Distributed Database
A distributed database is a database system where data is stored across multiple physical locations, such as different servers, data centers, or geographical regions, but appears as a single logical database to users. It uses a network of interconnected nodes to manage, query, and replicate data, enabling high availability, scalability, and fault tolerance. This architecture is essential for handling large-scale applications with global user bases or high-throughput requirements.
Developers should learn and use distributed databases when building applications that require horizontal scalability, such as social media platforms, e-commerce sites, or IoT systems, to handle massive data volumes and concurrent users. They are crucial for ensuring data availability and resilience in case of node failures, making them ideal for mission-critical systems where downtime is unacceptable. Additionally, they support geographically distributed data storage to reduce latency for users in different regions.