In a relational database, data is stored in tables. A table is a collection of rows and columns. Structured Query Language(SQL) is used to retrieve or update data by specifying columns, tables and various relationships between them.
SQL is a standardized language for defining and manipulating data in a relational database. SQL statements are executed by a database manager. A database manager is a computer program that manages the data.
A partitioned relational database is a relational database where the data is managed across multiple partitions (also called nodes). In this book we will focus our attention on single partition databases.
You can access the sample database and try out all the examples in this book through interactive SQL by using an interface like the command line processor (CLP) or the command centre.