Databases in the 3rd Millennium: Trends and Research Directions

A database approach to data of arbitrary types has shown that the architecture of a universal database machine is restricting in a number of cases. There appear special-purpose data servers using now types of hardware devices. Data is moving toward the user, who exploits mobile devices equipped with database functionality. The goal of the paper is to present new trends in databases, particularly in their architectures and to show on cloud computing, data streams, mobile and embedded databases, and databases supporting Web.2.0 some new ideas and possibilities of solution of associated problems. The other goal of the paper is also to point out on actual problems associated with database research.