Let’s talk in this article about such a concept as distributed databases (RDBs). In today’s world, they play a key role in the information ecosystem, providing many advantages over traditional centralized databases. AlexHost offers services that perfectly cope with computing power, because in the era of big data, cloud computing and global commerce, distributed databases are increasingly in demand due to their ability to provide scalability, reliability and flexibility.
Scalability
There are several types of scalability that we will talk about today. These are types such as horizontal scalability and also elasticity. The benefits of use will be described below:
- Horizontal scalability. One of the main advantages of a distributed database is its ability to scale horizontally. Unlike centralized systems, where increasing power is achieved by replacing equipment with more powerful ones, in distributed systems adding new nodes (servers) allows you to increase data storage volumes and computing power. This is especially important for organizations that are faced with constant growth in data volume.
- Elasticity. Distributed databases have elasticity, allowing you to dynamically change the number of nodes in the system depending on current needs. This allows you to effectively manage resources and reduce costs, since additional capacity is connected only when necessary.
Reliability and fault tolerance
- Data replication. Distributed databases provide high reliability and fault tolerance due to data replication. Data can be copied and distributed across multiple nodes, ensuring data availability even if one or more nodes fail. Replication also improves system performance because requests can be served by multiple nodes simultaneously.
- Failure tolerance. Distributed databases are designed to be resilient to various types of failures, including hardware errors, software errors, and network problems. The use of redundancy and automatic recovery mechanisms minimizes downtime and ensures business continuity.
Performance and Latency
- Geographical distribution. Distributed databases can be geographically distributed, allowing data to be located closer to end users. This reduces latency when accessing data and improves overall system performance. Geographic distribution also improves resiliency since data resides in different physical locations.
- Load balancing. Distributed databases are able to effectively balance the load between nodes, which prevents individual servers from being overloaded and ensures an even distribution of resources. This is especially important for highly loaded systems that require processing a large number of simultaneous requests. If you have any questions regarding exactly how this works, we recommend that you create a ticket for the engineers and clarify this information.
Ease of management and monitoring
Monitoring is an important and significant aspect in database administration and management. Unfortunately, the administration process encounters problems with performance, connection speed and other unexpected interruptions. As for management and monitoring, there are two ways: centralized management and task automation. This will help solve some important problems.
- Centralized management. Despite the distributed nature of the system, modern distributed database solutions offer tools for centralized management and monitoring. This simplifies system administration by allowing administrators to efficiently manage data, sites, and users from one centralized interface.
- Automation of tasks. Many distributed databases support automation of routine tasks such as backup, data recovery, software updates, and load balancing. This allows you to reduce the number of errors, increase the efficiency of administrators and ensure stable operation of the system.
Economic efficiency
- Reduced infrastructure costs. Distributed databases allow you to optimize infrastructure costs through the use of standard server hardware. Horizontal scalability allows you to add resources as needed, reducing initial capital costs and ensuring efficient use of resources. Thus, for example, by purchasing one dedicated server, you get full control over the equipment and computing power, which in turn is determined by sufficient resources!
