DRDA Full Form Last Updated : 12 Jul, 2025 Comments Improve Suggest changes Like Article Like Report DRDA was designed by a work group within IBM in the period 1988 to 1994. The messages, protocols & structural components of DRDA are defined by Distributed Data Management Architecture(DDMA). Using DRDA, a DBMS can coordinate communication among distributed locations, thereby establishing an open, heterogeneous distributed database environment.It allows applications to access multiple remote tables at various locations and appear to the enduser as if they were a logical whole.What is DRDA ?DRDA stands for Distributed Relational Database Architecture. It is a protocol set that allows multiple database systems and application programs to work together. Any combination of relational database management products that use DRDA can be connected to form a distributed database management system. Distributed Relational Database Architecture (DRDA) is a set of rules that permits multiple database systems and application programs to work together. supports the interconnection of databases across different platforms & programming languages.It allows for seamless interaction of various database system confirming that data can be accessed, managed and manipulated regardless of physical location of the databases involved.DRDA describes the architecture for distributed relational databases. It defines the rules for accessing the distributed data, but it does not provide the actual application programming interfaces (APIs) to perform the access. It was first used in DB2 2.3.DRDA was designed by a workgroup within IBM in the period 1988 to 1994. The messages, protocols, and structural components of DRDA are defined by the Distributed Data Management Architecture. CharacteristicsData Distribution: the capability to distribute the data across multiple machines and network configurations. Due to this high data availability , minimizes the risk of data loss in case of hardware failure. Concurrency & Transparency : In DRDA more than one users can access and modify the data concurrently.Scalability and Performance: DRDA systems are highly scalable allowing new data nodes to be added without affecting the functionality of existing nodes.Application Requester: The Application Requester maintains connectivity by taking SQL requests from the application server and forwarding them to the appropriate application server. The data can be remotely accessed by this function.Application Server: The Application Server receives and processes requests from the Application Requester. It acts on parts of the requests that can be processed and sends reminders to the database servers for additional processingDatabase Server : The Server takes requests from the application & other database servers. It supports distributed requests and forward part of request to other database servers for additional processing.Steps to Implement DRDAThe following two steps are required to implement DRDA: For data modeling:Set a flag on a CA 2E file to indicate that it is distributed (refer to the Using Shipped DRDA Values. Set the Distributed File I/O control function option for the function to either S (CA 2E) or U (User) control. Set this option from Edit Function Options, using the Distributed File I/O Control field.If you specified S (CA 2E) control for the function, enter the file locations in the Distributed File Configuration Table. This entry associates the file with the name of the application server and, optionally, the collection name in which it is located, allowing a different configuration at each location on which the application is implemented.Creation (compilation) of the program is via an extended form of CRTSQLxxx (where xxx = HLL language). Use the YGENRDB model value as the RDB in the CRTSQLxxx command. Running CRTSQLxxx results in: An application program, which resides on the application requester.An SQL package, which resides on the application server and contains the SQL statements for accessing the AS database.Components of DRDAApplication Requester: Accepts SQL requests from applications and sends them to appropriate application servers for processing. Application programs can access remote data using this function.Application Server: Receives requests from application requesters and processes them. The application server acts on the portions of requests that can be processed, and forwards remainder to database servers for further processing.Database Server: Receives requests from the application server and other database servers. This server also supports distributed requests and forwards parts of the request to the database server to fulfill the request.Databases supporting DRDAApache Derby (Java RDBMS)DB2Informix Dynamic Server v11.10Oracle Database Gateway for DRDA - enables Oracle database to act as a DRDA client, accessing remote non-Oracle databases (primarily DB2)Oracle Database Provider for DRDA - enables Oracle database to act as a DRDA server, providing Oracle database access to remote clients (e.g. IBM i systems using DB2/400 DRDA client library) Advantages of DRDALocal/remote transparency. Application programs can be easily redirected from local data to remote data. Specialized programs that access and manage data in remote systems are not needed.Reduced data redundancy. Data need be stored in only one location in a network.Better security. By eliminating redundant copies of data, access to the data in a network can be better limited to authorized users.Data integrity. Updates by concurrent local and remote users are not lost because of conflicts.More timely information. Users of multiple computers in a network always have access to the most recent data.Better resource management. The data storage and processing resources of a network of computers can be optimized.Disadvantages of DRDAComplexityCostSecurityIntegrity control more difficultyLacks of standardsLack of experienceDatabase design more complexConclusionA distinction must be made between the architecture and the implementation. the architecture for distributed data is described by DRDA. It defines the rules for accessing the distributed data, but it does not provide the actual application programming interfaces (APIs) to perform the access. Distributed Relational Database Management System can be formed by the combination of Relational Database MAnagement products that use DRDA.DRDA coordinates communication between systems by defining what must be exchanged and how it must be exchanged. Comment More infoAdvertise with us Next Article Introduction of DBMS (Database Management System) S swethaorchids61 Follow Improve Article Tags : DBMS Similar Reads DBMS Tutorial – Learn Database Management System Database Management System (DBMS) is a software used to manage data from a database. A database is a structured collection of data that is stored in an electronic device. The data can be text, video, image or any other format.A relational database stores data in the form of tables and a NoSQL databa 7 min read Basic of DBMSIntroduction of DBMS (Database Management System)A Database Management System (DBMS) is a software solution designed to efficiently manage organize and retrieve data in a structured manner. It allows users to create, modify and query databases while ensuring data integrity, security and efficient data access. Unlike traditional file systems, DBMS 6 min read History of DBMSThe first database management systems (DBMS) were created to handle complex data for businesses in the 1960s. These systems included Charles Bachman's Integrated Data Store (IDS) and IBM's Information Management System (IMS). Databases were first organized into tree-like structures using hierarchica 7 min read DBMS Architecture 1-level, 2-Level, 3-LevelA DBMS architecture defines how users interact with the database to read, write, or update information. A well-designed architecture and schema (a blueprint detailing tables, fields and relationships) ensure data consistency, improve performance and keep data secure.Types of DBMS Architecture There 6 min read Difference between File System and DBMSA file system and a DBMS are two kinds of data management systems that are used in different capacities and possess different characteristics. A File System is a way of organizing files into groups and folders and then storing them in a storage device. It provides the media that stores data as well 6 min read Entity Relationship ModelIntroduction of ER ModelThe Entity-Relationship Model (ER Model) is a conceptual model for designing a databases. This model represents the logical structure of a database, including entities, their attributes and relationships between them. Entity: An objects that is stored as data such as Student, Course or Company.Attri 10 min read Structural Constraints of Relationships in ER ModelStructural constraints, within the context of Entity-Relationship (ER) modeling, specify and determine how the entities take part in the relationships and this gives an outline of how the interactions between the entities can be designed in a database. Two primary types of constraints are cardinalit 5 min read Generalization, Specialization and Aggregation in ER ModelUsing the ER model for bigger data creates a lot of complexity while designing a database model, So in order to minimize the complexity Generalization, Specialization and Aggregation were introduced in the ER model. These were used for data abstraction. In which an abstraction mechanism is used to h 4 min read Introduction of Relational Model and Codd Rules in DBMSThe Relational Model is a fundamental concept in Database Management Systems (DBMS) that organizes data into tables, also known as relations. This model simplifies data storage, retrieval, and management by using rows and columns. Codd’s Rules, introduced by Dr. Edgar F. Codd, define the principles 14 min read Keys in Relational ModelIn the context of a relational database, keys are one of the basic requirements of a relational database model. Keys are fundamental components that ensure data integrity, uniqueness and efficient access. It is widely used to identify the tuples(rows) uniquely in the table. We also use keys to set u 6 min read Mapping from ER Model to Relational ModelConverting an Entity-Relationship (ER) diagram to a Relational Model is a crucial step in database design. The ER model represents the conceptual structure of a database, while the Relational Model is a physical representation that can be directly implemented using a Relational Database Management S 7 min read Strategies for Schema design in DBMSThere are various strategies that are considered while designing a schema. Most of these strategies follow an incremental approach that is, they must start with some schema constructs derived from the requirements and then they incrementally modify, refine or build on them. What is Schema Design?Sch 6 min read Relational ModelIntroduction of Relational Algebra in DBMSRelational Algebra is a formal language used to query and manipulate relational databases, consisting of a set of operations like selection, projection, union, and join. It provides a mathematical framework for querying databases, ensuring efficient data retrieval and manipulation. Relational algebr 9 min read SQL Joins (Inner, Left, Right and Full Join)SQL joins are fundamental tools for combining data from multiple tables in relational databases. For example, consider two tables where one table (say Student) has student information with id as a key and other table (say Marks) has information about marks of every student id. Now to display the mar 4 min read Join operation Vs Nested query in DBMSThe concept of joins and nested queries emerged to facilitate the retrieval and management of data stored in multiple, often interrelated tables within a relational database. As databases are normalized to reduce redundancy, the meaningful information extracted often requires combining data from dif 3 min read Tuple Relational Calculus (TRC) in DBMSTuple Relational Calculus (TRC) is a non-procedural query language used to retrieve data from relational databases by describing the properties of the required data (not how to fetch it). It is based on first-order predicate logic and uses tuple variables to represent rows of tables.Syntax: The basi 4 min read Domain Relational Calculus in DBMSDomain Relational Calculus (DRC) is a formal query language for relational databases. It describes queries by specifying a set of conditions or formulas that the data must satisfy. These conditions are written using domain variables and predicates, and it returns a relation that satisfies the specif 4 min read Relational AlgebraIntroduction of Relational Algebra in DBMSRelational Algebra is a formal language used to query and manipulate relational databases, consisting of a set of operations like selection, projection, union, and join. It provides a mathematical framework for querying databases, ensuring efficient data retrieval and manipulation. Relational algebr 9 min read SQL Joins (Inner, Left, Right and Full Join)SQL joins are fundamental tools for combining data from multiple tables in relational databases. For example, consider two tables where one table (say Student) has student information with id as a key and other table (say Marks) has information about marks of every student id. Now to display the mar 4 min read Join operation Vs Nested query in DBMSThe concept of joins and nested queries emerged to facilitate the retrieval and management of data stored in multiple, often interrelated tables within a relational database. As databases are normalized to reduce redundancy, the meaningful information extracted often requires combining data from dif 3 min read Tuple Relational Calculus (TRC) in DBMSTuple Relational Calculus (TRC) is a non-procedural query language used to retrieve data from relational databases by describing the properties of the required data (not how to fetch it). It is based on first-order predicate logic and uses tuple variables to represent rows of tables.Syntax: The basi 4 min read Domain Relational Calculus in DBMSDomain Relational Calculus (DRC) is a formal query language for relational databases. It describes queries by specifying a set of conditions or formulas that the data must satisfy. These conditions are written using domain variables and predicates, and it returns a relation that satisfies the specif 4 min read Functional Dependencies & NormalizationAttribute Closure in DBMSFunctional dependency and attribute closure are essential for maintaining data integrity and building effective, organized and normalized databases. Attribute closure of an attribute set can be defined as set of attributes which can be functionally determined from it.How to find attribute closure of 4 min read Armstrong's Axioms in Functional Dependency in DBMSArmstrong's Axioms refer to a set of inference rules, introduced by William W. Armstrong, that are used to test the logical implication of functional dependencies. Given a set of functional dependencies F, the closure of F (denoted as F+) is the set of all functional dependencies logically implied b 4 min read Canonical Cover of Functional Dependencies in DBMSManaging a large set of functional dependencies can result in unnecessary computational overhead. This is where the canonical cover becomes useful. A canonical cover is a set of functional dependencies that is equivalent to a given set of functional dependencies but is minimal in terms of the number 7 min read Normal Forms in DBMSIn the world of database management, Normal Forms are important for ensuring that data is structured logically, reducing redundancy, and maintaining data integrity. When working with databases, especially relational databases, it is critical to follow normalization techniques that help to eliminate 7 min read The Problem of Redundancy in DatabaseRedundancy means having multiple copies of the same data in the database. This problem arises when a database is not normalized. Suppose a table of student details attributes is: student ID, student name, college name, college rank, and course opted. Student_ID Name Contact College Course Rank 100Hi 6 min read Lossless Join and Dependency Preserving DecompositionDecomposition of a relation is done when a relation in a relational model is not in appropriate normal form. Relation R is decomposed into two or more relations if decomposition is lossless join as well as dependency preserving. Lossless Join DecompositionIf we decompose a relation R into relations 4 min read Denormalization in DatabasesDenormalization is a database optimization technique in which we add redundant data to one or more tables. This can help us avoid costly joins in a relational database. Note that denormalization does not mean 'reversing normalization' or 'not to normalize'. It is an optimization technique that is ap 4 min read Transactions & Concurrency ControlACID Properties in DBMSTransactions are fundamental operations that allow us to modify and retrieve data. However, to ensure the integrity of a database, it is important that these transactions are executed in a way that maintains consistency, correctness, and reliability even in case of failures / errors. This is where t 5 min read Types of Schedules in DBMSScheduling is the process of determining the order in which transactions are executed. When multiple transactions run concurrently, scheduling ensures that operations are executed in a way that prevents conflicts or overlaps between them.There are several types of schedules, all of them are depicted 6 min read Recoverability in DBMSRecoverability ensures that after a failure, the database can restore a consistent state by keeping committed changes and undoing uncommitted ones. It uses logs to redo or undo actions, preventing data loss and maintaining integrity.There are several levels of recoverability that can be supported by 5 min read Implementation of Locking in DBMSLocking protocols are used in database management systems as a means of concurrency control. Multiple transactions may request a lock on a data item simultaneously. Hence, we require a mechanism to manage the locking requests made by transactions. Such a mechanism is called a Lock Manager. It relies 5 min read Deadlock in DBMSA deadlock occurs in a multi-user database environment when two or more transactions block each other indefinitely by each holding a resource the other needs. This results in a cycle of dependencies (circular wait) where no transaction can proceed.For Example: Consider the image belowDeadlock in DBM 4 min read Starvation in DBMSStarvation in DBMS is a problem that happens when some processes are unable to get the resources they need because other processes keep getting priority. This can happen in situations like locking or scheduling, where some processes keep getting the resources first, leaving others waiting indefinite 8 min read Advanced DBMSIndexing in DatabasesIndexing in DBMS is used to speed up data retrieval by minimizing disk scans. Instead of searching through all rows, the DBMS uses index structures to quickly locate data using key values.When an index is created, it stores sorted key values and pointers to actual data rows. This reduces the number 6 min read Introduction of B TreeA B-Tree is a specialized m-way tree designed to optimize data access, especially on disk-based storage systems. In a B-Tree of order m, each node can have up to m children and m-1 keys, allowing it to efficiently manage large datasets.The value of m is decided based on disk block and key sizes.One 8 min read Introduction of B+ TreeA B+ Tree is an advanced data structure used in database systems and file systems to maintain sorted data for fast retrieval, especially from disk. It is an extended version of the B Tree, where all actual data is stored only in the leaf nodes, while internal nodes contain only keys for navigation.C 5 min read Bitmap Indexing in DBMSBitmap Indexing is a powerful data indexing technique used in Database Management Systems (DBMS) to speed up queries- especially those involving large datasets and columns with only a few unique values (called low-cardinality columns).In a database table, some columns only contain a few different va 3 min read Inverted IndexAn Inverted Index is a data structure used in information retrieval systems to efficiently retrieve documents or web pages containing a specific term or set of terms. In an inverted index, the index is organized by terms (words), and each term points to a list of documents or web pages that contain 7 min read SQL Queries on Clustered and Non-Clustered IndexesIndexes in SQL play a pivotal role in enhancing database performance by enabling efficient data retrieval without scanning the entire table. The two primary types of indexes Clustered Index and Non-Clustered Index serve distinct purposes in optimizing query performance. In this article, we will expl 7 min read File Organization in DBMSFile organization in DBMS refers to the method of storing data records in a file so they can be accessed efficiently. It determines how data is arranged, stored, and retrieved from physical storage.The Objective of File OrganizationIt helps in the faster selection of records i.e. it makes the proces 5 min read DBMS PracticeLast Minute Notes - DBMSDatabase Management System is an organized collection of interrelated data that helps in accessing data quickly, along with efficient insertion, and deletion of data into the DBMS. DBMS organizes data in the form of tables, schemas, records, etc. DBMS over File System (Limitations of File System)The 15+ min read Top 60 DBMS Interview Questions with Answers for 2025A Database Management System (DBMS) is the backbone of modern data storage and management. Understanding DBMS concepts is critical for anyone looking to work with databases. Whether you're preparing for your first job in database management or advancing in your career, being well-prepared for a DBMS 15+ min read Commonly asked DBMS Interview Questions | Set 2This article is an extension of Commonly asked DBMS interview questions | Set 1.Q1. There is a table where only one row is fully repeated. Write a Query to find the Repeated rowNameSectionabcCS1bcdCS2abcCS1In the above table, we can find duplicate rows using the below query.SELECT name, section FROM 5 min read Like