Distributed Database Management Systems: A Practical Approach

A distributed database management system (DDBMS) is a layer of software, implemented on top of existing database management systems, allowing users transparent access to information dispersed across a network. This book addresses the architectural and platform issues in the design and development of a DDBMS, guiding readers in building their own systems in real-world environments.

Distributed Database Management Systems is divided into three units. The first provides a theoretical foundation for understanding the internal processing of the DDBMS and reviews the issues it must overcome and the various techniques and mechanisms available to address these issues. The second unit presents the "state of the practice," examining the architectural alternatives that practitioners will likely encounter in the real world and exploring the general requirements for any platform capable of implementing a DDBMS architectural alternative---including those yet to be invented. The final unit focuses on distributed database implementation, examining three platforms suitable for the development of a real DDBMS system-the Java Message Service (JMS), the Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE), and the Microsoft .NET Framework. For each, a "starter kit" is provided (containing a detailed overview and an extensible framework) and discussed in detail.

Saeed K. Rahimi, PhD, is an associate professor with the Graduate Programs in Software at the University of St. Thomas. He is also a cofounder of DWSoft Corporation and InfoSpan, two companies specializing in metadata management for data warehousing. He has been a database design and implementation consultant, providing services to the industry and the federal government for over thirty years. He has spoken in many national and international conferences and has published many scientific articles. Dr. Rahimi holds a BS in electrical engineering and an MS and a PhD, both in computer science, from the University of Minnesota.
Frank S. Haug is an adjunct professor with the Graduate Programs in Software at the University of St. Thomas, where he has taught graduate courses in software development, distributed database management systems, and data warehousing. He has over twenty-five years of experience in academia and industry, working in areas including software development, database design and implementation, and network administration to implement projects across many technology platforms, DDBMSs, and programming languages. Mr. Haug has a BA in mathematics and quantitative methods and computer science, and an MS in software engineering, both from the University of St. Thomas.