Learn about distributed database architectures through a comprehensive lecture from Carnegie Mellon University's Database Systems course, featuring instructor Wan Shen Lim, followed by a special industry talk from DataStax co-founder Jonathan Ellis. Explore fundamental concepts of distributed databases, system architectures, and real-world applications through detailed slides and lecture notes. The first portion covers academic concepts and theoretical foundations, while the final 17 minutes features an industry perspective on distributed database systems from a leading expert in the field. Access accompanying materials including detailed slides and lecture notes to reinforce understanding of distributed database concepts and their practical implementations.