
44
■
Distributed Database Systems
that are executed in parallel on multiple computers connected to the network. Therefore, in the
context of distributed database systems, it is necessary to introduce the fundamentals of computer
networks.
4.2 Types of Computer Networks
Computer networks are broadly classifi ed into three different categories. These are local area
networks (LANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs) and wide area networks (WANs). This
classifi cation is done based on the geographical area (i.e., distance) covered by a network and the
physical structure of the network.
Local Area Network (LAN) – A LAN usually connects the computers ...