Introduction to Database

Systems
Database Systems Lecture 1
Khalid Abbasi
 In this Lecture
• Course Information
• Databases and Database Systems
• Some History
• The Relational Model
 Course Information
•Contact details •Assessment
• Khalid Abbasi • 25% Coursework
• Some lab-marked
exercises
•Lectures • A written exercise
with a database
• Monday at 9:00 am design
• Tuesday at 9:00 am • 75% Examination
• Labs Tuesday 9:00
am - 10:30am
starting 13 February
 Textbook
• Recommended •Other textbooks:
textbooks: • There are lots of
• ‘Database Systems: A database texts
practical approach to • Most of them would
design, implementation be fine also
and management’ by
Connolly and Begg •For example:
• ‘Database Systems’ by
CJ Date
 Course Overview
• Several main topics • Practical sessions
• Database systems • Will start on 2 Oct
• Data models 2018
• Database design
• SQL
• Transactions
• Concurrency
• Administration
 Why Study Databases?
• Databases are useful • Databases in CS
• Many computing • Databases are a ‘core
applications deal with topic’ in computer
large amounts of science
information • Basic concepts and
• Database systems skills with database
give a set of tools for systems are part of
storing, searching and the skill set you will
managing this be assumed to have
information as a CS graduate
 What is a Database?
• “A set of information held in a
computer”
Oxford English Dictionary
• “One or more large structured sets of
persistent data, usually associated with
software to update and query the data”
Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing
• “A collection of data arranged for ease
and speed of search and retrieval”
Dictionary.com
 Databases
• Web indexes • Train timetables
• Library catalogues • Airline bookings
• Medical records • Credit card details
• Bank accounts • Student records
• Stock control • Customer histories
• Personnel systems • Stock market prices
• Product catalogues • Discussion boards
• Telephone directories • and so on…
 Database Systems
• A database system • Database systems
consists of allow users to
• Data (the database) • Store
• Software • Update
• Hardware • Retrieve
• Users • Organise
• We focus mainly on • Protect
the software their data.
 Database Users
• End users • Database
• Use the database Administrator (DBA)
system to achieve • Designs & manages
some goal the database system
• Application • Database systems
developers programmer
• Write software to • Writes the database
allow end users to software itself
interface with the
database system
 Database Management
Systems
• A database is a • Examples:
collection of • Oracle
information • DB2 (IBM)
• A database • MS SQL Server
management system • MS Access
(DBMS) is the • Ingres
software that • PostgreSQL
controls the • MySQL
information
 What the DBMS does
• Provides users with • DBMS provides
• Data definition • Persistence (not likely to be
language (DDL) e.g modified)
Create, Alter, Rename • Concurrency (multiple
etc. processes to access/change
• Data manipulation shared data)
language (DML) e.g • Integrity (accuracy)
Insert, Update, • Security
Delete, Select.
• Data independence (change
• Data control language physical storage without
(DCL) e.g Grant, affecting conceptual or
revoke. external view)
• Often these are all • Data Dictionary
the same language • Describes the database itself
 Data Dictionary - Metadata
• The dictionary or • The dictionary holds
catalog stores • Descriptions of
information about database objects
the database itself (tables, users, rules,
views, indexes,…)
• This is data about • Information about
data or ‘metadata’ who is using which
• Almost every aspect data (locks)
of the DBMS uses • Schemas (defines the
tables, the fields in
the dictionary
each table, and the
relationships between
fields and tables)
 File Based Systems
• File based systems • Problems:
• Data is stored in files • No standards
• Each file has a specific • Data duplication
format • Data dependence
• Programs that use • No way to generate
these files depend on ad hoc queries
knowledge about that • No provision for
format security, recovery,
concurrency, etc.
 Relational Systems
• Problems with early • Then, in 1970,
databases E. F. Codd wrote “A
• Navigating the Relational Model of
records requires Data for Large
complex programs Shared Databanks”
• There is minimal data and introduced the
independence
relational model
• No theoretical
foundations
 Relational Systems
• Information is stored • The relational model
as tuples or records covers 3 areas:
in relations or tables • Data structure
• There is a sound • Data integrity
mathematical theory • Data manipulation
of relations • More details in the
• Most modern DBMS next lecture…
are based on the
relational model
 ANSI/SPARC Architecture
• ANSI - American • A three-level
National Standards architecture
Institute • Internal level: For
• SPARC - Standards systems designers
Planning and • Conceptual level: For
database designers
Requirements and administrators
Committee • External level: For
• 1975 - proposed a database users
framework for DBs
 Internal Level
• Deals with physical • Internal Schema
storage of data RECORD EMP
LENGTH=44
• Structure of records
HEADER: BYTE(5)
on disk - files, pages,
OFFSET=0
blocks
NAME: BYTE(25)
• Indexes and ordering OFFSET=5
of records SALARY: FULLWORD
• Used by database OFFSET=30
system programmers DEPT: BYTE(10)
OFFSET=34
 Conceptual Level
• Deals with the • Conceptual Schema
organisation of the CREATE TABLE
data as a whole Employee (
• Abstractions are used Name
to remove VARCHAR(25),
unnecessary details of Salary REAL,
the internal level
Dept_Name
• Used by DBAs and
VARCHAR(10))
application
programmers
 External Level
• Provides a view of • External Schemas
the database tailored Payroll:
to a user String Name
• Parts of the data may double Salary
be hidden
• Data is presented in a Personnel:
useful form char *Name
• Used by end users char *Department
and application
programmers
 Mappings
• Mappings translate • Physical data
information from one independence
level to the next • Changes to internal
• External/Conceptual level shouldn’t affect
• Conceptual/Internal conceptual level

• These mappings • Logical data

provide data independence
independence • Conceptual level
changes shouldn’t
affect external levels
 ANSI/SPARC Architecture
User 1 User 2 User 3

External External
External Schemas
View 1 View 2

External/Conceptual Mappings
Conceptual DBA
Conceptual Schema View

Conceptual/Internal Mapping

Internal Schema Stored

Data
 Quiz
• Describe the three levels of the ANSI/SPARC model.
You should include information about what each level
is for, which users might be interested in which levels,
and how the levels relate to one another.
 Next Lecture
The Relational Model
• Relational data structure
• Relational data integrity
• Relational data manipulation