Fundamentals of Database System Course

Lecture#1
Introduction: Databases and
Database Users

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe

Basic Definitions
 Data:
 Known facts that can be recorded and have an implicit meaning.
 Database:
 A collection of related data. It has the following implicit properties:
A database represents some aspect of the real world, sometimes


called the miniworld.

 A database is a logically coherent collection of data with some

inherent meaning.
 A database is designed, built, and populated with data for specific

purpose.
 Examples: Airline reservation system, Students’ registration system
 Database Management System (DBMS):
 A software package/ system to facilitate the creation and maintenance of
a computerized database.
 Database System:
 The DBMS software together with the data itself. Sometimes, the
applications are also included.
Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 2
Managing Data
 There are two approaches to manage data
 File-based approach: An approach that utilizes a
collection of application programs which performs
services to end-users (e.g. Reports). Each
program defines and manages its own data.

 Database approach: An approach that data is

collected and manipulated using specific software
called Database Management System, and many
programs share this data.

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 3

File-Based Approach

User 1 Application
programs Data

Application Data
User 2 programs

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 4

Database Approach

User 1 Application
programs
DBMS
Database

User 2 Application
programs

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 5

Databases Everywhere

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 6

Types of Databases and Database
Applications
 Traditional Applications:
 Numeric and Textual Databases
 More Recent Applications:
 Multimedia Databases
 Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
 Data Warehouses
 Real-time and Active Databases
 Many other applications

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide

Database Implementation
 Defining a database
 Data types
 Structures
 Constraints
 Constructing a database
 Storing the data itself on a storage medium
 Manipulating a database
 Querying
 Updating
 Generating reports

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide

Simplified database system environment

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 9

Typical DBMS Functionality
 Define a particular database in terms of its data types,
structures, and constraints
 Construct or load the initial database contents on a
secondary storage medium
 Manipulating the database:
 Retrieval: Querying, generating reports
 Modification: Insertions, deletions and updates to its content
 Accessing the database through Web applications
 Processing and Sharing by a set of concurrent users and
application programs – yet, keeping all data valid and
consistent

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 10

Typical DBMS Functionality
 Other features:
 Protection or Security measures to prevent
unauthorized access
 Maintaining the database and associated programs
over the lifetime of the database application

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 11

Example of a Database
(with a Conceptual Data Model)
 Mini-world for the example:
 Part of a UNIVERSITY environment.
 Some mini-world entities:
 STUDENTs
 COURSEs
 SECTIONs (of COURSEs)
 DEPARTMENTs
 INSTRUCTORs

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 12

Example of a Database
(with a Conceptual Data Model)
 Some mini-world relationships:
 SECTIONs are of specific COURSEs
 STUDENTs take SECTIONs
 COURSEs have prerequisite COURSEs
 INSTRUCTORs teach SECTIONs
 COURSEs are offered by DEPARTMENTs
 STUDENTs major in DEPARTMENTs

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 13

Example
User 1 of a simple database
Application
programs
DBMS
Database

User 2 Application
programs

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 14

Main Characteristics of the Database
Approach
 Self-describing nature of a database system:
 A DBMS catalog stores the description of a particular
database (e.g. data structures, types, and constraints)
 The description is called meta-data.
 This allows the DBMS software to work with different
database applications.
 Insulation between programs and data:
 Called program-data independence.
 Allows changing data structures and storage organization
without having to change the DBMS access programs.
 Support of multiple views of the data:
 Each user may see a different view of the database, which
describes only the data of interest to that user.

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 15

Main Characteristics of the Database
Approach (continued)
 Sharing of data and multi-user transaction
processing:
 Allowing a set of concurrent users to retrieve from and to
update the database.
 Concurrency control within the DBMS guarantees that each
transaction is correctly executed or aborted
 Recovery subsystem ensures each completed transaction
has its effect permanently recorded in the database.
Similarly, each failed transaction is rolled back.
 OLTP (Online Transaction Processing) is a major part of
database applications. This allows hundreds of concurrent
transactions to execute per second.

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 16

Database Users
 Actors on the Scene: They actually use and
control the database content; and design,
develop and maintain database applications
 Database Administrators
 Database Designers
 Software Engineers
 End-users
 Workers Behind the Scene
 Those who design and develop the DBMS
software and related tools.

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 17

Database Users
 Actors on the scene
 Database administrators:

 Responsible for authorizing access to the database, for

coordinating and monitoring its use, acquiring software and
hardware resources, controlling its use and monitoring efficiency
of operations.
 Database Designers:
 Responsible to define the content, the structure, the constraints,
and functions or transactions against the database. They must
communicate with the end-users and understand their needs.
 End-users:
 Are those who require access to the database for querying,
updating, and generating reports.

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 18

Advantages of Using the Database
Approach
 Controlling redundancy in data storage and in
development and maintenance efforts.
 Sharing of data among multiple users.
 Restricting unauthorized access to data.
 Providing persistent storage for program Objects
 In Object-oriented DBMSs
 Providing Storage Structures (e.g. indexes) for
efficient Query Processing

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 19

Advantages of Using the Database
Approach (continued)
 Providing backup and recovery services.
 Providing multiple interfaces to different classes
of users.
 Representing complex relationships among data.
 Enforcing integrity constraints on the database.
 Permitting actions using active rules
 triggers, stored procedures

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 20

Additional Implications of Using the
Database Approach
 Potential for enforcing standards:
 for data item names, display formats, screens, report
structures, Web page layouts, etc.
 Reduced application development time
 Flexibility to change data structures:
 When requirements change
 Availability of current information:
 Extremely important for on-line transaction systems such as
airline, hotel, car reservations.
 Economies of scale:
 Wasteful overlap of resources and personnel can be
avoided by consolidating data and applications across
departments.

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 21

 When not to use a DBMS
 Main inhibitors (costs) of using a DBMS:
 High initial investment and possible need for additional hardware.

 Overhead for providing generality, security, concurrency control,

recovery, and integrity functions.
 When a DBMS may be unnecessary:
 If the database and applications are simple, well defined, and not
expected to change.
 If there are real-time requirements that may not be met because of
DBMS overhead.
 If access to data by multiple users is not required

 When no DBMS may suffice:

 If the database system is not able to handle the complexity of data
because of modeling limitations
 If the database users need special operations not supported by
the DBMS.

Copyright © 2007 Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe Slide 1- 22