transparency in data distribution.


Those who opt for the use of a distributed database seek to make their systems more available. This effort in favor of availability responds to an increasingly urgent need for many businesses and requires having a large number of different types of hardware capable of responding to different requests. This way of working makes it possible to avoid fatal errors related to server failures , which are overcome by running, not just one, but a group of servers in different locations and with rich people database scaling.

The applications of a distributed database are very varied. It can be used in manufacturing environments, especially when production is carried out in multiple plants, it is also the option chosen by airlines and hotel chains, multinational groups and, in general, the alternative considered by any organization with a decentralized organizational structure .


Data Integrity and BI: The Strategic Value of Integration


Promises and problems of a distributed database
Distributed database systems ensure data availability with the agility required in today's market environment. They also offer the following advantages:

They contribute to improving performance at the organizational level.
They facilitate the expansion of the system.
They optimize the transparency of distributed and replicated data.
They promote the agility of operations.
They improve the visibility of corporate information.

However, benefiting from all these advantages depends on being able to overcome the complications that are often associated with using a relational database, or a system of them , such as those related to:

Consistency : The limitations of relational databases in this area, explained by the CAP Theorem , are not the only ones that can pose a problem; instead of forcing a choice between consistency and agility, we must also take into account those that pose a choice between consistency and latency . To minimize the effects of both restrictions, the solution is to work towards synchronization.