In distributed database management system, breaking a relation into smaller relations is known as

In distributed database management systems, breaking a relation into smaller relations is known as fragmentation. Fragmentation involves dividing a single database relation (or table) into multiple smaller relations (or sub-tables) based on specific criteria, such as geographical location, functional requirements, or access frequency. The smaller relations can then be stored and managed across multiple nodes in a distributed database system. Fragmentation is done to achieve better performance, scalability, and availability of data in a distributed environment. By dividing data into smaller subsets, queries can be executed faster and with reduced network traffic, as only the relevant subsets need to be accessed. There are different types of fragmentation, such as horizontal fragmentation (dividing rows of a table), vertical fragmentation (dividing columns of a table), and hybrid fragmentation (combining horizontal and vertical fragmentation). The choice of fragmentation strategy depends on the specific needs and requirements of the distributed database system.