FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS

Good decisions require good information that is derived from raw facts.These raw facts are
known as data. Data are likely to be managed most efficiently when they are stored in a
database. Databases evolved from computer file systems.
Databases are are specialized structures that allow computer-based systems to store,
manage, and retrieve data very quickly. Before we understand in detail what a database we
need to understand the difference between a data and information
Data are raw facts. The word raw indicates that the facts have not yet been processed to
reveal their meaning.
Information is the result of processing raw data to reveal its meaning. Data processing can
be as simple as organizing data to reveal patterns or as complex as making forecasts or
drawing inferences using statistical modeling. To reveal meaning, information requires
context. Information can be used as the foundation for decision making.
Data are the foundation of information, which is the bedrock of knowledge—that is, the
body of information and facts about a specific subject. Knowledge implies familiarity,
awareness, and understanding of information as it applies to an environment.

 Data constitute the building blocks of information.

 Information is produced by processing data.
 Information is used to reveal the meaning of data.
 Accurate, relevant, and timely information is the key to good decision making.
 Good decision making is the key to organizational survival in a global environment

Timely and useful information requires accurate data. Such data must be properly generated
and stored in a format that is easy to access and process. And, like any basic resource, the
data environment must be managed carefully. Data management is a discipline that focuses
on the proper generation, storage, and retrieval of data. Given the crucial role that data play,
it should not surprise you that data management is a core activity for any business,
government agency, service organization, or charity.

So what is database?
Efficient data management typically requires the use of a computer database.
A database is a shared, integrated computer structure that stores a collection of:
 End-user data is raw facts of interest to the end user.
 Metadata also known as data about data, through which the end-user data are
integrated and managed.
The metadata provide a description of the data characteristics and the set of relationships
that links the data found within the database. The metadata provide information that
complements and expands the value and use of the data. Metadata present a more complete
picture of the data in the database. Given the characteristics of metadata,you might hear a
database described as a “collection of self-describing data.”

A database management system (DBMS) is a collection of programs that manages the

database structure and controls access to the data stored in the database. In a sense, a
database resembles a very well-organized electronic filing cabinet in which powerful
software, known as a database management system, helps manage the cabinet’s contents.

N/B A database to be a collection of related data and the Database Management System (DBMS)
to be the software that manages and controls access to the database.
Roles of the DBMS
 The DBMS serves as the intermediary between the user and the database. The
database structure itself is stored as a collection of files, and the only way to access
the data in those files is through the DBMS.
 The DBMS presents the end user (or application program) with a single, integrated
view of the data in the database.
 The DBMS receives all application requests and translates them into the complex
operations required to fulfill those requests.
 The DBMS hides much of the database’s internal complexity from the application
programs and users.

Advantages of the DBMS

Improved data sharing. The DBMS helps create an environment in which end users have better
access to more and better-managed data. Such access makes it possible for end users to
respond quickly to changes in their environment.

Improved data security. The more users access the data, the greater the risks of data security
breaches. Corporations invest considerable amounts of time, effort, and money to ensure that
corporate data are usedproperly. A DBMS provides a framework for better enforcement of
data privacy and secu rity policies.

Better data integration. Wider access to well-managed data promotes an integrated view of the
organization’s operations and a clearer view of the big picture. It becomes much easier to see
how actions in one segment of the company affect other segments.

Minimized data inconsistency. Data inconsistency exists when different versions of the same
data appear in different places. The probability of data inconsistency is greatly reduced in a
properly designed database.

Improved data access. The DBMS makes it possible to produce quick answers to ad hoc
queries. From a database perspective, a query is a specific request issued to the DBMS for
data manipulation—for example, to read or update the data. Simply put, a query is a
question, and an ad hoc query is a spur-of-the-moment question. The DBMS sends back an
answer (called the query result set) to the application.

Improved decision making. Better-managed data and improved data access make it possible to
generate better-quality information, on which better decisions are based. The quality of the
information generated depends on the quality of the underlying data. Data quality is a
comprehensive approach to promoting the accuracy, validity, and timeliness of the data.
While the DBMS does not guarantee data quality, it provides a framework to facilitate data
quality initiatives.

Increased end-user productivity. The availability of data, combined with the tools that
transform data into usable information, empowers end users to make quick, informed
decisions that can make the difference between success and failure in the global economy.