COLLEGE OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES

ICS2607 Information Management

MODULE 1

Introduction to Database Systems

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At the end of this topic, the learners will be able to:

• Identify the difference between data and information

• Discuss what a database is, the various types of databases,
and why they are valuable assets for decision making
• Appreciate the importance of database design
Identify how modern databases evolved from file systems
• Identify the main components of the database system
• Describe the main functions of a database management
system (DBMS)
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Introduction
• Good decisions require good information
derived from raw facts.
• Data is managed most efficiently when stored
in a database.
• Database evolved from computer file systems
• Understanding a file system characteristics is
important
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Why Databases?
• Databases solve many of the problems
encountered in data management
✔ Used in almost all modern settings involving
data management
• Business
• Research
• Administration

• Important to understand how databases

work and interact with other applications.
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Data vs. Information

• Data are raw facts
• Information is the result of processing raw
data to reveal meaning
• Information requires context to reveal
meaning
• Raw data must be formatted for storage,
processing, and presentation
• Data are foundation of information, which is
the bedrock of knowledge
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Data vs. Information

• Data: building blocks of information
• Information produces by processing data
• Information used to reveal meaning in data
• Accurate, relevant, timely information is the
key to good decision making
• Good decision making is the key to
organizational survival
• Data Management: focuses on proper
generation, storage, and retrieval of data
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Introducing the Database

• Database: shared, integrated computer structure
that stores a collection of:
✔ End-user data: raw facts of interest to end user
✔ Metadata: data about data
• Provides description of data characteristics
and relationships in data
• Complements and expands value of data
• Database Management System (DBMS):
collection of programs
✔ Manages structure and controls access to data
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Role and Advantages of the DBMS

• DBMS is the intermediary between the user and

the database
✔ Database structure stored as a file collection
✔ Can only access files through the DBMS
• DBMS enables data to be shared
• DBMS integrates many users’ views of the data
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Roles and Advantages of the DBMS
• Advantages of a DBMS
✔ Improved data sharing
✔ Improves data security
✔ Better data integration
✔ Minimized data inconsistency
✔ Improved data access
✔ Improved decision-making
✔ Increased end-user productivity
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Types of Database
• Databases can be classified according to:
✔ Number of users
✔ Database location(s)
✔ Expected type and extent of use
• Single-user database supports only one user at a time:
✔ Desktop database: single-user; runs on PC
• Multi-user database supports multiple users at the same
time
✔ Workgroup and enterprise databases
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Types of Database
• Centralized database: data located at a single site
• Distributed database: data distributed across several
different sites
• Operational database: supports a company’s
day-to-day operations
✔ Transactional or production database
• Data warehouse: stores data used for tactical or strategic
decisions
• Unstructured data exist in their original state
• Structured data result from formatting
✔ Structure applied based on type of processing to be
performed
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Types of Database
• Semi-structured data have been processed to some extent
• Extensible Markup Language (XML) represents data elements in
textual format
✔ XML database supports semi-structured XML data
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Why Database Design is Important
• Database design focuses on design of database
structure used for end-user data
✔ Designer must identify database’s expected use
• Well-designed database:
✔ Facilitates data management
✔ Generates accurate and valuable information

• Poorly designed database:

✔ Causes difficult-to-trace errors
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Evolution of File System Data Processing

• Reasons for studying file systems:
✔ Complexity of database design is easier to
understand
✔ Understanding file system problems helps to avoid
problems with DBMS systems
✔ Knowledge of file system is useful for converting
file system to database system
• File systems typically composed of collection of file
folders, each tagged and kept in cabinet
✔ Organized by expected use
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Evolution of File System Data Processing

• Contents of each file folder are logically related
• Manual file systems
✔ Served as a data repository for small data
collections
✔ Cumbersome for large collections
• Computerized file systems
• Data processing (DP) specialist converted
computer file structure from manual system
✔ Wrote software that managed the data
✔ Designed the application programs
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Evolution of File System Data Processing
• Initially, computer file systems resembled manual systems
• As number of files increased, file systems evolved:
✔ Each file used its own application program to store, retrieve,
and modify data
✔ Each file was owned by individual or department that
commissioned its creation
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File System Redux: Modern
End-user Productivity
Tools
• Ubiquitous use of personal
productivity tools can introduce the
same problems as the old file
systems
• Microsoft Excel
✔ Widely used by business users
✔ Users have become so adept at
working with spreadsheets, they
tend to use them to complete
tasks for which spreadsheets are
not appropriate – database
substitute

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

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Problems with File System Data Processing
• File systems were an improvement over manual
system
✔ File systems used for more than two decades
✔ Understanding the shortcomings of file systems
aids in development of modern databases
✔ Many problems not unique to file systems

• Even simple file system retrieval task required extensive

programming
✔ Ad hoc queries impossible
✔ Changing existing structure difficult
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Problems with File System Data Processing

• Security features difficult to program
✔ Often omitted in file system environment

• Summary of file system limitations:

✔ Requires extensive programming
✔ Cannot perform ad hoc queries
✔ System administration is complex and difficult
✔ Difficult to make changes to existing structures
✔ Security features are likely to be inadequate
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Structural and Data Dependence

• Structural dependence: access to a file is dependent
on its own structure
✔ All file system programs must be modified to
conform to a new structure
• Structural independence: change file structure
without affecting data access

• Data dependence: data access changes when data

storage characteristics change
• Data independence: data storage characteristics do
not affect data access
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STRUCTURAL AND DATA DEPENDENCE

• Practical significance of data dependence is
difference between logical and physical format
• Logical data format: how human views data
• Physical data format: how computer must work with
data
• Each program must contain:
✔ Lines specifying opening of specific file type
✔ Record specification
✔ Field definitions
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Data Redundancy
• File system structure makes it difficult to combine data from multiple
sources
✔ Vulnerable to security breaches
• Organizational structure promotes storage of same data in different
locations
✔ Islands of information
• Data stored in different locations is unlikely to be updated consistently
• Data redundancy: same data stored unnecessarily in different places
• Data inconsistency: different and conflicting versions of same data occur at
different places
• Data anomalies: abnormalities when all changes in redundant data are not
made correctly
✔ Update anomalies
✔ Insertion anomalies
✔ Deletion anomalies
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Lack of Design and
Data-Modeling Skills
• Most users lack the skill to properly
design databases
✔ Despite multiple personal
productivity tools being available
• Data-modeling skills
✔ Vital in the data design process

• Good data modeling facilitates

communication between the
designer, user, and the developer
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REGISTER
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Database Systems
• Database system consists of logically related data
stored in a single logical data repository
✔ May be physically distributed among multiple
storage facilities
✔ DBMS eliminates most of file system’s
problems
✔ Current generation stores data structures,
relationships between structures, and access
paths
✔ Also defines, stores, and manages all access
paths and components
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THE DATABASE SYSTEM

ENVIRONMENT
• Database system: defines
and regulates the
collection, storage,
management, use of data
• Five major parts of a
database system:
✔ Hardware
✔ Software
✔ People
✔ Procedures
✔ Data
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• Hardware: all the system’s physical devices

• Software: three types of software required
✔ Operating system software
✔ DBMS software
✔ Application programs and utility software
• People: all users of the database system
✔ System and database administrators
✔ Database designers
✔ Systems analysts and programmers
✔ End users
• Procedures: instructions and rules that govern the design and
use of the database system
• Data: the collection of facts stored in the database
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The Database System Environment

• Database systems are created and managed at different

levels of complexity
• Database solutions must be cost-effective as well as
tactically and strategically effective
• Database technology already in use affects selection of a
database system
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DBMS Functions
• Most functions are transparent to end-users
✔ Can only be achieved through the DBMS
• Data dictionary management
✔ DBMS stores definitions of data elements and
relationships (metadata) in a data dictionary
✔ DBMS looks up required data component structures
and relationships
✔ Changes automatically recorded in the dictionary
✔ DBMS provides data abstraction and removes structural
and data dependency
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DBMS Functions
• Data storage management
✔ DBMS creates and manages complex structures
required for data storage
✔ Also stores related data entry forms, screen definitions,
report definitions, etc.
✔ Performance tuning: activities that make the database
perform more efficiently
✔ DBMS stores the database in multiple physical data
files
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DBMS Functions
• Data transformation and presentation
✔ DBMS transforms data entered to conform to required
data structures
✔ DBMS transforms physically retrieved data to conform to
user’s logical expectations
• Security management
✔ DBMS creates a security system that enforces user
security and data privacy
✔ Security rules determine which users can access the
database, which items can be accessed, etc.
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DBMS Functions
• Multiuser access control
✔ DBMS uses sophisticated algorithms to ensure concurrent
access does not affect integrity
• Backup and recovery management
✔ DBMS provides backup and data recovery to ensure data
safety and integrity
✔ Recovery management deals with recovery of database
after a failure
✔ Critical to preserving database’s integrity
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DBMS Functions
• Data integrity management
✔ DBMS promotes and enforces integrity rules
✔ Minimizes redundancy
✔ Maximizes consistency
✔ Data relationships stored in data dictionary used to enforce data
integrity
✔ Integrity is especially important in transaction-oriented
database systems
• Database access languages and application programming interfaces
✔ DBMS provides access through a query language
✔ Query language is nonprocedural language
✔ Structured Query Language (SQL) is the de facto query
language
✔ Standard supported by majority of DBMS vendors
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DBMS Functions
• Database communication interfaces
✔ Current DBMSs accept end-user requests via multiple
different network environments
✔ Communications accomplished in several ways:
● End-users generate answers to queries by filling in
screen forms through Web browser
● DBMS automatically publishes predefined reports
on a Web site
● DBMS connects to third-party systems to
distribute information via e-mail
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Managing the Database System: A Shift in Focus

• Database system provides a framework in which strict
procedures and standards enforced
✔ Role of human changes from programming to managing
organization’s resources
• Database system enables more sophisticated use of the data
• Data structures created within the database and their
relationships determine effectiveness
• Disadvantages of database systems:
✔ Increased costs
✔ Management complexity
✔ Maintaining currency
✔ Vendor dependence
✔ Frequent upgrade/replacement cycles
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PREPARING FOR YOUR DATABASE

PROFESSIONAL CAREER