Database Systems:

Design, Implementation, and

Management

Chapter 1
Database Systems
 Objectives

• The differences between data and information

• What a database is
• What the various types of databases are
• Why they are valuable assets for decision
making
• The importance of database design

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 Objectives (continued)

• How modern databases evolved from file

systems
• About flaws in file system data management
• What the database system’s main components
are
• How a database system differs from a file
system
• The main functions of a database management
system (DBMS)
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Why
Databases?
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 Data vs. Information
• Data Raw facts, or facts that have not yet been
processed to reveal their meaning to the end user
• Information The result of processing raw data
to reveal its meaning.
• Information consists of transformed data and
facilitates decision making.
• Raw data must be formatted for storage,
processing, and presentation.
• Data are the foundation of information, which is
the bedrock of knowledge.
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8.2 Introducing the Database
and the DBMS
• Database: shared, integrated computer
structure that stores a collection of data
– End-user data: raw facts of interest to the end
user
– Metadata: data about data
• Metadata provides description of data
characteristics and relationships in data
– Complements and expands value of data
• Database management system (DBMS):
collection of programs
– Manage structure and control 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 file collection
• Access database through the DBMS
• DBMS enables data to be shared
• DBMS integrates many users’ views of the data

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 Role and Advantages of the DBMS
(continued)
• Advantages of a DBMS:
– Improved data sharing
– Improved data security
– Better data integration
– Minimized data inconsistency
– Improved data access
– Improved decision making
– Increased end-user productivity

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 Types of Databases
• 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
• Multiuser database supports multiple users at
the same time
– Workgroup database supports a small number
– Enterprise database supports a large number
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 Types of Databases (continued)

• 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
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 Types of Databases (continued)
• Unstructured data exist in their original state
• Structured data result from formatting
– Structure applied based on type of processing to
be performed
• Semistructured data have been processed to
some extent
• Extensible Markup Language (XML)
represents data elements in textual format
• XML database supports semistructured XML
data
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8.3 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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1.4 Historical Roots: Files and File Systems

• Reasons for studying file systems:

– Complexity of database design easier to
understand
– Understanding file system problems helps to
avoid problems with DBMS systems
– Knowledge of file system 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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 Historical Roots: Files and File
Systems (continued)
• Contents of each file folder logically related
• Manual system served as a data repository for
small data collections
– Cumbersome for large collections
• Data processing (DP) specialist converted
computer file structure from manual system
– Wrote software that managed the data
– Designed the application programs
• Initially, computer files systems resembled
manual systems
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 Historical Roots: Files and File
Systems (continued)
• As number of files increased, file systems
evolved
– Each file used its own application program to
store, retrieve, modify data
– Each file owned by individual or department that
commissioned its creation
• Data processing (DP) manager supervised
the DP department
• DP department’s primary activity remained
programming
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 1.5 Problems with File System Data
Management
• File system 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
Management (continued)
• Security features difficult to program
– Often omitted in file system environments
• Summary of file system limitations:
– Requires extensive programming
– Can not perform ad hoc queries
– System administration complex and difficult
– Difficult to make changes to existing structures
– Security features likely to be inadequate

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 Structural and Data Dependence
• Structural dependence: access to a file
dependent on its own structure
– All file system programs must be modified to
conform to a new file 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
(continued)
• Practical significance of data dependence is
difference between logical and physical format
• Logical data format: how human views the
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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 Field Definitions and
Naming Conventions
• Storing customer name as single field is a
liability
– Better record definition breaks fields into
component parts
• Selecting proper field names important; field
names are descriptive
– With proper naming conventions, file structure
becomes self-documenting
– Some software places restrictions on length of
field names
• Each record should have unique identifier
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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 unlikely to be
updated consistently
• Data redundancy: same data stored
unnecessarily in different places
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 Data Redundancy (continued)

• Data inconsistency: different and conflicting

versions of same data occur at different places
• Data anomalies: abnormalities when all
changes in redundant data not made correctly
– Update anomalies
– Insertion anomalies
– Deletion anomalies

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 1.6 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, access paths
– Takes care of defining, storing, managing 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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 The Database System Environment
(continued)
• 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
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 The Database System Environment
(continued)
• Procedures: instructions and rules that govern
the design and use of the database system
• Data: the collection of facts stored in the
database
• Database systems 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 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, removes
structural and data dependency
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Figure 1.8
 DBMS Functions (continued)

• 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 (continued)

• 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 (continued)

• 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 (continued)

• 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 especially important in transaction-
oriented database systems

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 DBMS Functions (continued)

• Database access languages and application

programming interfaces
– DBMS provides access through a query
language
– Query language is a 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 (continued)

• 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

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 Managing the Database System:
A Shift in Focus (continued)
• Disadvantages of database systems:
– Increased costs
– Management complexity
– Maintaining currency
– Vendor dependence
– Frequent upgrade/replacement cycles

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 Summary

• Data are raw facts

• Information is the result of processing data to
reveal its meaning
• Accurate, relevant, timely information is the key
to good decision making
• Data usually stored in a database
• DBMS implements a database and manages its
contents

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 Summary (continued)
• Metadata is data about data
• Database design defines the database
structure
– Well-designed database facilitates data
management, generates valuable information
– Poorly-designed database leads to bad decision
making, organizational failure
• Databases evolved from manual and
computerized file systems
– In a file system, data stored in independent files
• Each requires its own management program

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 Summary (continued)

• Some limitations of file system data

management:
– Requires extensive programming
– System administration complex and difficult
– Changing existing structures difficult
– Security features likely inadequate
– Independent files tend to contain redundant data
• Structural and data dependency problems

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 Summary (continued)

• Database management systems developed to

address file system’s inherent weaknesses
• DBMS present database to end user as single
repository
– Promotes data sharing
– Eliminates islands of information
• DBMS enforces data integrity, eliminates
redundancy, promotes security

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