The document provides an introduction to database management systems (DBMS). It defines a database as a collection of interrelated data organized for efficient retrieval, insertion and deletion. A DBMS is software that allows users to define, create, maintain and control access to the database. It also discusses the benefits of using a DBMS compared to file systems such as reduced redundancy, improved consistency and security. The key components of a DBMS architecture are also summarized such as the query processor, data dictionary, storage manager and query evaluation engine.