What is the difference between Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Distributed DBMSs

A DDBMS may be classified as homogeneous or heterogeneous. In a homogeneous system, all sites use the same DBMS product. In a heterogeneous system, sites may run different DBMS products, which need not be based on the same underlying data model, and so the system may be composed of relational, network, hierarchical and object-oriented DBMSs.

Homogeneous systems are much easier to design and manage. This approach provides incremental growth, making the addition of a new site to the DDBMS easy, and allows increased performance by exploiting the parallel processing capability of multiple sites.

Heterogeneous system usually result when individual sites have implemented their own database and integration is considered at a later stage. In a heterogeneous system, translations are required to allow communication between different DBMSs. To provide DBMS transparency, users must be able to make requests in the language of the DBMS at their local site. The system then has the task of locating the data and performing any necessary translation. Data may be required from another site that may have:

• Different hardware;

• Different DBMS products;

• Different hardware and different DBMS products

If the hardware is different but the DBMS products are the same, the translation is straightforward, involving the change of codes and word lengths. If the DBMS products are different, the translation is complicated, involving the mapping of the data structure in one data model to the equivalent data structures in another data model. For example, relations in the relational data model are mapped to records and sets in the network model. It is also necessary to translate the query language used (for example, SQL SELECT statements are mapped to the network FIND and GET statements). If both the hardware and software are different, then these two types of translation are required. This makes the processing extremely complex.

The typical solution use by some relational systems that are part of a heterogeneous DDBMS is to use gateways, which convert the language and model of each different DBMS into the language and model of the relational system.