Online Web App, DB Design-ish Query

Hi all,

I have a query about best practice or recommended approaches for building an online application - web site open to 'public' users - specifically relating to the database structure/design.

As this web site would handle commonly accessed data and some level of financial information in order to perform billing, customer accounts, reports and so forth, I'm trying to gauge how this is generally achieved.

Is data relating to most things financial kept in a separate database from the more common/less security conscious data?

I'm not looking at this from a 'physical' or network architecture perspective (eg db servers in a non-internet accessible network etc), but right now, more from an application architecture/design perspective.


What have you come across and what do you recommend? And Why?

Thanks!