If You Were Designing A Web-Based System To Make Airline Res

If You Were Designing A Web Based System To Make Airline Reservations

If you were designing a web-based system to make airline reservations and to sell airline tickets, which DBMS architecture would you choose from Section 2.5? Why? Why would the other architectures not be a good choice? Instructions: Your response to the initial question should be words. There must be at least one APA formatted reference (and APA in-text citation) to support the thoughts in the post as needed. Do not use direct quotes, rather rephrase the author's words and continue to use in-text citations.

Paper For Above instruction

Designing a web-based airline reservation system requires selecting an appropriate database management system (DBMS) architecture that ensures reliability, scalability, efficiency, and security. Among various architectures outlined in Section 2.5, the client-server architecture, particularly a three-tier model, is the most suitable choice for such a system. This architecture divides the system into three interconnected layers: the presentation layer, the application logic layer, and the data layer. This separation facilitates better manageability, scalability, and flexibility, which are essential for handling the high volume of concurrent users typical in airline reservation systems.

The client-server architecture's primary advantage is its ability to distribute tasks between the client and server effectively. The presentation layer manages user interactions and interfaces, the application logic processes complex business rules, and the data layer handles database operations. This division not only enhances performance but also allows independent updates and maintenance of different system components without affecting the entire system. For airline reservations, where real-time data processing and high availability are critical, this architecture supports load balancing and failover mechanisms, ensuring continuous service during peak times and system failures (Elmasri & Navathe, 2015).

Furthermore, the three-tier architecture facilitates scalability, an essential feature as airline companies often experience fluctuations in reservation volume due to seasonal travel or promotional campaigns. Adding more servers or resources to the middle or data tiers can accommodate increased demand without overhauling the entire system. It also enhances security because sensitive data, such as passengers' personal information and payment details, can be managed within the data layer with strict access controls, reducing the risk of breaches (Hoffer, George, & Valacich, 2016).

In contrast, other architectures like monolithic or peer-to-peer systems are less optimal for airline reservation systems. Monolithic architectures combine all functions into a single program, which can become a bottleneck, difficult to maintain, and unreliable under heavy traffic. Peer-to-peer architectures, while scalable in some contexts, lack centralized control, making data consistency and security more challenging — critical aspects for financial and personal data protection in airline bookings. Distributed architectures might offer some benefits but often introduce complexity in synchronization and data integrity, issues that are less manageable in the high-stakes environment of airline reservations.

Additionally, the client-server three-tier architecture aligns well with web-based deployment, which is necessary for airline reservation systems focused on accessibility and user convenience worldwide. It can support multiple clients across different devices and platforms efficiently, ensuring a seamless user experience. By leveraging cloud infrastructure, this architecture can also enable elasticity, dynamically adjusting resources in response to demand fluctuations, thus optimizing operational costs and performance (Codd, 1970).

In conclusion, adopting a three-tier client-server architecture for a web-based airline reservation system provides the necessary scalability, security, maintainability, and performance required to meet business and customer expectations. While other architectures have their applications, they lack the tailored advantages that this architecture offers in handling high-volume, high-demand reservation environments efficiently and securely.

References

• Elmasri, R., & Navathe, S. B. (2015). Fundamentals of Database Systems (7th ed.). Pearson Education.
• Hoffer, J. A., George, J. F., & Valacich, J. S. (2016). Modern Database Management (12th ed.). Pearson.
• Codd, E. F. (1970). A relational model of data for large shared data banks. Communications of the ACM, 13(6), 377-387.https://doi.org/10.1145/362384.362685