This paper discusses the structure and components of databases for real-world e-commerce systems. We first present an integrated 8-process value chain needed by the e-commerce system and its associated data in each stage of the value chain. We then discuss logical components of a typical e-commerce database system. Finally, we illustrate a detailed design of an e-commerce transaction processing system and comment on a few design considerations specific to e-commerce database systems, such as the primary key, foreign key, outer join, use of weak entity, and schema partition. Understanding the structure of ecommerce database systems will help database designers effectively develop and maintain e-commerce systems
