The architecture of a database systems is greatly influenced by the underlying computer system on which the database is running:

• Centralized

  • both the db system and the client accessing the data on the site of the db system

• Client-server (two-tier and three-tier)

  • one server does all the work on behalf of multiple client machines.

• Parallel (multi-processor)

  • DB systems can also be designed to take adv of multi core tech to run on multi core and multi nodes systems

• Distributed

  • includes multiple communicating db systems, localized and separated geographical locations etc.

DB systems today : most users are not present at the site of the db system.

Today's applications client server is used where the user works remotely connecting to the server machines from which the db systems run.