Database Management Systems

Introduction
What is the database?
Database is an organized collection of
logically related data
Data: known facts that could be
recorded and stored on computer
media, which are meaningful in the
user’s environment

E.g.: Name, address, C.V.
What is the database? (2)
Organized collection: the data are structured
in a way to allow easy storing, manipulation
and retrieval by the user
Logically related data: The data describe a
domain of interest to a group of users and
that the users can use the data to answer
questions concerning that domain

Purchase order database:
 Customer (name, address, phone, email, salary)
Metadata
Steve Smith 12345678
Harry Baker 25898554
Susan White 985332154

Transformation data into information

Data description

Data structure

Meaning of data

Rules and constraints
Stored in data repository
 Metadata (2)

Data name Data type Length Description

Name Text 30 char Name( first name last name)
SecNumber Number 9 digit Social Security Number
What is the DBMS?
The database management system is a
software package designed to store and
manage databases
Separation of data management
(storage structure, manipulation,
administration, maintenance) from the
application logic
Design goals
Store large amount of data
Efficient manipulation
Querying data
Multiple user access
Transaction management
Security system
Acceptable response time
Advantages of the DBMS
Retrieve information from the data
Program and data independence
Minimal data redundancy
Data consistency
Data sharing
Data quality
Increased productivity of application development
Standards
Security
Improved data access
Reduced program maintenance
Retrieve information from the data

The centralized data storage helps the

users to retrieve useful information
from the data
This information can be detailed or
complex analysis of the data
The query languages provide the
possibility to ask questions and find
answers
Program data independence
The data and metadata are separated
form the application
The data descriptions are stored in the
database  Data repository
The description of the data can change
(within limits) without changing the
applications
Minimal data redundancy
Problems

Unnecessary (redundant) data storage

Inconsistent data

One data modification can touch multiple record
DBMS integrates the separated data files into
single logical structure
In some case, due to the performance issue,
the databases can contain limited redundancy
Data consistency
Result of the redundancy reduction
The data are stored once  One
modification
Constraints can be defined in the
database
Data consistency (2)
Domain integrity

Data values fall into a certain domain (series of
capital letters, number between 15-65, e-mail
format specification)
Referential integrity

The value of a field has a special relation to an
other data field (town-zip code, parent-child
relation)
Structural integrity

Whether the assumptions made at the DB design
are valid (is name unique? can a man have more
than one wife?)
Data sharing
Multiple session can use the data
Each user can have own view of stored
data
The parallel sessions are handled by
the DBMS

Transactional behaviour in multiuser
environments
Same data access API for all clients
Increased productivity of application
development

Several database related low level functions

are implemented in the DBMS, the developers
do not need to take care of them:

File design

Transaction management

Indexes

Constraints
Due to the common API there are several
client tools, which increase the development
productivity:

Reporting tools

Query designer

Form designer
Standards
Several standards are available

Data models

Design

Data access

Query language
The choice of the standards depends on our
decision and it is the administrator
responsibility to verify that they are kept
Security
Centralized collection of sensitive data
May be physically guarded
Protection against data loss
Centralized backup and recovery

Modifications after the last backup are
logged

Logs support restoring the last consistent
state after failed or invalid operation
Security (2)
Protection against unauthorized or malicious
data access
Users are authenticated by the DBMS
Different level of access right

Select

Update

Delete

Insert
The administrator is responsible for the
access control
Improved data access
The users can formulate new queries
without programming experience
SQL query is a declarative query

Define the question (What do I want to
know)

Does not take care the execution (How can
I find the answer?)
SQL query is optimized by the DBMS
Reduced program maintenance
This is the consequence of the program
data independence
It is easier to change if a property of
the data is changed

Often the change can be done in the
database level
Disadvantage of the DBMS
New, specialized personnel

Database administrator

Database developer
Installation and management cost
Conversion cost
Need for explicit backup and recovery
Database users and roles
Common user

Limited knowledge about the DB

Access through specific applications

Limited access rights
Database application developer

Deep knowledge about the data structures and
programming facilities

Should not now the content of the database

Should not be allowed to modify data structures
Administrator

Unlimited rights and responsibility over the DB

Should make all structural changes

Should control authorization and access rights
Abstraction levels
Physical DB

Data and auxiliary files stored in a predefined
structure

Not visible for the users
Logical (conceptual) DB

Data model created by the designer

Abstraction level for the developers and
administrators
View

A specific (tranformed) extract of the logical DB

The data a user can see with his access rights
 Architecture of a DBMS
Application User Administrator

Query parser DDL parser

and optimiser
Database
Compiled query description

DBMS Core

Storage manager

Physical DB
 Applications and users administrator

Transaction Query parser

DDL parser
manager and optimiser

Concurrency Execution engine

control
Index and file
Lock table manager
Logging and
recovery Buffer manager Memory buffers

Storage manager

Physical DB