The process of creating and managing duplicate versions of a
database. Replication not only copies a database but also synchronizes a set of
replicas so that changes made to one replica are reflected in all the others. The beauty of replication is that it enables many users to work with their own local copy of a database but have the database updated as if they were working on a single, centralized database. For database applications where users are geographically widely distributed, replication is often the most efficient method of database access.
The Lotus Notes system was one of the first to make replication a central component of its design, which has been one of the main reasons for its success.
