Aditya College of Engineering & Technology

Aditya Nagar, ADB Road, Surampalem - 533437

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

UNIT I: Introduction

Syllabus:
Introduction: Database system, Characteristics (Database Vs File System), Database Users
(Actors on Scene, Workers behind the scene), Advantages of Database systems, Database
applications. Brief introduction of different Data Models; Concepts of Schema, Instance and
data independence; Three tier schema architecture for data independence; Database system
structure, environment, Centralized and Client Server architecture for the database.

Objectives:
After studying this unit, you will be able to:
 Define database management system
 Explain database system applications
 State the characteristics and the database approach
 Understand different data models
 Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of database Discuss the database architecture
 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION
Introduction
The information storage and retrieval has become very important in our day-to-day life. The
old era of manual system is no longer used in most of the places. For example, to book your
airline tickets or to deposit your money in the bank the database systems may be used. The
database system makes most of the operations automated. A very good example for this is the
billing system used for the items purchased in a super market. Obviously this is done with the
help of a database application package. Inventory systems used in a drug store or in a
manufacturing industry are some more examples of database. We can add similar kind of
examples to this list.
Apart from these traditional database systems, more sophisticated database systems are used
in the Internet where a large amount of information is stored and retrieved with efficient
search engines. For instance, http://www.google.com is a famous web site that enables users
to search for their favorite information on the net. In a database we can store starting from
text data to very complex data like audio, video, etc.
What is Data?
The raw facts are called as data. The word “raw” indicates that they have not been processed. Ex:
For example 89 is the data.
What is information?
The processed data is known as information. Ex: Marks: 89; then it becomes information.
What is Knowledge?
1. Knowledge refers to the practical use of information.
2. Knowledge necessarily involves a personal experience.

DATA/INFORMATION PROCESSING
The process of converting the data (raw facts) into meaningful information is called as
data/information processing.

Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 2

 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION
1.1 Database Management Systems (DBMS)
A database is a collection of related data stored in a standard format, designed to be shared by
multiple users. A database is defined as “A collection of interrelated data items that can be
processed by one or more application programs”.
A database can also be defined as “A collection of persistent data that is used by the application
systems of some given enterprise”. An enterprise can be a single individual (with a small
personal database), or a complete corporation or similar large body (with a large shared
database), or anything in between.

Example: A Bank, a Hospital, a University, a Manufacturing company

Data
Data is the raw material from which useful information is derived. The word data is the plural
of Datum. Data is commonly used in both singular and plural forms. It is defined as raw facts
or observations. It takes variety of forms, including numeric data, text and voice and images.
Data is a collection of facts, which is unorganized but can be made organized into useful
information. The term Data and Information come across in our daily life and are often
interchanged.
Example: Weights, prices, costs, number of items sold etc.
Information
Data that have been processed in such a way as to increase the knowledge of the person who
uses the data. The term data and information are closely related. Data are raw material
resources that are processed into finished information products. The information as data that
has been processed in such way that it can increase the knowledge of the person who uses it.
In practice, the database today may contain either data or information.
Data Processing
The process of converting the facts into meaningful information is known as data processing.
Data processing is also known as information processing.
Metadata
Data that describe the properties or characteristics of other data.

Data is only become useful when placed in some context. The primary mechanism for
providing context for data is Metadata. Metadata are data that describe the properties, or
characteristics of other data. Some of these properties include data definition, data structures
and rules or constraints. The Metadata describes the properties of data but do not include that
data.

What is RDBMS?
• RDBMS stands for Relational Database Management Systems.
All modern database management systems like SQL, MS SQL Server, IBM DB2, ORACLE, My-SQL
and Microsoft Access are based on RDBMS.
• RDBMS applications store data in a tabular form.
It is a computerized system whose overall purpose is to store information and to allow users to
Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 3
 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION
retrieve and update that information on demand.
• Users of the system can perform variety of operations involving such files, for example
 Adding new files to the database
 Inserting data into existing files
 Retrieving data from existing files
 Deleting data from existing files
 Changing data in existing files

1980s:
 Research relational prototypes evolve into commercial systems
 SQL becomes industry standard
 Parallel and distributed database systems
 Object-oriented database systems
1990s:
 Large decision support and data-mining applications
 Large multi-terabyte data warehouses
 Emergence of Web commerce
2000s:
 XML and XQuery standards
 Automated database administration
 Increasing use of highly parallel database systems
 Web-scale distributed data storage systems

1.2 Database System Applications

Databases are widely used. Here are some representative applications:
1. Banking: For customer information, accounts, and loans, and banking transactions.
2. Airlines: For reservations and schedule information. Airlines were among the first to use
databases in a geographically distributed manner - terminals situated around the world
accessed the central database system through phone lines and other data networks.
3. Universities: For student information, course registrations, and grades.
4. Credit card transactions: For purchases on credit cards and generation of monthly
statements.
5. Telecommunication: For keeping records of calls made, generating monthly bills,
Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 4
 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION
maintaining balances on prepaid calling cards, and storing information about the
communication networks.
6. Finance: For storing information about holdings, sales, and purchases of financial
instruments such as stocks and bonds.
7. Sales: For customer, product, and purchase information.
8. Manufacturing: For management of supply chain and for tracking production of items in
factories, inventories of items in warehouses / stores, and orders for items.
9. Human resources: For information about employees, salaries, payroll taxes and benefits,
and for generation of paychecks.

1.3 File Systems Versus A DBMS (Characteristics)

File System:
The file system is basically a way of arranging the files in a storage medium like a hard disk. The file
system organizes the files and helps in the retrieval of files when they are required. File systems
consist of different files which are grouped into directories. The directories further contain other
folders and files. The file system performs basic operations like management, file naming, giving
access rules, etc.
Example: NTFS(New Technology File System), EXT(Extended File System).

In earlier days, the databases were created directly on top of file systems. File system has many
disadvantages.
1. Not enough primary memory to process large data sets. If data is maintained in other
storage devices like disks, tapes and bringing relevant data to main memory, it increases the
cost of performance. Problem in accessing the large data due to addressing the data using
32 bit or 64 bit mode addressing mechanism.
2. Programs must be written to process the user request to process the data stored in files which
are complex in nature because of large volume of data to be searched.
3. Inconsistent data and complexity in providing concurrent accesses.
4. Not sufficiently flexible to enforce security policies in which different users have permission to
access different subsets of the data.

A DBMS is a piece of software that is designed to make the preceding tasks easier. By storing
data in a DBMS, rather than as a collection of operating system Files, we can use the DBMS's
features to manage the data in a robust and efficient manner.
Database Management System is basically software that manages the collection of related data. It is
used for storing data and retrieving the data effectively when it is needed. It also provides proper
Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 5
 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION
security measures for protecting the data from unauthorized access. In Database Management
System the data can be fetched by SQL queries and relational algebra. It also provides mechanisms
for data recovery and data backup.

1.4 Advantages of DBMS

One of the main advantages of using a database management system is that the organization can
exert via the DBA, centralized management and control over the data. The database administrator
is the focus of the centralized control.

The following are the major advantages of using a Database Management System (DBMS):
Data independence: Application programs should be as independent as possible from details
of data representation and storage. The DBMS can provide an abstract view of the data to
insulate application code from such details.

Efficient data access: A DBMS utilizes a variety of sophisticated techniques to store and
retrieve data efficiently. This feature is especially important if the data is stored on external
storage devices.

Data integrity and security: The DBMS can enforce integrity constraints on the data. The
DBMS can enforce access controls that govern what data is visible to different classes of users.

Data administration: When several users share the data, centralizing the administration of data
can offer significant improvements. It can be used for organizing the data representation to
minimize redundancy and for fine-tuning the storage of the data to make retrieval efficient.

Concurrent access and crash recovery: A DBMS schedules concurrent accesses to the data in
such a manner that users can think of the data as being accessed by only one user at a time.
Further, the DBMS protects users from the effects of system failures. .

Reduced application development time: Clearly, the DBMS supports many important
functions that are common to many applications accessing data stored in the DBMS.

1.5 Disadvantages of DBMS

The disadvantage of the DBMS system is overhead cost. The processing overhead introduced
by the DBMS to implement security, integrity, and sharing of the data causes a degradation of
the response and throughput times. An additional cost is that of migration from a traditionally
separate application environment to an integrated one.

Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 6

 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION
Even though centralization reduces duplication, the lack of duplication requires that the
database be adequately backup so that in the case of failure the data can be recovered.

Backup and recovery operations are complex in a DBMS environment, and this is an increment
in a concurrent multi-user database system. A database system requires a certain amount of
controlled redundancies and duplication to enable access to related data items.

1.6 Database users

People who work with a database can be categorized as database users or database
administrators.

1 Database Users and User Interfaces:

• There are four different types of database-system users, differentiated by the way they expect to
interact with the system. Different types of user interfaces have been designed for the different
types of users.
(i) Naıve users:
o Unsophisticated users who interact with the system by invoking one of the application
programs that have been written previously.
 For example, a clerk in the university who needs to add a new instructor to department A
invokes a program called new_hire.
o The typical user interface for naıve users is a forms interface, where the user can fill in
appropriate fields of the form. Naıve users may also simply read reports generated from the
database.
(ii) Application programmers
o Computer professionals who write application programs.
o Rapid application development (RAD) tools are tools that enable an application programmer to
construct forms and reports with minimal programming effort.
(iii) Sophisticated users
o Interact with the system without writing programs.
o They form their requests either using a database query language or by using tools such as
data analysis software.
Ex: Analysts who submit queries to explore data in the database.
(iv) Specialized users
o Sophisticated users who write specialized database applications that do not fit into the
traditional data-processing framework.
 computer-aided design systems
 knowledgebase and expert systems
 systems that store data with complex data types (for example, graphics data and audio data)
environment-modeling systems
2. Database Administrator
o A person who has such central control over the system is called a database administrator (DBA).

Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 7

 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION
o The functions of a DBA include:
 Schema definition. The DBA creates the original database schema by executing a set of data
definition statements in the DDL.
 Storage structure and access-method definition.
 Schema and physical-organization modification. The DBA carries out changes to the
schema and physical organization to reflect the changing needs of the organization, or to
alter the physical organization to improve performance.
 Granting of authorization for data access. By granting different types of authorization, the
database administrator can regulate which parts of the database various users can access.
The authorization information is kept in a special system structure that the database system
consults whenever someone attempts to access the data in the system.
 Routine maintenance. Examples of the database administrator’s routine maintenance
activities are:
o Periodically backing up the database, either onto tapes or onto remote servers, to prevent
loss of data in case of disasters such as flooding.
o Ensuring that enough free disk space is available for normal operations, and upgrading disk
space as required.
o Monitoring jobs running on the database and ensuring that performance is not degraded by
very expensive tasks submitted by some users.
Actors on Scene
1. Database Administrator
2. Database Designer
3. End Users
4. System Analysts and Application Programmers
(SEs)
Workers behind the scene
1. DBMS System designers and Implementers
2. Tool Developers
3. Operators and maintenance personal

1.7 Database Design Process

The database design process can be divided into six steps.
1. Requirements Analysis: Discover what information needs
to be stored, how the stored information will be used, etc.
2. Conceptual Database Design: High level description of
data to be stored (ER model)
3. Logical Database Design: Translation of ER diagram to a
relational database schema (description of tables)
4. Schema refinement: To analyze the collection of relations
in relational database schema to identify potential
problems and refine it.
5. Physical Database Design: Done by the DB system

Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 8

 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION
6. Application and Security Design: by the S/W Developers
The ER model is most relevant to the first three steps.

1.8 Data Models

A data model is a collection of high-level data description constructs that hide many low-
level storage details. A DBMS allows a user to define the data to be stored in terms of a data model.
Most database management systems today are based on the relational data model.

A schema is a description of a particular collection of data, using the given data model. The
relational model of data is the most widely used model today.
Main concept: relation, basically a table with rows and columns. Every relation has a schema,
which describes the columns, or fields.
Data Model is a collection of high-level data description constructs that hide many low-level
storage details. A DBMS allows a user to define the data to be stored in terms of a data model.
Most database management systems today are based on the Relational data model. Relational
models include – IBM’s DB2, Informix, Oracle, Sybase, Microsoft’s Access, Foxbase, Paradox,
Tandem and Teradata.
• Conceptual (high-level, semantic) data models: Provide concepts that are close to the way
many users perceive data (Also called entity-based or object-based data models).
• Physical (low-level, internal) data models: Provide concepts that describe details of how data
is stored in the computer.
• Implementation (representational) data models: Provide concepts that fall between the
above two.

Types of data models are:

• Hierarchical model
• Network model
• Relational model
• Entity Relationship model
• Object oriented model
1. Hierarchical models:
This is one of the oldest models in a data model which was developed by IBM, in the 1950s. In
hierarchical model, data is organized into a tree like structure with each record is having one
parent record and many children. The main drawback of this model is that, it can have one to
many relationships between nodes.

Advantages:
 Hierarchical model is simple to construct and operate on.
Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 9
 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION
 Corresponds to a number of natural hierarchical organized domains – e.g., assemblies in
manufacturing, personal organization in companies.
 Language is simple; uses constructs like GET, GET UNIQUE, GET NEXT, GET NEXT WITHIN
PARENT etc.,
Disadvantages:
 Navigational and procedural nature of processing.
 Database is visualized as a linear arrangement of records.
 Little scope for “query optimization”.
 One-to-many relationships.

2. Network model:
This model is the extension of hierarchical data model. In this model data elements are linked by
graph structure. In this model also there exist a parent child relationship but a child data element
can have more than one parent element or no parent at all.

Advantages:
 Network model is able to model complex relationships and represents semantics of
add/delete on the relationships.
 Can handle most situations for modeling using record types and relationship types.
 Language is navigational; uses constructs like FIND, FIND member, FIND owner, FIND
NEXT within set, GET etc. Programmers can do optimal navigation through the database.
Disadvantages:
 Navigational and procedural nature of processing.
 Database contains a complex array of pointers that are expensive and difficult to update
when inserting and deleting.
 Little scope for automated “query optimization”.

3. Relational model:
The relational model was invented by E. F. Codd at IBM in 1970.The relational model represents
data and relationships among data by a collection of tables, each of which has a number of rows
and column. Relational data model is used widely around the world for data storage and
processing.
 A relation, basically a table with rows and columns.
 Every relation has a schema, which describes the columns, or fields.
 Student information in a university database may be stored in a relation with the following
schema
 Students (sid: string, name: string, login: string, age: integer, gpa: real)

Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 10

 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION
4. Entity Relationship Model
In ER model data stored in the form of entities and relationship among these entities. Each
entity is associated with a set of attributes. Each relationship set is associated with several
entities. Group of entities is called entity set and group of relationships is called relationship
set.

5. Object Oriented Model

In this model data is stored as collection of objects whose behavior, state, and relationships are
defined in accordance with object oriented concepts (such as objects, class, class hierarchy etc.).

6. Semi-structured Data Model.

The semi-structured data model permits the specification of data where individual data items
of the same type may have different sets of attributes.
This is in contrast to the data models mentioned earlier, where every data item of a particular
type must have the same set of attributes. The Extensible Markup Language (XML) is widely
used to represent semi-structured data.

1.9 Instances and schemas

 Instance: Databases change over time as information is inserted and deleted. The collection
of information stored in the database at a particular moment is called an instance of the
database.
 Schema: The overall design of the database is called the database schema. Schemas are
changed infrequently, if at all.

Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 11

 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION
 The concept of database schemas and instances can be understood by analogy to a program
written in a programming language. A database schema corresponds to the variable
declarations (along with associated type definitions) in a program.
 Each variable has a particular value at a given instant. The values of the variables in a
program at a point in time correspond to an instance of a database schema. Database systems
have several schemas, partitioned according to the levels of abstraction.

1.10 Levels of Abstraction in a DBMS (Three tier schema architecture)

The data in a DBMS is described at three levels of abstraction.
The database description consists of a schema at each of these three levels of abstraction.
External, Conceptual and Physical
Views describe how users see the data.
Conceptual schema defines logical structure.
Physical schema describes the files and indexes used.

Conceptual level/Logical level/Conceptual schema:

 The conceptual schema (also called as logical schema) describes the stored data in terms of the
data model of the DBMS.
 In a relational DBMS, the conceptual schema describes all relations that are stored in the
database.
 In our sample university database, these relations contain information about entities, such as
students and faculty, and about relationships, such as students’ enrollment in courses.
Students(sid: string, name: string, login: string, age: integer,
gpa: real)
Faculty(fid: string, fname: string, salary : real)
Courses(cid: string, cname: string, credits: integer)
Rooms(nw: integer, address: string, capacity: integer)
Enrolled (sid: string, cid: string, grade: string)
Teaches (fid: string, cid: string)

Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 12

 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION

The choice of relations, and the choice of fields for each relation, is not always obvious, and
the process of arriving at a good conceptual schema is called conceptual database design.

The internal level /Physical level/internal schema/Physical Schema:

 The physical schema specifies storage details.
 It summarizes how the relations described in the conceptual schema are actually stored on
secondary storage devices such as disks and tapes.
 Decides what file organizations to use to store the relations and create auxiliary data
structures, called indexes, to speed up data retrieval operations.
 A sample physical schema for the university database is to store all relations as unsorted
files of records.
o Create indexes on the first column of the students, faculty and courses relations, the
salary column of faculty, and the capacity of column of rooms.

View level/External Schema:

 This schema allows data access to be customized at the level of individual users or groups
of users.
 A database has exactly one conceptual schema and one physical schema, but it may have
several external schemas.
 An external schema is a collection of one or more views and relations from the conceptual
schema.
 A view is conceptually a relation, but the records in a view are not stored in the DBMS.

1.11 Data Independence

The three-schema architecture can be used to explain the concept of data independence, which can be
defined as the capacity to change the schema at one level of a database system without having to
change the schema at the next higher level. We can define two types of data independence:
Logical data independence: users can be shielded from changes in the logical structure of the data, or
changes in the choice of relations to be stored. This is the independence to change the conceptual
schema without having to change the external schemas and their application programs.
Physical data independence: the conceptual schema insulated users from changes in physical storage
details. This is the independence to change the internal schema without having to change the
conceptual schema.

Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 13

 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION
Relations in the external schema (view relations) are in principle generated on demand from the
relations corresponding to the conceptual schema. If the underlying data is reorganized, that is, the
conceptual schema is changed, the definition of a view relation can be modified so that the same
relation is computed as before. For example, suppose that the Faculty relation in our university
database is replaced by the following two relations:
Faculty_public (fid: string, fname: string, office: integer)
Faculty_private(jid: string, sal: real)
Intuitively, some confidential information about faculty has been placed in a separate relation and
information about offices has been added. The Courseinfo view relation can be redefined in terms of
Faculty_public and Faculty_private, which together contain all the information in Faculty, so that a user
who queries Courseinfo will get the same answers as before.
1.12 Architecture of a DBMS
The architecture of a database system is greatly influenced by the underlying computer system on
which the database system runs.
 Database systems can be centralized, or
 Client-server, where one server machine executes work on behalf of multiple client machines.
 Database systems can also be designed to exploit parallel computer architectures.
 Distributed databases span multiple geographically separated machines.
Most users of a database system today are not present at the site of the database system, but
connect to it through a network. We can therefore differentiate between client machines, on
which remote database users work, and server machines, on which the database system runs.

A database system is partitioned into modules that deal with each of the responsibilities of the
overall system.
The functional components of a database system can be broadly divided into the storage manager
and the query processor components.

Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 14

 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION
 The Storage Manager
 The Query Processor
Storage Manager Components:
• Authorization and integrity manager, which tests for the satisfaction of integrity constraints
and checks the authority of users to access data.
• Transaction manager which ensures that the database itself remains in a consistent state
despite system failures, and that concurrent transaction executions proceed without conflicting.
• File manager: which manages the allocation of space on disk storage and the data structures
used to represent information stored on disk.
• Buffer manager which is responsible for fetching data from disk storage into main memory.
Storage manager implements several data structures as part of the physical system
implementation. Data files are used to store the database itself. Data dictionary is used to stores
metadata about the structure of the database, in particular the schema of the database.
The query processor includes:
1. DDL interpreter: It interprets DDL statements and records the definitions in the data
dictionary.
2. DML compiler: It translates DML statements in a query language into an evaluation plan
consisting of low-level instructions that the query evaluation engine understands.
3. Query evaluation engine: It executes low-level instructions generated by the DML compiler.

Also some data structures are required as part of the physical system implementation:
1. Data Files: The data files store the database by itself.
2. Data Dictionary: It stores metadata about the structure of the database, as it is used heavily.
3. Indices: It provides fast access to data items that hold particular values.
4. Statistical Data: It stores statistical information about the data in the database. This
information used by the query processor to select efficient ways to execute a query.

1.13 Database Environment

A database management system (DBMS) is a collection of programs that enables users to create
and maintain a database. The DBMS is hence a general-purpose software system that facilitates the
processes of defining, constructing, manipulating, and sharing databases among various users and
applications.

Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 15

 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION
Defining a database involves specifying the data types, structures, and constraints for the data to
be stored in the database.

Constructing the database is the process of storing the data itself on some storage medium that is
controlled by the DBMS.

Manipulating a database includes such functions as querying the database to retrieve specific
data, updating the database to reflect changes in the mini world, and generating reports from the
data.
Sharing a database allows multiple users and programs to access the database concurrently.
Other important functions provided by the DBMS include protecting the database and
maintaining
it over a long period of time.

Protection includes both system protection against hardware or software malfunction (or crashes),
and security protection against unauthorized or malicious access. A typical large database may
have a life cycle of many years, so the DBMS must be able to maintain the database system by
allowing the system to evolve as requirements change over time. We can call the database and
DBMS software together a database system.

1.14 Client/Server Architecture

Database architecture uses programming languages to design a particular type of software for
businesses or organizations. Database architecture focuses on the design, development,
implementation and maintenance of computer programs that store and organize information for
businesses, agencies and institutions.

The architecture of a DBMS can be seen as either single tier or multi-tier. The tiers are classified as
follows:
1- tier architecture
2- tier architecture
3- tier architecture (n-tier architecture)

Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 16

 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION
1- tier architecture:
One-tier architecture involves putting all of the required components for a software application
or technology on a single server or platform.

2- tier architecture:
The two-tier is based on Client Server architecture. The two-tier architecture is like client server
application. The direct communication takes place between client and server. There is no
intermediate between client and server. At the early stages, client server computing it was called
two-tier computing model in which client is considered as data capture and validation tier and
server was considered as data storage tire.

3- tier architecture:
A 3-tier architecture separates its tiers from each other based on the complexity of the users and
how they use the data present in the database. It is the most widely used architecture to design a
DBMS.

The advantages of client server database system are as follows:

• Client server system has cost effective platforms to support the applications.
• Client offers graphical menu driven interface, which is superior to the traditional command
line.

Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 17

 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION
• Client server environment facilitates in more productive work by the users and efficient use
of existing data.
• Client server database system is more flexible.
• A single database on server can be shared across several distinct client systems.
Disadvantages of client server database system there are some disadvantages in client server
database system. They are
• At initial phases, the programming cost is high.
There is a lack of management tools for performance monitoring and timing.

1.15 Centralized DBMS Architecture

Architectures for DBMSs have followed trends similar to those for general computer system
architectures. Earlier architectures used mainframe computers to provide the main processing for
all functions of the system, including user application programs and user interface programs,
as well as all the DBMS functionality.
As prices of hardware declined, most users replaced their terminals with personal computers
(PCs) and workstations. At first, database systems used these computers in the same way as
they had used display terminals, so that the DBMS itself was still a centralized DBMS in which
all the DBMS functionality, application program execution, and user interface processing were
carried out on one machine.
Gradually, DBMS systems started to exploit the available processing power at the user side,
which led to client/server DBMS architectures.

1.16 DBMS Client/Server Architecture:

The client/server architecture was developed to deal with computing environments in which a
large number of PCs, workstations, file servers, printers, database servers, Web servers, and other
equipment are connected via a network. The idea is to define specialized servers with specific
functionalities.

The resources provided by specialized servers can be accessed by many client machines. The
client machines provide the user with the appropriate interfaces to utilize these servers, as well

Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 18

 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION
as with local processing power to run local applications. This concept can be carried over to
software, with specialized software-such as a DBMS or a CAD (computer-aided design)
package being stored on specific server machines and being made accessible to multiple
clients.

The concept of client/server architecture assumes an underlying framework that consists of

many PCs and workstations as well as a smaller number of mainframe machines, connected
via local area networks and other types of computer networks. A client in this framework is
typically a user machine that provides user interface capabilities and local processing. When
a client requires access to additional functionality-such as database access-that does not exist at
that machine, it connects to a server that provides the needed functionality.

A server is a machine that can provide services to the client machines, such as file access,
printing, archiving, or database access. In the general case, some machines install only client
software, others only server software, and still others may include both client and server
software. However, it is more common that client and server software usually run on separate
machines.

In client/server architecture, the user interface programs and application programs can run
on the client side. When DBMS access is required, the program establishes a connection to the
DBMS (which is on the server side); once the connection is created, the client program can
communicate with the DBMS. A standard called Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) provides an
application programming interface (API), which allows client-side programs to call the DBMS,
as long as both client and server machines have the necessary software installed. Most DBMS
vendors provide ODBC drivers for their systems.

Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 19

 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNIT – I : INTRODUCTION
Review Questions
1. Distinguish between database systems and file systems.
2. Discuss about the client server architecture of the database.
3. Define DBMS. Explain database users in detail.
4. What are advantages of DBMS? Explain.
5. With a neat diagram, explain the structure of Database Management System.
6. What is data independence and how does a DBMS support it? Explain.
7. What is a Database model? List out various database models and explain any two of them.
8. Explain the difference between external, logical and physical level schemas. How are these
different schema layers related to the concepts of logical and physical data independence?
9. Compare and contrast various Data Models.
10. Demonstrate data abstraction implementation in DBMS.
11. List and explain various data models used for database design.
12. Explain about Buffer management in DBMS.
13. Who are the different database users? Explain their interfaces to database management
system.
14. Describe the client server architecture for the database with necessary diagram.
15. Define Schema. Explain three level architecture in DBMS.
16. Explain Data Independence and its types in detail.
17. How does DBMS provide data abstraction? Explain the concept of data independence.
18. With a neat diagram describe the overall system structure of DBMS.

References:
 Raghurama Krishnan, Johannes Gehrke, Database Management Systems, 3rd Edition, Tata
McGraw Hill.
 Database System Concepts,5/e, Silberschatz, Korth, TMH
 C.J. Date, Introduction to Database Systems, Pearson Education.
 Elmasri Navrate, Fundamentals of Database Systems, Pearson Education.

Dr.B.Srinivas, Assoc.Prof., CSE(AIML&DS), ACET, Surampalem 20