GOLDEN WEST COLLEGES

COLLEGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

CHAPTER 1
--- Database Systems ---

In this chapter you will learn

• The difference between data and information
• What a database is, what the different types of databases are, and why they are
valuable assets for decision making
• The importance of database design
• How modern databases evolved from file systems
• About flaws in file system data management
• What the database system’s main components are and how a database system differs
from a file system
• The main functions of a database management system (DBMS)

1.1 DATA VS INFORMATION

• Data:
– Raw facts; building blocks of information
– Unprocessed information
• Information:
– Data processed to reveal meaning
• Accurate, relevant, and timely information is key to good decision making
• Good decision making is the key to survival in a global environment

1.2 TRANSFORMING RAW DATA INTO INFORMATION

--- FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE SYSTEMS ---

GOLDEN WEST COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

--- FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE SYSTEMS ---

 GOLDEN WEST COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

1.3 INTRODUCING THE DATABASE AND THE DBMS

• Database—shared, integrated computer structure that stores:
– End user data (raw facts)
– Metadata (data about data)
• DBMS (database management system):
– Collection of programs that manages database structure and controls access to
data
– Possible to share data among multiple applications or users
– Makes data management more efficient and effective

1.4 ROLE AND ADVANTAGES OF THE DBMS

• End users have better access to more and better-managed data
– Promotes integrated view of organization’s operations
– Probability of data inconsistency is greatly reduced
– Possible to produce quick answers to ad hoc queries

1.5 TYPES OF DATABASES

• Single-user:
– Supports only one user at a time
• Desktop:
– Single-user database running on a personal computer

--- FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE SYSTEMS ---

 GOLDEN WEST COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

• Multi-user:
– Supports multiple users at the same time
• Workgroup:
– Multi-user database that supports a small group of users or a single department
• Enterprise:
– Multi-user database that supports a large group of users or an entire organization

1.6 CAN BE CLASSIFIED BY LOCATION:

• Centralized:
– Supports data located at a single site
• Distributed:
– Supports data distributed across several sites

1.7 CAN BE CLASSIFIED BY USE:

• Transactional (or production):
– Supports a company’s day-to-day operations
• Data warehouse:
– Stores data used to generate information required to make tactical or strategic
decisions
– Often used to store historical data
– Structure is quite different

1.8 WHY DATABASE DESIGN IS IMPORTANT

• Defines the database’s expected use
• Different approach needed for different types of databases
• Avoid redundant data
• Poorly designed database generates errors  leads to bad decisions  can lead to
failure of organization

1.9 HISTORICAL ROOTS: FILES AND FILE SYSTEMS

• Managing data with file systems is obsolete
– Understanding file system characteristics makes database design easier to
understand
– Awareness of problems with file systems helps prevent similar problems in
DBMS

--- FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE SYSTEMS ---

 GOLDEN WEST COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

– Knowledge of file systems is helpful if you plan to convert an obsolete file system
to a DBMS

Manual File systems:

• Collection of file folders kept in file cabinet
• Organization within folders based on data’s expected use (ideally logically related)
• System adequate for small amounts of data with few reporting requirements
• Finding and using data in growing collections of file folders became time-consuming and
cumbersome

Conversion from manual to computer system:

• Could be technically complex, requiring hiring of data processing (DP) specialists
• Resulted in numerous “home-grown” systems being created
• Initially, computer files were similar in design to manual files (see Figure 1.3)

--- FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE SYSTEMS ---

 GOLDEN WEST COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

• DP specialist wrote programs for reports:

– Monthly summaries of types and amounts of insurance sold by agents
– Monthly reports about which customers should be contacted for renewal
– Reports that analyzed ratios of insurance types sold by agent
– Customer contact letters summarizing coverage

• Other departments requested databases be written for them

– SALES database created for sales department
– AGENT database created for personnel department

--- FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE SYSTEMS ---

 GOLDEN WEST COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

.
• As number of databases increased, small file system evolved
• Each file used its own application programs
• Each file was owned by individual or department who commissioned its creation

--- FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE SYSTEMS ---

 GOLDEN WEST COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

1.10 EXAMPLE OF EARLY DATABASE DESIGN

• As system grew, demand for DP’s programming skills grew
• Additional programmers hired
• DP specialist evolved into DP manager, supervising a DP department
• Primary activity of department (and DP manager) remained programming

1.11 PROBLEMS WITH FILE SYSTEM DATA MANAGEMENT

• Every task requires extensive programming in a third-generation language (3GL)
– Programmer must specify task and how it must be done
• Modern databases use fourth-generation languages (4GL)
– Allow users to specify what must be done without specifying how it is to be done

• Time-consuming, high-level activity

• As number of files expands, system administration becomes difficult
• Making changes in existing file structure is difficult
• File structure changes require modifications in all programs that use data in that file
• Modifications are likely to produce errors, requiring additional time to “debug” the
program
• Security features hard to program and therefore often omitted

1.12 STRUCTURAL AND DATA DEPENDENCE

--- FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE SYSTEMS ---

 GOLDEN WEST COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

• Structural dependence
– Access to a file depends on its structure
• Data dependence
– Changes in the data storage characteristics without affecting the application
program’s ability to access the data
– Logical data format
• How the human being views the data
– Physical data format
• How the computer “sees” the data

1.13 FIELD DEFINITIONS AND NAMING CONVENTIONS

• Flexible record definition anticipates reporting requirements by breaking up fields into
their component parts

1.14 DATA REDUNDANCY

• Data redundancy results in data inconsistency
– Different and conflicting versions of the same data appear in different places
• Errors more likely to occur when complex entries are made in several different files
and/or recur frequently in one or more files
• Data anomalies develop when required changes in redundant data are not made
successfully

1.15 TYPES OF DATA ANOMALIES:

• Update anomalies

--- FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE SYSTEMS ---

 GOLDEN WEST COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

– Occur when changes must be made to existing records

• Insertion anomalies
– Occur when entering new records
• Deletion anomalies
– Occur when deleting records

1.16 DATABASE SYSTEMS

• Problems inherent in file systems make using a database system desirable
• File system
– Many separate and unrelated files
• Database
– Logically related data stored in a single logical data repository

1.17 DBMS FUNCTIONS

• DBMS performs functions that guarantee integrity and consistency of data

--- FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE SYSTEMS ---

 GOLDEN WEST COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

– Data dictionary management

• defines data elements and their relationships
– Data storage management
• stores data and related data entry forms, report definitions, etc.
– Data transformation and presentation
• translates logical requests into commands to physically locate and
retrieve the requested data
– Security management
• enforces user security and data privacy within database
– Multiuser access control
• uses sophisticated algorithms to ensure multiple users can access the
database concurrently without compromising the integrity of the database
– Backup and recovery management
• provides backup and data recovery procedures
– Data integrity management
• promotes and enforces integrity rules
– Database access languages and application programming interfaces
• provide data access through a query language
– Database communication interfaces
• allow database to accept end-user requests via multiple, different network
environments

--- FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE SYSTEMS ---

 GOLDEN WEST COLLEGES
COLLEGE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

SUMMARY
• Data are raw facts. Information is the result of processing data to reveal its meaning.
• To implement and manage a database, use a DBMS.
• Database design defines the database structure.
• A well-designed database facilitates data management and generates accurate and
valuable information.
• A poorly designed database can lead to bad decision making, and bad decision making
can lead to the failure of an organization.
• Databases were preceded by file systems.
• Limitations of file system data management:
• requires extensive programming
• system administration complex and difficult
• making changes to existing structures is difficult
• security features are likely to be inadequate
• independent files tend to contain redundant data
• DBMS’s were developed to address file systems’ inherent weaknesses

--- FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE SYSTEMS ---