Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto

FACULTY OF PHYSICAL & COMPUTING SCIENCES

CMP 101: Introduction to Computer Science

PART 4: INTRODUCTION TO DATABASE SYSTEMS

© 2024, Department of Computer Science, UDUS

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INTRODUCTION TO DATABASE
SYSTEMS
Data
• facts related to any object in
consideration
• For example
name, age, height, weight, etc.
picture, image, file, pdf, etc.
Database
• Collection of related data
• Known facts that can be recorded and that
have implicit meaning
• Mini-world or Universe of Discourse (UoD)
• Represents some aspect of the real world
• Logically coherent collection of data with
inherent meaning
• Built for a specific purpose
Database System
• It is a computerized system, whose
overall purpose is to
maintain the information and
to make sure that the information is
available on demand
Advantages of Database System
• Redundancy can be reduced.
• Inconsistency can be avoided.
• Data can be shared.
• Standards can be enforced.
• Security restrictions can be applied.
• Integrity can be maintained.
• Data gathering can be possible.
• Requirements can be balanced.
Database Management System
(DBMS)
• It is a collection of programs that enables users
to create and maintain a database.
• it is general-purpose software that provides the
users with the processes of
 defining,
constructing and
manipulating
• the database for various applications.
Advantages of DBMS
• Data Independence.
• Efficient Data Access.
• Data Integrity and security.
• Data administration
DISADVANTAGE OF DBMS
• DBMS may offer plenty of advantages but, it has certain
flaws:
 The cost of Hardware and Software of a DBMS is quite high
which increases the budget of your organization.
Most database management systems are often complex
systems, so training for users to use the DBMS is required.
In some organizations, all data is integrated into a single
database which can be damaged because of electric failure or
database is corrupted on the storage media.
Use of the same program at a time by many users sometimes
leads to the loss of some data.
DBMS can’t perform sophisticated calculations.
Applications Database
Applications
• Banking: all transactions
• Airlines: reservations, schedules
• Universities: registration, grades
• Sales: customers, products, purchases Online
retailers: order tracking, customized
• Manufacturing: production, inventory, orders,
supply chain
• Human resources: employee records, salaries,
tax deductions
 Database Users
• Database Administrator (DBA)
Database Administrator (DBA) is a person/team who defines
the schema and also controls the 3 levels of the database.
The DBA will then create a new account ID and password for
the user if he/she needs to access the database.
DBA is also responsible for providing security to the database
and he allows only authorized users to access/modify the
database.
DBA also monitors the recovery and backup and provides technical
support.
The DBA has a DBA account in the DBMS which is called a system
or super-user account.
DBA repairs damage caused due to hardware and/or software
failures.
Database Users
• Naive / Parametric End Users:
Parametric End Users are the unsophisticated who
don’t have any DBMS knowledge but they frequently use
the database applications in their daily life to get the
desired results.
For example, Railway’s ticket booking users are naive
users. Clerks in any bank is a naïve user because they
don’t have any DBMS knowledge but they still use the
database and perform their given task
Database Users
• System Analyst:
System Analyst is a user who analyzes
the requirements of parametric end
users.
They check whether all the
requirements of end users are satisfied
Database Users
• Sophisticated Users:
Sophisticated users can be engineers,
scientists, and business analysts, who are
familiar with the database.
They can develop their database
applications according to their requirement.
They don’t write the program code but they
interact with the database by writing SQL
queries directly through the query processor.
 Database Users
• Data Base Designers:
Data Base Designers are the users who
design the structure of database which
includes
tables,
indexes,
views,
constraints,
triggers,
stored procedures.
He/she controls what data must be stored and
 Database Users
• Application Program
Application Programs are the back-end
programmers who write the code for the
application programs.
They are the computer professionals.
These programs could be written in Programming
languages such as Visual Basic, C, FORTRAN,
COBOL, etc.
 Database Users
• Casual Users / Temporary Users:
Casual Users are the users who occasionally
use/access the database but each time when
they access the database they require new
information.
For example:
Middle or higher level manager.
TYPES OF DATABASES
• Distributed databases
 A distributed database is a type of database that has contributions from the common database and information captured by local computers. In this type of
database system, the data is not in one place and is distributed at various organizations.

• Relational databases
 This type of database def in es database relationships in the form of tables. It is also called Relational DBMS, which is the most popular DBMS type in the market.
Database examples of the RDBMS system include MySQL, Oracle, and Microsoft SQL Server database.

• Object-oriented databases
 This type of computer database supports the storage of all data types. The data is stored in the form of objects. The objects to be held in the database have
attributes and methods that define what to do with the data. PostgreSQL is an example of an object-oriented relational DBMS.

• Centralized database
 It is a centralized location, and users from different backgrounds can access this data. This type of computer database store application procedures that help
users access the data even from a remote location.

• Open-source databases
 This kind of database stores information related to operations. It is mainly used in the fields of marketing, employee relations, customer service, of databases.

• Cloud databases
 A cloud database is a database that is optimized or built for such a virtualized environment. There are so many advantages of a cloud database, some of which
can pay for storage capacity and bandwidth. It also offers scalability on-demand, along with high availability.
DATABASE COMPONENTS
• There are five (5) main components of a database as shown in
figure below:
DATABASE COMPONENTS
Hardware
The hardware consists of physical, electronic devices like computers, I/O devices, storage
devices, etc. This offers the interface between computers and real-world systems.
Software
This is a set of programs used to manage and control the overall database. This includes
the database software itself, the Operating System, the network software used to share
the data among users, and the application programs for accessing data in the database.
Data
Data is a raw and unorganized fact that is required to be processed to make it meaningful.
Data can be simple at the same time unorganized unless it is organized. Generally, data
comprises facts, observations, perceptions, numbers, characters, symbols, images, etc.
Procedure
Procedures are a set of instructions and rules that help you to use the DBMS. It is
designing and running the database using documented methods, which allows you to
guide the users who operate and manage it.
DATABASE ACCESS LANGUAGE
Database Access language is used to access the data to and from the database, enter
new data, update already existing data, or retrieve required data from DBMS. The user
writes some specific commands in a database access language and submits these to the
database.
Database software
• is used to create, edit, and maintain database files and records, enabling easier file
and record creation, data entry, data editing, updating, and reporting.
• The software also handles data storage, backup and reporting, multi-access
control, and security.
• Strong database security is especially important today, as data theft becomes
more frequent.
• Database software is sometimes also referred to as a “database management
system” (DBMS)
• Database software makes data management simpler by enabling users to store
data in a structured form and then access it.
• It typically has a graphical interface to help create and manage the data and, in
some cases, users can construct their databases by using database software.
• The most common types of database software are Microsoft Access, Oracle,
MySQL, PostgreSQL, dBASE and FoxPro etc.
Thank you!!