The hardware organization and software structure of a new database system are presented. This system, the relational replicated database system (RRDS), is based on a set of replicated processors operating on a partitioned database. Performance improvements and capacity growth can be obtained by adding more processors to the configuration. Based on designing goals a set of hardware and software design questions were developed. The system then evolved according to a five-phase process, based on simulation and analysis, which addressed and resolved the design questions. Strategies and algorithms were developed for data access, data placement, and directory management for the hardware organization. A predictive performance analysis was conducted to determine the extent to which original design goals were satisfied. The predictive performance results, along with an analytical comparison with three other relational multi-backend systems, provided information about the strengths and weaknesses of our design as well as a basis for future research
