Instructor: Kevin Robertson

Data Management
Lecture Outline 2 - Part 1
Databases in Action

2
Data Management Concepts
 Why manage data?
 Without data and the ability to process the data: An organization could not
successfully complete most business activities
 Data consists of raw facts
 To transform data into useful information:
 It must first be organized in a meaningful way i.e. Database
 Database Management System (DBMS)
 A Collection of programs that enables users to store, modify, and extract
information from a database

3
Levels of Data within a Database

4
Levels of Data within a Database
A database system organizes data
in a hierarchy that starts with a
data item.
Data items can be characters,
numbers, or symbols. Data items
can be grouped to form a field, or
attribute. Related fields or
attributes can be grouped to form
a single instance of an entity or a
record.
Related records or multiple
instances of a given entity can be
collected to form a file, or table.
A collection of files/ tables or
entities containing information to
support a given system is
organized into a database. 5
Data Management in a Computer
 See Supplementary Notes “Data Management in a Computer”

6
Data Entities, Attributes, and Items
 Entity:
 Things we store information about. (i.e. persons, places, objects, events, etc.)
 Have relationships to other entities (i.e. the entity Student has a relationship to
the entity Grades in a University Student database
 General class of people, places, or things (objects) for which data is collected,
stored, and maintained
 Attribute:
 These are pieces of information (characteristics) about an entity (i.e. Student ID,
Name, etc. for the entity Student)
 Data item:
 Specific value of an attribute

7
Data Entities, Attributes, and Items

The Key field is the Employee Number. The attributes include Last
Name, First Name, Hire Date an Department number
8
Data Entities, Attributes, Items, Keys

9
Defining Database – Keys
 Database Keys
 Mechanisms used to identify, select, and maintain one or more records using an
application program, query, or report
 Primary Key
 A unique attribute type used to identify a single instance of an entity
 Compound Primary Key
 A unique combination of attribute types used to identify a single instance of an
entity
 Secondary Key
 An attribute that can be used to identify one or more records within a table with a
given value
 Foreign Key
 An attribute that appears as a non-primary key in one entity (table) and as a
primary key attribute in another entity (table) 10
Data Management and Database
Management Systems
 Database (Application) System is the combination of the
database, the DBMS, and the application programs that access
the database

 Management Information System (MIS) is the database

system coupled with a set of hardware, software,
telecommunications, people, and procedures. Programs which
are part of the information system then transform the raw data
to useful information
11
File Approach to Storing Data

12
File Approach to Storing Data

13
Database Approach to Storing Data

14
File Approach Characteristics
 Each application has its own set of files
 Inflexibility: committed to processing particular queries
 Uncontrolled Redundancy: If these separate applications need to process the
same data there are duplicate copies of the data, waste of valuable storage
space.
 Need to input data to several files
 Data inconsistency (one fact may have more than one value – various versions may occur).
 Poor Enforcement of System Standards: Data names, formats, access
restrictions… etc. are not standardized across an organization. This makes
modifications difficult and hinders sharing of data.

15
File Approach Characteristics (con’t)
 Limited Data Sharing: Each application has its own private file providing
little opportunity for users to share existing data. Any new applications
would not be able to use existing files leading to low productivity.
 Program – Data Dependency: Descriptions of files, records, data items are
embedded within application programs. Any modification to data file
requires that the application program using that file must also be changes. In
other words, program maintenance will be excessive

16
Database Approach Characteristics
 A centralized Database Management System (DBMS) exists, which handles all data
management activities.
 The DBMS does not fragment data into separate files but regards data as being stored in a
large conceptual repository – database. The DBMS handles the addition, storage, update, and
retrieval of data.

17
Database Approach - Overview

18
Database Approach - Advantages
 Improved strategic use of corporate data
 Reduced Data Redundancy
 Improved Data Integrity
 Easier modification and updating
 Data and program independence
 Better access to data and information
 Standardization of data access
 Improved data safeguarding
 Efficient use of resources
19
Database Approach – Disadvantages

20
File Processing vs Database Approach
File Processing Approach (Old School) Database Approach (Current)

Storage Media: Sequential tapes or files Direct Acess Storage Device (DASD)

Data: Stored in long sequential files (no relationship Stored in tables with relationships with other files
with other files)

Organization: redundant data in multiple files Redundant data minimized/ eliminated

Updates: requires multiple updates in many files Requires few or one update for a data field

Processing: slower query/ faster processing Faster query/ slower processing

21
Data Management

End of Lecture 2 Part 1

22