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1.1 Purpose of Database System

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34 views5 pages

1.1 Purpose of Database System

Uploaded by

Medha Harini
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1

UNIT I DATABASE DESIGN


1.1 PURPOSE OF DATABASE SYSTEMS
● The typical file processing system is supported by a conventional operating system.
● The system stores permanent records in various files, and it needs different application programs to
extract records from, and add records to, the appropriate files.
● A file processing system has a number of major disadvantages.
❖ Data redundancy and inconsistency
❖ Difficulty in accessing data
❖ Data isolation – multiple files and formats
❖ Integrity problems
❖ Atomicity of updates
❖ Concurrent access by multiple users
❖ Security problems
Data redundancy and inconsistency:
In file processing, every user group maintains its own files for handling its data processing
applications.
Example:
Consider the UNIVERSITY database. Here, two groups of users might be the course registration personnel
and the accounting office. The accounting office also keeps data on registration and related billing
information, whereas the registration office keeps track of student courses and grades. Storing the same data
multiple times is called data redundancy.
This redundancy leads to several problems.
❖ Need to perform a single logical update multiple times.
❖ Storage space is wasted.
❖ Files that represent the same data may become inconsistent.
Data inconsistency is when various copies of the same data may no longer Agree.
Example: One user group may enter a student's birth date erroneously as JAN-19-1984, whereas the
other user groups may enter the correct value of JAN-29-1984.

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Difficulty in accessing data:
❖ File processing environments do not allow needed data to be retrieved in a convenient and efficient
manner.
Data isolation
❖ Because data is scattered in various files, and files may be in different formats, writing new
application programs to retrieve the appropriate data is difficult.
Integrity problems
❖ The data values stored in the database must satisfy certain types of consistency constraints.
Example:
● The balance of certain types of bank accounts may never fall below a prescribed amount.
● Developers enforce these constraints in the system by addition appropriate code in the various
application programs
Atomicity problems
❖ Atomic means the transaction must happen in its entirety or not at all.
❖ It is difficult to ensure atomicity in a conventional file processing system.
Example:
Let us suppose that you have a savings account with the balance 5000 and a loan account with
an outstanding of 3000. This is the old consistent state. Now you would like to transfer 500 to your
loan account. If this transaction is successful, then your savings balance should be 4500 and loan
outstanding should be 2500. This is the new consistent state. Suppose a failure occurs during this
transaction, the database must be in any one of the 2 consistent states mentioned above.
It is hard to maintain atomicity in file processing systems due to data redundancy, data isolation etc.
Example:
● When several reservation clerks try to assign a seat on an airline flight, the system should
ensure that each seat can be accessed by only one clerk at a time for assignment to a passenger.
Security problems
❖ Enforcing security constraints to the file processing system is difficult.

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Concurrent access anomalies
❖ Simultaneous access of a data item should be handled carefully.
For example, if only one ticket is there and two customers are trying to book the ticket
simultaneously, the ticket should be allotted to any one customer.
❖ It is difficult to handle in a file processing system due to the fact of data isolation, redundancy etc.
APPLICATIONS OF DATABASE:
❖ Banking: all transactions
❖ Airlines: reservations, schedules
❖ Universities: registration, grades
❖ Sales: customers, products, purchases
❖ Manufacturing: production, inventory, orders, supply chain
❖ Human resources: employee records, salaries, tax deductions
❖ Telecommunication: Call History, Billing
❖ Credit card transactions: Purchase details, Statements
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FILE SYSTEM & DBMS

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TWO MARKS FOR THE TOPIC : PURPOSE OF DATABASE SYSTEMS
1. Define database management system?
Database management system (DBMS) is a collection of interrelated data and a set of programs to access
those data.
2. List some applications of DBMS.
a) Banking
b) Airlines
c) Universities
d) Credit card transactions
e) Telecommunication
f) Finance
g) Sales
h) Manufacturing
i) Human resources
3. What are the disadvantages of a file processing system?
The disadvantages of file processing systems are
a) Data redundancy and inconsistency
b) Difficulty in accessing data
c) Data isolation
d) Integrity problems
e) Atomicity problems
f) Concurrent access anomalies
4. What are the advantages of using a DBMS?
The advantages of using a DBMS are
a) Controlling redundancy
b) Restricting unauthorized access
c) Providing multiple user interfaces
d) Enforcing integrity constraints.
e) Providing backup and recovery

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