A distributed database is a database system where data is stored across multiple physical locations or servers, which may be in different geographical areas. These databases are interconnected through a network, allowing users to access and manage data as if it were stored in a single location. Distributed databases improve scalability, fault tolerance, and performance by distributing workloads across multiple nodes.
The importance of View Management in Distributed Databases are as follows:
i. Data Abstraction – It hides the complexity and provides a unified data representation.
ii. Query Optimization – It improves the performance by reducing redundant computations using materialized views.
iii. Security & Access Control – It restricts data access based on user roles.
iv. Data Consistency – It helps to ensure up-to-date views through proper synchronization.
v. Schema Maintenance – It protects applications from schema changes by maintaining stable views.
vi. Transaction Management – It helps to maintain the consistency while updating distributed data.
Views Help in Data Security and Integrity in Distributed Databases
1. Data Security: Restrict Access: Views expose only necessary data, hiding sensitive information.
Row-Level Security: Filters data based on user roles, ensuring users see only authorized records.
Prevent Unauthorized Modifications: Read-only views prevent accidental changes to critical
data.
2. Data Integrity: Consistency Across Sites: Materialized views maintain consistency in distributed data.
Schema Independence: Views isolate applications from underlying schema changes, ensuring
stability.
Thus, view management in distributed databases plays a crucial role in improving performance, security, and data consistency by providing abstraction and controlled access. Properly managed views help maintain data integrity while optimizing queries and ensuring seamless schema maintenance.