DATABASE SYSTEMS
Architecture
Presentation by
Dr. Jenila Livingston L.M.
VIT Chennai
Database Systems Architecture
• Centralized DBMS Architecture
• Client Server Architecture
– Two Tier Client/Server Architecture for DBMSs
– Three-Tier Client Server Architecture for Web
Applications
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1. Centralized DBMS Architecture
• Database systems can be centralized, where one server
machine executes operations on the database.
• provide main processing for user application programs,
user interface programs and DBMS functionality
• User accessed systems via ‘dumb’ computer terminals that
only provided display capabilities, with no processing
capabilities.
• All processing was performed remotely on the computer
system, and only display information was sent to the
terminals, connected via a network.
• Dumb terminals were replaces with workstations, which
lead to the client/server architecture.
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Centralized DBMSs Architecture
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2. Client Server Architecture
Client – a user machine that provides user
interface capabilities and local processing.
Server – machine that provides services to
client machines such as file access, printing,
and database access.
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Client Server Architecture
• Define specialized servers with specific functionalities
(file servers, print servers, web servers, database
servers)
• Many client machines can access resources provided by
specialized server.
• Client machines provide user with the appropriate
interfaces to utilize servers, as well as with local
processing power to run local applications.
• Some machines are client sites, with client software
installed and other machines are dedicated servers.
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Two –Tier Architecture
• Systems are called two tier architectures because the
software components are distributed over two
systems, the client and server.
• Query requests are sent from the client to the server,
and the server processes the request and sends the
result to the client.
• In such systems, the user interface and application
programs run on the client, when DMBS access is
needed, the program establishes a connection to the
DBMS on the server side. Once the connection is
created, the client can communicate with the DBMS.
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Two –Tier Architecture
• ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) is a
standard that provides and application processing
interface which allows client side programs to call
the DBMS as long as both sides have the required
software. Most database vendors provide ODBC
drivers for their systems.
• Client programs can connect to several RDBMS
and send query and transaction requests using
the ODBC API
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Two –Tier Architecture - Logical
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Two –Tier Architecture - Physical
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Two tier example
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Three tier Architecture
• Many web applications use three-tier
architecture, which adds an intermediate layer
between the client and the database server.
• The middle tier is called the application
server, or the web server. Plays an
intermediate role, by storing business rules
(procedures/constraints) used to access data
from database.
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Three tier Architecture- Advantages
• MIS directors find the three-tier model very
attractive because the middle tier makes it
possible to maintain control over access and
the kinds of updates that can be made to
incorporate data.
• It simplifies the deployment of applications
• Can improve database security by checking
the clients credentials before forwarding
request to database server.
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Three tier example
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