MPP database (massively parallel processing database)

An MPP database is a database that is optimized to be processed in parallel for many operations to be performed by many processing units at a time.

MPP (massively parallel processing) is the coordinated processing of a program by multiple processors working on different parts of the program. Each processor has its own operating system and memory. MPP speeds the performance of huge databases that deal with massive amounts of data.

MPP databases use multi-core processors, multiple processors and servers, and storage appliances equipped for parallel processing. That combination enables reading many pieces of data across many processing units at the same time for enhanced speed. This method is necessary because the frequencies of processors are hitting the limits of the technologies used and are slow to increase.

Almost all enterprises dealing with big data have databases that are massively parallel. An MPP system is considered better than a symmetrically parallel system (SMP) for applications that allow a number of databases to be searched in parallel. These include decision support system and data warehouse applications.