TERM 1

Databases are a collection of organised data. Databases are the single most
important tool used to store data by programmers and web developers. It can,
for example, be used to store everything such as, the settings in an application,
CHAPTER
DATABASE MANAGEMENT
1
text on a website, graphics, status updates, personal messages and comments
on social networks.

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE (DBMS)

Database management software (DBMS) is the software responsible for managing
a database. This includes creating the database and tables and managing data
security. Examples of popular database management software include: Microsoft
SQL Server, Microsoft Access, MySQL and SQLite.
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
Unit 1.1 Data collection
ACTIVITY 1.1 Revision Activity
Unit 1.2 Data warehousing
1.1.1 Define data.
Unit 1.3 Data mining
1.1.2 What does a computer do with the data?
Unit 1.4 Caring for and managing data
1.1.3 List two reasons why computers store data.
1.1.4 Define the term, database.
Learning outcomes 1.1.5 List two instances where a database can be used.
At the end of this chapter you should be able to: 1.1.6 Explain DBMS and its advantages.
●● provide an overview of data collection 1.1.7 List two examples of DBMS.
●● provide examples of data collection
●● describe data warehousing
●● compare data warehousing with database
●● describe data mining and provide examples
●● describe the processes of data mining
●● describe how data should be cared for and managed.

INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, you will learn about what data collection is and also look at some
examples where data collection is used. Several key warehousing concepts will
be introduced. This will enable you to compare data warehousing with a
database. You will also learn how to collect and mine data. However, before
learning any new concepts, let’s revise what we know about databases.

Did you know

DATABASES IN A NUTSHELL Data is unprocessed
Computers store data for a number of reasons. viz. Instructions that a computer numbers, facts or signals.
uses to function, data required in RAM when an application is being used, data In order for humans to use
in the form of Images and files that the user’s application requires. The structures it and for computers to
commonly used to store data are: Files and Databases. share it, the data needs to
be processed and
organised into meaningful
FILES AND DATABASES
information. One way in
Data is saved in the computer’s memory while a user is working in an application.
which data is shared
The information that the user will need to access later, is stored in a database or amongst people is by using
file on a more permanent storage devices. letters and characters.

term 1 I Chapter 1 Database Management 1 2 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY I GRADE 12 I Theory Book

 UNIT

1.1 Data collection

RFID is used by thousands of businesses across the world. For example, RFID can be used to tag:
●● all products stored in a warehouse. When an item is removed from the warehouse, it is
In Grade 11, you created a database and manually added some data to your tables. This is a very automatically scanned and removed from the database.
ineffective way of adding data to a database and is only suitable for small databases. Instead of using ●● tools stored in a workshop. This allows the company to track which tools are being used, which
manual entries, most databases use different techniques to capture data automatically. In this section, you employees are using them, and when the tools are returned.
will learn about a few of these techniques. ●● the tickets of people going to conferences, sports events or concerts. When a registered RFID
chip arrives at the gate, the gates open automatically, and the data on the ticket is added to the
database.
FORMS ●● the tickets of people using public transport. For example, the Gautrain uses RFID cards to allow
A web form, is an online interactive page that allows for user input. This page imitates a physical form that people to board trains. The trip is recorded on a database, and the cost of the trip is subtracted from
users need to complete. To assist with user input and limit errors, a web form usually contains GUI the user’s balance.
components such as: ●● all products sold in a shop. When an item is purchased, the RFID tags are scanned and the details
●● checkboxes about the product are retrieved and added to the bill. The item can then also be removed from the
●● combo boxes shop’s inventory automatically.
●● spinners
●● drop down lists A basic RFID reader will only scan the information stored on RFID chips and make them available to a
●● text boxes computer. However, there are many software solutions that will automatically take this information and add
●● buttons, and so on. it to a database. These applications may also write additional information to the database, like the date
and time that the RFID chip was scanned and the location.
Web designers can also create quite sophisticated web forms for most online activities such as banking,
shopping and job or enrolment applications by using programmed objects, functions and methods. These E-TOLLS AND RFID
Web forms have changed the way that business is done because it limits paperwork and documentation, In December 2014, South African National Roads Agency Ltd (SANRAL) opened its electronic toll (or
and favours online documentation. e-toll) system in Gauteng. The goal of the system was to help the government pay for the R20 billion
highway improvement project that had been running since 2007.

TAGS
Electronic tags transmit a radio frequency from the tag to a tag reader, or vica versa. It transmits the
information to a computer program associated with the tag. Tags can be used to track or identify different
items and are often used in merchandising warehouses, for vehicle tracking, pet tracking, and so on.
Let’s look at some examples of how tags are used.

RFID
RFID stands for radio frequency identification and refers to tiny chips (like those in a phone SIM card) that
can store a few kilobytes of information. When scanned, this information is read and displayed on a
computer. By using the correct software, it could also be added to a database directly.

Figure 1.2: An e-toll gantry

Motorists had to purchase an e-tag (the RFID chip read by the toll gantry). The system used a combination
of cameras and RFID readers to automatically record the information of any car driving through the gantry.
This information is then stored in a database, which is used to automatically generate an invoice at the end
Figure 1.1: An RFID access card of each month.

term 1 I Chapter 1 Database Management I Unit 1.1 Data collection 3 4 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY I GRADE 12 I Theory Book
DIGITAL SENSORS A cookie is a message given to a web browser by a web server. The web browser
A digital sensor is an electronic or electrochemical sensor, where data conversion and data transmission stores the message in a text file. Each time the browser requests a page from the
are done digitally, for example, temperature, distance, humidity, light. Sensors sense a wide range of Animation server the message is sent back to the server. The cookie identifies users and
different energy forms like movement, electrical signals, radiant energy, pressure, thermal or magnetic could customise web pages for each person. When a person first enters a
Animation showing a
energy. For example, wireless sensor tags connect events in physical world, for example, motion in an website using cookies, they may be asked to fill out a form providing personal
banking transaction. Money
area, whether a door/window is opened/closed, temperature or humidity exceeding a certain limit, or information, which is packaged into a cookie and sent to the browser. The next
is subtracted from one
smartphones or any Web browsers with internet access. time you go to the same website, your browser will send the cookie to the server.
account, then transferred
from starting bank to
another bank over the Since this incredibly detailed information is recorded for billions of internet users,
Activity 1.2
internet, but before the online advertising companies require massive databases with software that can
Answer the following questions: destination account the automatically track users and their activity across web pages.
1.2.1 Do some research to find out how this e-toll system automatically detects connection is broken. This
QR CODE causes all the transactions There are hundreds of different systems that have been designed specifically to
information for:
to be rolled back. automatically record information in databases, for example credit card payments,
a. vehicles with an e-tag, and
automatic toll gates, cookies and cell phone calls.
b. vehicles without an e-tags.
Write a short report on how reliable you think this system is. In all these examples, software was specifically built to read the information and
Discuss ways in which: record it in a database. This software also allows the companies to create
i. the system could work, and automatic reports from the database. For example, you may receive a credit card
ii. how this system could work well. statement or phone bill at the end of each month. This is a report that your
https://www.youtube.com/
1.2.2 Can you think of any other situations where RFID chips can be used to automatically service provider’s database generates automatically.
watch?v=cZwLIxM7PdE
create an invoice? https://qrs.ly/66a7ke1

TRANSACTION TRACKING
INVISIBLE ONLINE DATA COLLECTION Transaction data (type of transaction, store where transaction occurred, employee
Databases form the heart (or memory) of the internet because they store most of the information shown who performed the transaction, customer information, payment information
on websites today. including signatures if captured) is sent from stores to the corporate database.
Data is stored on cards, such as credit cards, store cards (for example, Jet or
Databases are especially important on websites where users create the content (like YouTube, Facebook Edgars) and store loyalty cards (for example, Clicks ClubCard, Pick ‘n Pay
and Wikipedia), as it would be impossible for a data capturer to add this information manually. Instead, SmartShopper card). Some transaction tracking benefits include: consumer
these websites are set up so that any information entered by users are automatically stored in different safety when it comes to purchasing toys, cars, food and medication, enhancing
databases. This includes items like status updates, likes, tweets and any videos or pictures the user a user’s on-site experience by tracking browsing history and demographic
uploaded. The databases on computers or mobile phones also store the user’s personal information, such Figure 1.4: Credit card profiles, fraud detection, and so on. The main disadvantage of transaction
as their email address, username and password. payments make use of tracking is the unauthorised use of your personal Information.
database transactions

LOCATION BASED DATA

Location based data is data that provides information about different things that
can be shown on maps. Static location-based data includes data such as
maps with roads, street names, shops, offices and other features, but also
farming information, government buildings and assets, electric distribution
networks with pylons and substations, military information and so on. Non-static
information obtains the position of aeroplanes, tracking transport or stolen
vehicles, personal positioning, satellites, traffic patterns, rhinos and even pets; all
of which are based on input from geographic positioning systems (GPS).

Figure 1.3: Social media usernames and passwords are stored in a database

term 1 I Chapter 1 Database Management I Unit 1.1 Data collection 5 6 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY I GRADE 12 I Theory Book
 Activity 1.3 Data collection continued

e. RFIDs automatically identify objects, collect data about them, and enter those data directly into computer
systems with little or no human intervention.
f. Databases are not important on websites where users create the content, since it is possible for a data
capturer to add this information manually.
g. These websites are set up so that any information entered by users are manually stored in different databases.
h. Invisible data capturing refers to data that is captured online, usually entered by the user.
i. Online data capturing refers to data that is automatically recorded and captured on a database without
requiring user input and usually without informing the user.
j. Websites help advertisers to create advertisements that are specific to each user. To do this, advertisers
create a database recording information from each user on the website that includes information like what
the user searches for, what links they click on and how long they stay on different pages.
1.3.4 Whenever an item is purchased from an online shop and the payment is received, several database transactions
must occur. Underline what this includes:
Figure 1.5: A city map based on a GIS database ●●Creating a customer order in the database.
●●Removing the purchased items from the company’s inventory.
Location based services (LBS) are services that use software applications together with the location- ●● Subtracting the amount paid from the amount owed on the customer’s account.
based databases to deliver a service such as finding the best route to a destination or shop, find the
●● Placing an order with a shipping company.
location or movement of a stolen vehicle, a lost pet, find the characters in the Pokémon GO game or the
1.3.5 Explain how websites use the data they collect to determine which advertisements to run on the website.
places where photographs were taken during a holiday trip. 1.3.6 Which other examples do you know of that are commonly used to add information to a database automatically?
1.3.7 On many websites, when an internet transaction is done, the data can be captured without the user’s knowledge
Smartphones and tablets are also better at location-based computing, which refers to software based on or consent.
a user’s location. Examples of location-based computing includes: a. How can this type of data capturing be used in day-to-day life? Give an example of the data that is captured to
●● Weather applications tell you what the weather in your specific area will be, based on your location. support your answer.
●● Food ordering applications can use your location to deliver food directly to you. b. RFID chips can also be used to automatically capture large amounts of data. What does RFID stand for?
●● Car sharing services, such as, Uber use your phone’s location to find the nearest Uber driver, who
c. Give four examples of how RFID cards are used in real life to capture data.
will pick you up and drop you off at the correct location.
1.3.8 What does transaction processing refer to?
The problem with so much data being stored in databases is how to make sense of it and use it. In the 1.3.9 Why is this it important to group transfers into a single transaction?
next section, you will see how companies mine databases to improve their decision making. 1.3.10 What is meant by ‘rolled back’ in the following sentence:
‘If a single task fails, the transaction is rolled-back.’
Activity 1.3 Data collection 1.3.11 Why is a complete roll-back important? Explain it in terms of a bank transfer being cancelled during the final step.
1.3.12 Banks and online shops use transaction processing systems. Can you think of any other situations in which
1.3.1 Define a web form and provide an example. transaction processing systems may be used? Make a list.
1.3.2 Provide a brief explanation of what tagging is and give an example of how a tagging system (not mentioned in 1.3.13 Answer the following questions in your own words.
this book) has been used in South Africa. (You will need to do a bit of research to answer this question.) a. What is location-based data and what is its main goal?
1.3.3 Choose the answer and write ‘true’ or ‘false’ next to the question number. Correct the statement if it is FALSE. b. Name and shortly describe each of the two types of location-based data.
(You may not simply use the word ‘NOT’ to change the statement.)
c. Which technology is generally used for location-based computing?
a. RFID stands for radio frequency identifier and refers to tiny chips that can store a few kilobytes of
d. How would location-based computing assist the organisers in gathering information about the participants
information.
using mobile devices?
b. A basic RFID reader will scan all the information stored on the product with an RFID tag and make them
e. What is the name of the system used to determine the position of non-static devices?
available to a computer.
f. What two technologies are combined by location-based computing to deliver a service to customers?
c. Databases are especially important on websites where users create the content, since it would be
impossible for a programmer to add this information manually g. Give three examples of location-based services.
d. Credit card payments, automatic toll gates and cell phone calls automatically record information in h. The Computer Olympiad will be managed from a main office and all communications will be sent from this
databases. office. On the day of the event the data will be distributed electronically to all institutions that have registered
to participate in the Computer Olympiad.
Suggest ONE advantage for the Computer Olympiad if they use location-based computing.

term 1 I Chapter 1 Database Management I Unit 1.1 Data collection 7 8 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY I GRADE 12 I Theory Book
 UNIT

1.2 Data warehousing

Activity 1.4 Data warehousing

1.4.1 In real life, a warehouse is a place where you can store many items or products.
A warehouse is a place where you can store a large number of items or products.
a. What is a data warehouse?
b. How does data warehousing store the data? Explain it in your own words.
WHAT IS DATA WAREHOUSING? c. What are two advantages of denormalised databases?
Data warehousing is similar to how factories and distribution companies store d. What is the goal of a data warehouse?
their products in a warehouse in real life. It is a technique for storing data from
Did you know
e. Does the data warehouse replace the original data base? Give a reason for your
more than one database. Unlike most databases, where the data is normalised Normalisation is the
answer:
and stored in the most efficient manner, data warehousing takes the data from process of refining the
structure of a database to 1.4.2 Explain in one or two sentences what this diagram means.
these databases and stores it in a non-normalised way.
minimise redundancy and
improve integrity.
CRM

Since the data is not normalised, there may be redundancies and it can use
additional storage space.
BILLING REPORTING

CRM
ERP ANALYTICS

ETL

BILLING REPORTING Did you know FLAT FILES DATA MINING

DATA

Data redundancy occurs WAREHOUSE

within a database when the OTHER DATA

SOURCES
ERP ANALYTICS same piece of data is held
in two different places. 1.4.3 Tabulate two differences between data warehousing and database.
ETL

FLAT FILES DATA MINING

DATA
WAREHOUSE

OTHER DATA
SOURCES

Figure 1.6: Data warehousing is used to make data available for analysis

The goal of a data warehouse is to make the data available and ready for analysis. Did you know
Data warehousing is a key
It is important to understand that a data warehouse does not contain copies of tool in business intelligence
the original databases, instead, it is a new database that is created to hold (BI), which refers to several
structured data from multiple sources. A data warehouse is usually opened to technologies and
multiple people in different departments of a company. Each of these people can applications that are used
then access the data and use it to create graphs and reports useful to them. to improve business
decision making.

DATA WAREHOUSING VS DATABASE

Data warehouses and databases are similar in that they are both relational data
systems. However, they were built to serve different purposes.
●● A data warehouse stores a large quantity of historical data and all the data
from the various databases are availabe.
●● A database stores current transactions and enables easy access to specific
transactions for ongoing business processes.

term 1 I Chapter 1 Database Management I Unit 1.2 Data warehousing 9 10 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY I GRADE 12 I Theory Book
 UNIT

1.3 Data mining

EXTRACT THE RELEVANT DATA
Once you have access to a database, you need to extract the data that will be
WHAT IS DATA MINING? useful to you. Many of these databases store incredible amounts of data (such as
Data mining is a process used to identify trends and patterns between different
Animation the UN database, which contains information for most countries in the world),
sets of data in large databases. Selecting the right data from such large amounts and you may only need a small section of that data to answer your questions.
Animation showing how
of data (called big data) can help show trends and patterns between data sets, Rather than filtering a massive database the whole time, you use the full database
small pieces from different
which can improve decision making dramatically. For example: tables are taken and to create a new database containing only the information relevant to you.
combines to create a new
Marketing: Data mining is used to explore increasingly large databases to improve database. In most situations, data will be extracted from the datasets using SQL. This is a
market segmentation. By extracting data like customer age, gender, tastes etc. programming language that was created specifically to manipulate and extract
and looking for patterns and trends between them, it is possible to guess their data from a database. By using SQL queries, users can specify exactly which
behaviour in order to direct personalised loyalty campaigns. Data mining in data they want to extract. This is done by specifying:
marketing also predicts which users are likely to unsubscribe from a service, what ●● Which fields to extract
interests them based on their searches, or what a mailing list should include to ●● Which data table to use
achieve a successful reponse rate. ●● What conditions are used

Only data that meets these requirements will then be extracted to be used for
Activity 1.5 Data mining
analysis.
You have been given access to three massive data sets containing hundreds of thousands
of records. The three data sets are: LOOK FOR PATTERNS IN THE DATA
●● Sales information from Amazon, including sales information per product, per product When working with large amounts of data, it is impossible to look at each data
category and per country. point on its own. Instead, you need to look for patterns in the data that will help
●● Number of viewers per televisions show, including information on the time of day and you understand the dataset. As you will see in the later steps, these patterns can
the demographics of the people watching. result in knowledge, which is used to make better decisions and develop
●● List of tweets from the past year, including the content of the tweet, the hashtags used strategies.
and the location the tweet was sent from.
Based on these datasets, complete the following tasks. For example, you may want to determine whether fewer people use the highway
1.5.1 Give three questions that would you be interested in answering using these data sets. between Pretoria and Johannesburg today than before the Gautrain was built. To
1.5.2 Describe how a business owner could you use these datasets to improve their do this, you may find Gautrain project planning data for 2014 and N1 toll gate
decision making on the following topics: data for 2019 and calculate daily and monthly averages that you can then
a. Women are 50% more likely to purchase your product than men. When should compare. Based on this analysis, you will know if the Gautrain decreased the
the business advertise their product on TV? traffic on the N1 or not, and importantly, by how much. This information can then
b. An electronics company is not sure if they should make an affordable electric be used to decide whether or not to build a system similar to the Gautrain system
toothbrush, or a high-quality expensive toothbrush. for Durban or Cape Town, who have similar traffic problems.

c. A restaurant owner has noticed that people often talk about food on Twitter. How
can he use this information to decide which type of restaurant to open in
Johannesburg?

To make sense of the massive amounts of information available, people need to

follow a basic process.This is called the data mining process.

DATA MINING PROCESS

To mine a database, you will:
●● extract the relevant data
●● look for patterns in the data
●● discover knowledge from the patterns

This section will look at each of these steps in some detail. Figure 1.7: The Gautrain is a high-speed train traveling between Pretoria and
Johannesburg

term 1 I Chapter 1 Database Management I Unit 1.3 Data mining 11 12 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY I GRADE 12 I Theory Book
DISCOVER KNOWLEDGE Example 1.2 Data mining used by Facebook
By identifying these patterns, you have turned an overwhelming amount of
disorganised data into a few useful facts. This allows you to understand what Facebook (and other Web giants) accumulate all our personal data over time. Increasingly, identifiable data collection
is happening in more dimensions than are ever understood by most users. The more data there is in one place, the
happened rather than rely on vague uninformed views of people. Once you have
more data mining can be done. Over time, and in context of other individual data points, it becomes Big Data.
confirmed the situation, informed decisions can be made, or strategies developed.
Using data integration, it’s then mixed with other data sources that, as end-users, we’ll never be aware.
Companies, individuals and Facebook Itself that have access to this data extract the relevant data that Is useful to
Example 1.1 Data mining used for Government Social Grants
them and store it in a smaller database.
Social grants are administered by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). Apps, that use data analytics, are used to analyze “friends of friends” comments, textual analysis, online behaviour,
SASSA is mandated to “ensure the provision of comprehensive social security services and so on, to compile data about us.
against vulnerability and poverty within the constitutional legislative framework”. Most This information/knowledge is then used to: determine our current emotional state, correlate how sad or depressed
social grants are “means tested”, this assesses the value of assets and income. Only a someone might be, suggest possible friends etc.
certain threshold is eligible for a social grant.
To measure the living circumstances of South African households, the Government
conducts an annual General Household Survey (GHS). This is a household survey which Activity 1.6 Data mining
collects big data on education, health, social development, housing, access to services
and facilities, food security, and agriculture. 1.6.1 The tour company requires the use of a database management system to store details of tours and tour guides.
A record of the tours and the agent responsible for each tour is stored in a table called ‘TBL Tours’. The first five
Using data mining techniques the relevant data that will be useful is extracted. This data records of the table are shown below.
is then analysed (finding patterns) and used to obtain information/ knowledge.
This knowledge can then be used to provide the necessary budget for social grants and TBL TOURS
to know what limit to set the threshold or provide reports like: TOUR DESTINATION STARTDATE ENDDATE TOURGUIDE GUIDETELNUM
●● The number of households receiving at least one form of social grant rose from Kruger National Park 2019-07-01 2019-07-10 Senzo Dhladla 0812345678
29,9% (of the population) in 2003 to 44,3% in 2010, according to the latest
General Household Survey report2 from Stats SA. This rose to 45,5%in 2015. Drakensberg 2019-07-20 2019-07-24 Meredith Peters 0731112223
Further details and analysis on the issue of the growing social welfare net are Kruger National Park 2019-08-01 2019-08-06 Senzo Dhladla 0812345678
available from Stats SA’s Poverty Trends in South Africa report3.
Cape Town 2019-08-14 2019-08-24 Kajal Singh 0619988772
Sun City 2019-08-22 2019-08-30 Senzo Dhladla 0812345678
Mozambique 2019-08-23 2019-09-03 Kajal Singh 0619988772
Kruger National Park 2019-09-15 2019-09-18 Senzo Dhladla 0812345678
This data in the database can be used for data mining.
a. Give examples of three questions that can be analysed using the database?
b. Whom will your answers help? I.e. who will get the advantage of the answers obtained from your questions?
c. What must you do to mine a database?
d. To gain access to a database, which of the following options can you legally apply?
i. You can ask someone that you know to get access for the database.
ii. You can buy access to their database from a company.
iii. You can give money to an employee of the organisation to get you access to the database.
iv. You can hack into a database.
v. You could personally request access to the database.
vi. You could use a scraper or the website’s API to record data directly from the site.
vii. You can use a free database from the internet.
1.6.2 Which website does not provide data sets for free.
a. Code for South Africa
b. Gapminder
c. University of Pretoria
d. Reddit comments

term 1 I Chapter 1 Database Management I Unit 1.3 Data mining 13 14 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY I GRADE 12 I Theory Book
 UNIT

1.4 Caring for and managing data

Activity 1.6 Data mining continued

1.6.3 What must you do after you obtained access to the database?
In this unit, you will learn more about the value of data and how data can be protected.
a. Filter the information
b. Read through the information to find what you are looking for.
c. Look for patterns in the information you obtained. VALUE OF DATA AND METADATA
d. Extract the information, creating a new database that contains only the information relevant to you. Data can be valuable for many different reasons. For example, online shopping websites can charge
owners a fee for placing an advertisement of their house, used car or gym equipment on the website.
1.6.4 The following is an example of a pattern that may emerge from the TBL Tour database.
However, the only way in which owners will be willing to pay this fee is if the database already contains
a. Senzo does every second trip. many other products. To gather the data needed to sell these products, the website’s creator can ask
b. The starting dates are evenly spaced. sellers to enter the important data for their products on the website, from where it is added to the database.
c. The lengths of the tours are all the same.
d. There is an even distribution between the different destinations. For a database to be useful, it needs to record and store valuable and useful data. To decide if the data is
valuable to record, you can ask yourself these questions:
1.6.5 The final step in the data mining process is _____
●● n Will I ever use the data in this field?
a. Extracting data. ●● n Will anyone else use the data in this field?
b. Obtaining knowledge ●● n What fields do I need specifically for my application?
c. Developing a strategy. ●● n What fields would I need for my application in the future?
d. Accessing a data set
1.6.6 Which of the following targets are SMART. Based on these questions, you can determine whether certain types of data are valuable to record and
store in your database. Only data that will potentially be used by you (either now, or in the future) is
a. By decreasing the price of Gautrain tickets by 70%, you hope to increase the number of passengers by 20%
valuable. Data that will not be used increases the size of your database without adding value to it.
over the next six months.
b. By decreasing the price of Gautrain tickets, you hope to increase the number of passengers by 20%.
Once you have determined whether the data itself is valuable, you need to ensure that the data is of a high
c. By decreasing the price of Gautrain tickets by 10%, you hope to increase the number of passengers by 20% quality. The following five characteristics determine the quality of the data.
over the next six months.
CHARACTERISTIC DESCRIPTION
Accurate This means that the data needs to be both correct and precise.
Consistent This means that the data in one part of your database should not contradict or differ from the
data in another part of your database.
Current For the information to be of high-quality, it is important that it is up-to-date. If you fail to keep
your information current, you run the risk that it will no longer be relevant or accurate.
Complete In a database, incomplete data is almost as bad as inaccurate data. Gaps in the data can
cause the data to be difficult to use, outdated and misleading.
Relevant Good quality data is relevant to the people who are using it.

HOW TO PROTECT DATA

Databases need to be protected from several different threats, including incorrect data entry, data
corruption, data loss, accidental data deletion, purposeful data deletion and unauthorised access. In the
following sections, you will look at eight tools and techniques that can be used to protect databases from
these threats:
●● Data validation
●● Data verification
●● Data integrity checks
●● Logging changes
●● Data warehousing
●● Access control
●● Parallel data sets

term 1 I Chapter 1 Database Management I Unit 1.3 Data mining 15 16 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY I GRADE 12 I Theory Book
Since no single tool offers perfect protection against all threats, most large databases use most or all Data warehouses are also a potential security weakness for databases. Your
these tools. database could have all the best security features in the world, and it would not
matter if hackers could simply access your data warehouse.
DATA VALIDATION
Data validation refers to the process in which you check whether the data is accurate, in the correct ACCESS CONTROL
format or of the correct type before allowing your database to record it. This ensures that the data in your Access control refers to managing and controlling the parts of a database that
database is consistent and accurate. It can also be used to prevent certain types of unauthorised access users have access to. By limiting the number of people who can change a
(such as SQL injections). database, and by limiting what changes each user can make, you can reduce the
damage that any single user can do to a database. This becomes especially
For example, if you are recording data for a government survey, you can use a digit validation to ensure all important when many users have access to your database.
people’s ID numbers are exactly 13 digits long. This prevents you from accidentally adding incorrect ID
numbers to the database. There are three important ways to control access to your data:
●● Passwords ensure that only the owner of a username can log in with that
DATA VERIFICATION username.
Data verification is a manual technique that can be used to make sure that the data on a database is ●● User rights determine which tables and fields every username can access,
correct and accurate. There are two main ways to do this: and what changes (if any) the user can make to these tables. This prevents
●● Full verification which requires that each piece of data that is entered into a database is read and others from gaining access to certain data or making changes they are not
checked by someone. This, however, can be very time consuming. authorised to do.
●● Sample verification, in which a randomly selected sample of data is checked to ensure there are ●● Good database security ensures that the data is secure and that outside
not systematic errors. This can help you to notice errors that occur in all data, but with this method it people cannot find other ways to access the database.
is possible to miss small mistakes (like typing errors).
For example, by using access control on a large news website, regular guests
DATA INTEGRITY may be able to read stories but not change the data. Writers may be able to add
When we speak about data integrity, we are referring to the reliability, accuracy and how trustworthy data new stories to the website but not add new users or delete stories. Finally, one or
is over its entire lifecycle. This ties in with data security because uncorrupted data (integrity) is considered two administrators may be able to add new users or delete stories.
to be ‘clean data’ that stays unchanged throughout its lifecycle.
PARALLEL DATA SETS
Many DBMSs have built-in integrity controls that help to maintain the data integrity. This includes features Backups are the most important tool to protect databases from data loss and
such as data validation and access control, but also refers to several automatic maintenance processes data corruption. To ensure that data has not been corrupted or deleted, the
to prevent data corruption and errors from occurring in a database. database is checked at intervals against a perfect copy of it, called a parallel data
set. If there are differences, it means that data was either corrupted or deleted.
LOGGING CHANGES
Logging is the process of recording any changes made by users to a database. While logging does not A company, like YouTube, would break the database into smaller pieces and have
directly protect a database from any possible threats, it can discourage people from sabotaging a database multiple backups of each piece. In this way you never risk losing the entire
and make it easier to solve any problems once they occur. database at once, and even if a database crash occurs, the system can
automatically load an existing backup while creating new backups.
This is called creating an audit trail. The audit trail records exactly:
●● who made the changes Database backups should be protected as securely as the database itself. There
●● what the user changed have been many instances of websites where the database backup, rather than
●● when they made the changes.
QR CODE thecan protect data from data corruption, data loss, accidental deletion and
purposeful deletion.
DATA WAREHOUSING
Data warehousing is a technique used for storing data from more than one database, it is usually stored
in a way that is secure, reliable and easy to retrieve. While data warehousing is generally not considered
as a security tool, it can help improve data integrity in several ways:
●● Data warehouses make incorrect data entries or data corruption more visible by allowing data analysis.
●● Data warehouses can make data loss more visible, allowing the problem to be fixed.
https://www.youtube.com/
●● Data warehouses can be used to recover critical data if it is deleted or corrupted. watch?v=avP5d16wEp0
https://qrs.ly/4la5pff

term 1 I Chapter 1 Database Management I Unit 1.4 Caring for and managing data 17 18 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY I GRADE 12 I Theory Book
 Activity 1.7 Caring for and managing data Activity 1.7 Caring for and managing data continued

1.7.1 Choose the correct answer. 1.7.2 Explain in your own words why data is valuable.
a. Data validation refers to _____? 1.7.3 List three tools and techniques that can prevent accidental and purposeful data deletion.
A. Built-in integrity controls that help to maintain the data integrity. 1.7.4 Explain how parallel data is used to detect and correct data corruption or loss
B. A technique used for storing data from more than one database in a way 1.7.5 Today, the entire world’s financial system is stored on databases that are connected to the internet. Whether you
that is secure, reliable and easy to retrieve. are an individual with R10 in your bank account or a massive company with billions of Rand in your account,
C. The process in which you check whether the data is accurate. your money is stored on a database connected to the internet. As you can imagine, this data is not only
incredibly valuable, but also incredibly important to protect.
D. A manual technique that can be used to make sure that the data on a
database is correct and accurate. Answer the following questions.
b. Verification refers to _____? a. List six techniques that can be used protect data.
A. Built-in integrity controls that help to maintain the data integrity. b. Criminal hackers around the world are trying to break into banks’ databases. List two techniques that can
be used to protect data from unauthorised access.
B. A technique used for storing data from more than one database in a way
that is secure, reliable and easy to retrieve. c. What is data integrity and why is data integrity critical for a bank’s database?
C. The process in which you check whether the data is accurate. d. Do you think bank’s make backups of their databases? Give reasons for your answer.
D. A manual technique that can be used to make sure that the data on a
database is correct and accurate.
c. Warehousing refers to _____?
A. Built-in integrity controls that help to maintain the data integrity.
B. A technique used for storing data from more than one database in a way
that is secure, reliable and easy to retrieve.
C. The process in which you check whether the data is accurate.
D. A manual technique that can be used to make sure that the data on a
database is correct and accurate.
d. Databases need to be protected from several different threats, including:
A. Data mining B. Unauthorised access
C. Data redundancy D. Audit trails
e. What does an audit trail record? [Hint: This question has more than one correct
answer.]
A. Who made the changes?
B. Why were the changes made?
C. What did the user change?
D. When did they make the changes?
f. Explain what data corruption is.
A. When a hacker steals money from someone else using personalised data.
B. When someone says something that is not true about someone else on the
internet.
C. A criminal action by someone in a position of power using private data.
D. Errors in computer data that occur during writing, reading, storage,
transmission, or processing, which introduce unintended changes to the
original data.
g. Which of the following threats are prevented by the validation of data?
A. Incorrect data entry B. Data corruption
C. Accidental deletion D. Data loss

term 1 I Chapter 1 Database Management I Unit 1.4 Caring for and managing data 19 20 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY I GRADE 12 I Theory Book
CONSOLIDATION ACTIVITY Chapter 1: Database Management CONSOLIDATION ACTIVITY Chapter 1: Database Management continued

1. Choose the correct answer. 2. Indicate if the following statements are ‘True’ or ‘False’. Choose the answer and write ‘true’ or ‘false’ next to the
a. Which of the following scenarios does NOT need a database? question number Correct the statement if it is FALSE. Change the underlined word(s) to make the statement
TRUE. (You may not simply use the word ‘NOT’ to change the statement.)
A. Storing the credentials of all Gmail accounts.
a. Full verification is when someone randomly selects a sample of data and manually checks it for systematic
B. Backing up all the information on your personal computer.
errors.
C. Storing all the webpages of a website.
b. Gapminder provides free access to databases of South African matric results.
D. Storing all the information about a business’s inventory.
c. SMART strategies are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
b. Which of the following techniques is NOT used to protect data in databases?
3. Choose a term/concept from COLUMN B that matches a description in COLUMN A. Write only the letter next to
A. Data encryption the question number (e.g. 1 – A).
B. Data validation 4. Explain TWO ways RFIDS can be used to improve each of the following industries:
C. Data verification a. Retail stores
D. Access control b. Train transportation systems.
c. Integrity control is used to check ______. c. Universities and colleges
A. Unauthorised access, Data loss and Data corruption. d. Medical hospitals
B. Data corruption, Incorrect data entry and Data loss. 5. Below are THREE development strategies based on different databases. State which of them are SMART
C. Incorrect data entry, Data corruption and Purposeful deletion. strategies. Give a reason for your answer.
D. Purposeful deletion, Accidental deletion and Unauthorised access. STRATEGY IS IT A SMART STRATEGY? EXPLANATION FOR ANSWER
d. Which of the following techniques can be used to recover lost data?
Show car adverts on TV between 10 P.M
A. Access control and 12 P.M.
B. Data verification Sell airtime in clothing stores like Edgars
C. Data validation and Woolworths for the next three months
D. Data warehousing to see if it increases clothing sales.
e. Which of the following people would financially benefit from data mining? Use flyers to advertise a new store opening
A. Online advertisers in a mall, so that people will go and shop at
the mall more and increase mall sales by
B. Programmers 30% before the store opens.
C. Database administrators
6. Other than banking, name ONE other industry that can make use of database transaction tracking. Also provide
D. Security personnel an example of a scenario in which they would use it.
f. When you create a data warehouse you need to _____ the data. 7. Cherry wants to expand her small bakery business, by creating a website so that she can sell her goods online.
A. Access, Analyse and Use Cherry will need to make use of a DBMS and she will need to find ways to secure her business’s data.
B. Find, Extract and Store a. Who would Cherry need to hire to help her keep her create, maintain and secure her database.
C. Access, Extract and Load b. Mention ONE way location-based technology can help Cherry expand her business.
D. Extract, Transform and Load c. Mention ONE way Cherry can use data mining to improve and expand her business.
g. In location-based data, which of the following is an example of non-static information?
A. The most popular Gautrain routes.
B. The current flight route of an aeroplane.
C. The location of a car.
D. The location of a hotel.

term 1 I Chapter 1 Database Management I Unit 1.4 Caring for and managing data 21 22 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY I GRADE 12 I Theory Book