DATABASE

SYSTEMS
WEEK 1 LECTURE 1 & 2
 Course Objectives


Introduction to very basics

Guides through different design stages

Familiarize with tools

Emphasis on design stages of database
 Lecture Objectives

 Some common uses of database systems.

 Characteristics of file-based systems.
 Problems with file-based approach.
 Meaning of the term database.
 Meaning of the term Database Management System
(DBMS).
 Typical functions of a DBMS.
 Major components of the DBMS environment.
 Personnel involved in the DBMS environment.
 Textbook

Other
Recommended
textbooks:textbooks:
 Database
There are lots
Systems:
of database texts
A practical approach
 to
Most
design, implementation
of them would be fine also
and
management by Connolly and Begg
For example:
 Fundamentals of Database Systems
 (7th Edition)
‘Database by Ramez
Systems’ Elmasri, Shamkant
by CJ Date
B. Navathe
 Data vs. Information

 Data are simply facts or figures — bits of information, but

not information itself.
 When data are processed, interpreted, organized,
structured or presented so as to make them meaningful or
useful, they are called information. Information provides
context for data.
Graphical displays turn data into useful information
that managers can use for decision making and
interpretation
Data vs. Information
Data vs. Informatio
n
 Traditional File Systems

 File processing systems was an early attempt to computerize

the manual filing system that we are all familiar with.
 A file system is a method for storing and organizing
computer files and the data they contain to make it easy to
find and access them.
 File systems may use a storage device such as a hard disk or
CD-ROM and involve maintaining the physical location of the
files.
 Traditional File Systems

 The manual filing system works well when the number of

items to be stored is small.
 It even works quite adequately when there are large
numbers of items and we have only to store and retrieve
them.
 However, the manual filing system breaks down when we
have to cross-reference or process the information in the
files.
 Characteristics of File
Processing System 

 It is a group of files storing data of an organization.

 Each file is independent from one another.
 Each file is called a flat file.
 Each file contained and processed information for one specific function,
such as accounting or inventory.
 Files are designed by using programs written in programming
languages such as C, C++.
 As systems became more complex, file processing systems offered little
flexibility, presented many limitations, and were difficult to maintain. 
 Problems With the File
System

 Separated and Isolated Data: To make a decision, a user

might need data from two separate files. First, the files were
evaluated by analysts and programmers to determine the
specific data required from each file and the relationships
between the data and then applications could be written in a
programming language to process and extract the needed
data. Imagine the work involved if data from several files
was needed.
 Problems With the File
System

 Duplication of data: Often the same information is stored

in more than one file. Uncontrolled duplication of data is not
required for several reasons, such as:
 Duplication is wasteful. It costs time and money to enter the
data more than once
 It takes up additional storage space, again with associated
costs.
 Problems With the File
System

 Incompatible file formats: As the structure of files is

embedded in the application programs, the structures are
dependent on the application programming language. For
example, the structure of a file generated by a COBOL
program may be different from the structure of a file
generated by a 'C' program. The direct incompatibility of
such files makes them difficult to process jointly.
 File Based Systems
(Summary)

 File based systems

Problems:
 Data
No standards
is stored in files
 Each duplication
Data file has a specific format
 Data dependence
Programs that use these files depend on
knowledge about that format
 No way to generate ad hoc queries
 No provision for security, recovery,
concurrency, etc.
Why Study Databases?

 Databases are useful

 Many computing applications deal with large
amounts of information
 Database systems give a set of tools for storing,
searching and managing this information
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


 Train timetables
Library catalogues

 Airline
Medical bookings
records
 Credit card details

Bank accounts
 Student records
 Stock control
 Customer histories

 Personnel
Stock marketsystems
prices

 Product catalogues
Discussion boards

 Telephone
and so on… directories
 Database Systems

 A database
Database systems
systemallow
consists
users
of to
 Data (the database)
Store
 Software
Update
 Hardware
Retrieve
 Users
Organise
 Protect
 We focus mainly on the software
their data.
 Database Users

 End users Administrator (DBA)

Database
 Designs
Use the database
& managessystem
the database
to achieve
system
some
goal
 Database systems programmer
 Application developers
 Writes the database software itself
 Write software to allow end users to
interface with the database system
 Database Management
Systems

 Examples:
A database is a collection of
information
 Oracle

 A database
DB2 (IBM) management system
(DBMS)
 MS SQLisServer
the software which controls
that
 MSinformation
Access
 Ingres
 PostgreSQL
 MySQL
 What the DBMS does

 DBMS provides
Provides users with

 Persistence
Data definition language (DDL)

 Concurrency
Data manipulation language (DML)

 Integrity
Data control language (DCL)
 Security
 Often these are all the same language
 Data independence
 Data Dictionary
 Describes the database itself
 Data Dictionary -
Metadata

 The dictionary holds

or catalogue stores
information about
 Descriptions the database
of database itself
objects (tables,
 users,
This rules,about
is data views,data
indexes,…)
or ‘metadata’
 Information about who is using which data
 Almost every aspect of the DBMS uses
(locks)
the dictionary
 Schemas and mappings
 Relational Systems

 The relational
Information is model
stored as
covers
tuples
3 areas:
or
records in relations or tables
 Data structure

 There
 Datais a sound
integrity mathematical theory
of
 relations
Data manipulation

 Most
More modern
details inDBMS are based
the next on the
lecture…
relational model
 Next Lecture

 Database Management System in detail

 Importance of database design.
 Database system basic structures.