1. A database consists of the catalog and the user data.
2. The catalog consists of metadata. The definitions of database objects such as base tables, view tables, synonyms, indexes, users and usergroups are stored there.
3. The catalog consists of several parts. One part comprises information about the installation of the (distributed) database and the metadata with the definitions of users and usergroups. This part is not assigned to a user or usergroup.
The catalog contains a part for each user or usergroup where the metadata for the objects, such as base tables, view tables, etc., created by the user or usergroup is stored.
4. A user can only access the metadata of another user or usergroup when he has received the privileges to do so.
5. All rows of all base tables are the user data of a database.
6. If a non-distributed database is concerned, SERVERDB designates the whole database.