Week 1

Database Introduction

A database is just what the name implies, a collection of data.  The data is organized in some
manner so that the information contained within the database can be easily retrieved.  Some of
the simple databases that you might be familiar with are things like phone books or
rolodexes.  As data processing has become more sophisticated, so have methods for collecting,
storing and retrieving information.  Databases have become the cornerstone for an overwhelming
amount of the computing environment in existence.

Basic Database concepts

Field (Column): A single piece of information. It Could be a name, or a number.  In some cases,
it may even be a null or empty value.

Record (Row): A collection of related fields. A number of pieces of information that relate to
the same object.  For example:  If you keep records on an employee, you might have their name,
address, social security number, phone number, etc…Each piece of the information relates back
to one employee.  This would be the employee’s record.

Table (File): A collection of related records.  If you put all the employee records together, you
have a table of employees.

Database: A collection of tables.  If you were keeping the company records, you might have a
table for employees, a table for customers, and another for sales records.  All these tables would
be combined as a database.

Data: Stored representations of objects and events that have meaning and importance in the
user’s environment.

Information: Data that have been processed in such a way as to increase the knowledge of the
person who uses the data.
Metadata: Data that describe the properties or characteristics of end-user data and the context of
those data.

Database Management System

A DBMS is a software that allows creation, definition and manipulation of database, allowing
users to store, process and analyze data easily. DBMS provides us with an interface or a tool, to
perform various operations like creating database, storing data in it, updating data, creating tables
in the database and a lot more.

DBMS also provides protection and security to the databases. It also maintains data consistency
in case of multiple users.

Here are some examples of popular DBMS used these days:

 MySql
 Oracle
 SQL Server
 IBM DB2
 PostgreSQL
 Amazon SimpleDB (cloud based) etc.

Relational Database: A collection of related tables.  The difference between a database and a

relational database is in the way the tables are constructed.  If you were keeping the company
records on a series of Excel spreadsheets, you would have just a database.  You could pull
information from each table, but you wouldn’t have the ability to use information from one
spreadsheet as a basis for asking questions about the information contained on another sheet.  In
a relational database, the tables are constructed so that there is a logical link between
them.  Based on the information that’s found in one table, you can follow this link and get
relevant information from another table.
Traditional File Processing Systems

Before the advent of database, data was kept in files. Since there were so many kinds of data
(different for different organizations and different departments), so also many kind of files with
different formats were there. For example, a student record was kept in separate file, courses
information in some file and faculty information in some other file. Now course information file
was needed in rests of departments, so either it’s electronic or hard copy was fetched to them by
mean of a disk or office boy. If a new record was inserted, it’s so many copies (for different
files) needed to maintain. So same copies of data were kept in different files, which cause
redundancy. This was a simple scenario which in fact was so cumbersome to maintain (delete,
insert, and search). To overcome these problems, scientist moved towards a new approach
Integrated Database Environment.

ADVANTAGES/ DISADVANTAGES OF DBMS

Advantages

1. Sharing of Data: In contrast to file system where data was kept separately, in database
data is kept in single base and shared by all departments simultaneously
2. Control of redundancy: In file processing system, since files were kept separately so
wastage of memory and also were cumbersome to upgrade or maintain. While in database
there is no as such redundancy, if it will even then it is known.
3. Data Consistency: The benefits from eliminating redundancy results in consistency.
Since a single copy is easy maintained also if a little redundancy is there then by virtue of
cascading update all copies at the same time are updated automatically.
4. Improved data standards:
 Data representation (format etc)
 Convention on data names
 Documentation standards (reports etc)
 Frequency of update
 Update procedures
 Permitted usage of database (privileges etc)
 5. Data Security: One of the main issues in records handling is data security. Data security
means protection from unauthorized use or access. That all is achieved by means of
DBMS. It may include passwords and some encryption/decryption procedure. For
example, data is stored in encrypted form, if the data is retrieved by authorized user it
will automatically decrypt, otherwise not. Also if some user in deliberately attempts to
access non-authorized data then a log file is created and sent to DBA in security log,
which contains ID of that user. So that actions (warnings etc) can be taken.
6. Improved data Integrity: Integrity means wholeness, or sound system. This is when
there are different checks (constraints) are applied to the records, for sake of benefits. For
example, we don’t want salary of a person to be interred other than a bound like it
shouldn’t be less than 3,000 and more than 1,00,000 etc. Then to make sure that rules will
be followed is soundness (flawless) or integrity of database.
7. Balancing of conflicting requirements: There are often scenarios when more than one
user has conflicting requirements, so to overcome the conflicts DBA can design, use and
maintain the database in an optimized way. Decision should be optimum and supporting
to stronger applications.
8. Faster development of new applications: Once a database is designed in an efficient
manner then its later extendibility is easy. We need not to go for a new pillar as it was a
case in file processing system. Existing and available data can be modeled according to
the new requirements.
9. Data accessibility: To retrieve data for programs, users or online users DBMS provides
query language support.
10. Economy of scale: In file processing system each department have to allocate some
budget for its data storage and retrieval individually. But in database this individual cost
cut down by putting it altogether.
11. Better backup/recovery: In file system the data recovery or backup was a tedious job.
For example, by end of the day if power failure occurs then all day changes were to
update next day. While in case of database, only change logs are backup and in case of
failure you are able to get state of data just before failure. The system is called self-
recovering.

Disadvantages
 1. High cost of DBMS: A sophisticated database system establishing and maintaining is
costly.
2. High hardware cost: Additional memory and processing power may be required to run
DBMS so hardware will be need to upgrade occasionally.
3. Higher programming cost: Since DBMS is a complex tool, so organization’s
programmers need to learn it before proper utilization. So need a programming or
training cost?
4. High conversion cost: Converting a manual system to database system requires a
complete design procedure and all above-mentioned cost are inclusive.
5. Increased vulnerability: Since all the data is kept in a single large unit so causes
security risk.
6. Difficult recovery: In decision-making system there are numbers of transaction being
processed simultaneously so in case of power failure it is not easy to track which request
or application was at what status. To overcome these limitations and complications is if
not impossible then difficult.

Users
A typical DBMS has users with different rights and permissions who use it for different
purposes. Some users retrieve data and some back it up. The users of a DBMS can be broadly
categorized as follows −

 Administrators − Administrators maintain the DBMS and are responsible for

administrating the database. They are responsible to look after its usage and by whom it
should be used. They create access profiles for users and apply limitations to maintain
 isolation and force security. Administrators also look after DBMS resources like system
license, required tools, and other software and hardware related maintenance.
 Designers − Designers are the group of people who actually work on the designing part
of the database. They keep a close watch on what data should be kept and in what
format. They identify and design the whole set of entities, relations, constraints, and
views.
 End Users − End users are those who actually reap the benefits of having a DBMS. End
users can range from simple viewers who pay attention to the logs or market rates to
sophisticated users such as business analysts.