Centralized database

A centralized database (sometimes abbreviated CDB) is a database that is located, stored, and maintained in a single location. This location is most often a central computer or database system, for example a desktop or server CPU, or a mainframe computer.In most cases, a centralized database would be used by an organization (e.g. a business company) or an institution (e.g. a university.) Users access a centralized database through a computer network which is able to give them access to the central CPU, which in turn maintains to the database itself. The need for databases rose in the 60's with the invention of direct access storage, which allowed users to directly access records. Previously, computer systems were tape based, meaning records could only be accessed sequentially. Organizations quickly adopted databases for storage and retrieval of data. The traditional approach for storing data was to use a centralized database, and users would query the data from various points over a network. An example for a centralized database could be given with the Australian Department of Defense, which centralized their databases in the mid 1970s. Centralized databases hold a substantial amount of advantages against other types of databases. Some of them are listed below: Data integrity is maximized and data redundancy is minimized, as the single storing place of all the data also implies that a given set of data only has one primary record. This aids in the maintaining of data as accurate and as consistent as possible and enhances data reliability. Central host computer can be more easily protected from unauthorized access. Generally easier data portability and database administration. Data kept in the same location is easier to be changed, re-organized, mirrored, or analyzed Transactions can more easily comply with the properties of ACID. Centralized databases also have a certain amount of limitations, such as those described below: Access speed is limited by network speed.