This document discusses distributed databases and distributed database management systems (DDBMS). It defines a distributed database as a logically interrelated collection of shared data physically distributed over a computer network. A DDBMS is software that manages the distributed database and makes the distribution transparent to users. The document outlines key concepts of distributed databases including data fragmentation, allocation, and replication across multiple database sites connected by a network. It also discusses reference architectures, components, design considerations, and types of transparency provided by DDBMS.