Book excerpt: Traditional database management systems can't handle the demands of managing multimedia data. with the rapid growth of multimedia platforms and the world wide web, database management systems must now process, store, index, and retrieve alphanumeric data, bitmapped and vector-based graphics, and video and audio clips both compressed and uncompressed. The comprehensive, systematic approach of Multimedia Database Management Systems presents you with current and emerging methods for managing the increasing demands of multimedia databases and their inherent design and architecture issues.