1. A configuration database system for use in storing configuration data pertaining to a process control system having a plurality of geographically distributed physical locations, the configuration database system comprising: a configuration database located at each of the plurality of physical locations, wherein each of the configuration databases is adapted to originally store a different portion of the configuration data; a communication network that communicatively couples the plurality of geographically distributed physical locations together; and a configuration application adapted to communicate with each of the databases via the communication network and to use data from two or more of the configuration databases to perform a configuration activity.