What is the purpose of a database schema, and how does it differ from a database instance?

Explain the concept of distributed database transparency and its various types.

Describe the concept of sharding in database architecture and its benefits.

Explain what a homogeneous distributed database is and how it differs from a heterogeneous distributed database, as well as the fundamental challenges that each kind of database encounters in real-world applications.

Database normalization is a very important process in designing and organizing tables (relations) and their columns (attributes or fields) in a relational database. Therefore, what are the consequences (problems) if a database was designed without it? Would the database still work?

In a distributed database environment, what are the challenges associated with data replication and consistency, and how can they be addressed?

When comparing the performance of a distributed database over a wide-area network to that over a local-area network, what are the most important distinctions to be made?

What are the key considerations in designing a distributed database system?

How does the design of a distributed database make use of local area networks (LAN) and wide area networks (WAN)?

Describe the concept of sharding in the context of database architecture.