Chapter 1

Introduction to Database
Management

McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Welcome!
 Database technology: crucial to the
operation and management of modern
organizations
 Major transformation in computing skills
 Significant time commitment
 Exciting journey ahead

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Book Goals
 First course in database management
 Practical textbook
 Fundamentals of relational databases
 Data modeling and normalization
 Database application development
 Database administration and database
processing environments
 Detailed material

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Outline
 Database characteristics
 DBMS features
 Architectures
 Organizational roles

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Initial Vocabulary
 Data: raw facts about things and events
 Information: transformed data that has
value for decision making
 Essential to organize data for retrieval and
maintenance

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Database Characteristics
 Database: a collection of persistent data that
can be shared and interrelated

 Persistent: data reside on stable storage eg

magnetic disk, depending on relevance of
intended usage, store only data relevant for
decision making

 Shared: db can have multiple uses and users

 Interrelated: data stored as separate units can

be connected to provide a whole picture
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University Database

Faculty
Registration
Entities: Assignment
students, faculty, courses,
offerings, enrollments
Relationships:
faculty teach offerings,
Grade students enroll in Course
Recording offerings, offerings made Scheduling
of courses, ...

University Database

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Water Utility Database

Payment
Billing Processing
Entities :
customers, meters, bil s,
payments, meter readings
Relationships :
bil s sent to customers,
Meter customers make payments, Service Start/
customers use meters, ...
Reading Stop

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Database Management System (DBMS)
 Collection of components that support data
acquisition, dissemination, storage,
maintenance, retrieval, and formatting (red
highlight are the initial function of DBMS)
 Enterprise DBMSs eg Oracle, IBM DB2
 Desktop DBMSs eg Access
 Open source DBMSs eg MySQL
 Embedded DBMSs reside in application system
or device eg PDA, smart card
 Major part of information technology
infrastructure
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DBMS Features: Database Definition
 Language ie SQL and graphical tools to
define database structure before using a
database
 Table stores collections of entities, is a
two-dimensional arrangement of data
consisting of columns (or fields or
attributes) and rows (or records or tuples)

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DBMS Features: Database Definition
 Most DBMSs provide SQL, industry
standard language, to define tables,
relationships among tables, integrity
constraints (rules that define allowable
data), and authorization rights (rules that
restrict access to data)
 Microsoft Access uses graphical tool for
defining tables (Fig 1.5) and relationships
(Fig 1.6)
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University Database Relationship Window Using
Microsoft Access

Relationships

Tables
s

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 University Database (ERD) Using Visio Professional

Student Offering Faculty

StdSSN OfferNo FacSSN
StdClass OffLocation Teaches FacSalary
StdMajor OffTime FacRank
StdGPA Has FacHireDate

Supervises
Accepts

Registers Course
Enrollment CourseNo
CrsDesc
EnrGrade
CrsUnits

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DBMS Features: Nonprocedural Access
 Most important DBMS feature is to answer
queries
 Query: request for data to answer a question
 Indicate what parts of database to retrieve not
the how part (procedural details)
 Improve productivity and improve accessibility
 Eg. SQL SELECT statement and graphical tools
like Microsoft Access Query Design Window

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Graphical Tool for Nonprocedural Access

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DBMS Features: Application Development

 Form: formatted document for data entry

and display
 Report: formatted document for display
 Use nonprocedural access to specify data
requirements of forms and reports

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Sample Data Entry Form

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Sample Report

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DBMS Features: Procedural Language Interface

 A method to combine programming

language eg COBOL or Visual Basic with
a nonprocedural language eg SQL
 Eg Oracle has PL/SQL and Microsoft has
Transact-SQL
 Why
 Batch processing
 Customization and automation
 Performance improvement

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DBMS Features: Transaction Processing
 Transaction: a unit of work that should be
reliably processed without interference
from other users and without loss of data
due to failures
 Eg withdrawing cash at ATM, making
airline reservation, course registration
 Process large volumes of repetitive work
 Control simultaneous users
 Recover from failures
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DBMS Features: Database Tuning

 Tools to monitor and improve database

performance
 Utility programs can be provided to
reorganize a database, select physical
structures for better performance, and
repair damaged parts of a database
 Very important on DBMSs that support
large databases with simultaneous users

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Database Technology
Evolution
Era Generation Orientation Major Features
1960s 1st Generation File File structures and
proprietary program
interfaces
1970s 2nd Generation Network Networks and hierarchies
Navigation of related records,
standard program
interfaces
1980s 3rd Generation Relational Non-procedural
languages, optimization,
transaction processing
1990s 4th Generation Object Multi-media, active,
distributed processing,
XML enabled

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DBMS Marketplace
 Enterprise DBMS
 Oracle: dominates in Unix; strong in Windows
 SQL Server: strong in Windows
 DB2: strong in mainframe environment
 Significant open source DBMSs: MySQL,
Firebird, PostgreSQL
 Desktop DBMS
 Access: dominates
 FoxPro, Paradox, Approach, FileMaker Pro

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Data Independence
 Software maintenance is a large part of
information system budgets and 50% goes
to database changes
 Data independence is a concept where a
db should have an identity separate from
the applications (computer programs,
reports, forms) that use it
 The separate identity allows the db
definition to be changed without affecting
related applications
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Three Schema Architecture
 Mid 1970s the concept of data
independence led to the proposal of the
Three Schema Architecture
 Schema means db description
 Three levels of db description:
 External or view
 Conceptual
 Internal

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Three Schema Architecture
External
View 1 View 2 View n Level

External to
Conceptual
Conceptual Conceptual
Mappings
Schema Level
Conceptual
to Internal
Mappings Internal
Internal Level
Schema

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Three Schema Architecture
 External Level
 Is the user level
 Each group of users can have a separate
external view (or view for short) of a database
tailored to the group’s specific needs
 Conceptual Level
 Represent the entire database
 It defines the entities and relationships

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Three Schema Architecture
 Internal Level
 Represent the entire database and the
storage view of the database
 It defines files, collections of data on a
storage device such as a hard disk

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Differences among Levels
 External
 FacultyAssignmentFormView: data required
for the form in Slide 17 (Figure 1.9)
 FacultyWorkLoadReportView: data required
for the report in Slide 18 (Figure 1.10)
 Conceptual
 Tables in Slide 12 (Figure 1.6)
 Internal
 Files needed to store the tables
 Extra files to improve performance eg indexed
file (Figure 1.5)
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Schema Mappings
 It describes how a schema at a higher
level is derived from a schema at a lower
level
 External to conceptual mappings provide
the knowledge to convert a request using
an external view into a request using the
tables in the conceptual schema
 Conceptual to internal mappings provide
how entities are stored in files
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Distributed Processing
 Distributed processing is becoming a
crucial function of DBMSs due to network
computing and the internet
 It allows geographically dispersed
computers to cooperate when providing
data access eg e-commerce
 Many DBMSs support distributed
processing using a client-server
architecture
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Client-Server Architecture
a) Client, server, and b) Mulitple clients and 1 server
 An arrangement of database on the on different computers
same computer
components (clients Client Client Server
and servers) and data Server

among computers Client

connected by a Client Database

network
Database
 It provides a flexible c) Multiple servers and databases on different computers

way for DBMSs to Client Server Server Client

interact with computer Client Client

networks
Database Database

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Organizational Roles
S p ecializatio n

F u n ctio n al U ser I n fo rm atio n S ystem s

I n d irect P aram etric P o w er DBA A n alyst/ P rog ram m e r M an ag em en t

T ech n ic al N o n T ech n ica l

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Organizational Roles
 Functional users interact passively or
actively with databases as part of their
work
 Indirect users play passive role where they
are given reports or data extracted from db
 Parametric users are more active than indirect
user; request forms/reports using parameters,
input values that change from usage to usage
eg date, department name
 Power users are most active; can build
forms/reports when needed
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Organizational Roles
 Information systems professionals interact
with databases as part of developing an
information systems
 DBA assists both information systems
professionals and functional users
 Analyst/programmer is responsible for
collecting requirements, designing
applications, and implementing information
systems
 Management has oversignt role in db and
information systems development
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Database Specialists
 Database administrator (DBA)
 More technical
 DBMS specific skills
 Data administrator (DA)
 Less technical
 Planning role

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Summary
 Databases and database technology vital
to modern organizations
 Database technology supports daily
operations and decision making
 Nonprocedural access is a crucial feature
 Many opportunities to work with databases

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Review Questions
 Final Exam April 2010 Question 1

b) Outline the Three Schema Architecture. Distinguish clearly between

the levels. How does this architecture help to ensure data
independence? (8 marks)

c) For each of the following changes, identify which if any of the

schemas in the Three Schema Architecture will need to be changed.
Explain briefly.
i a large mailing list needs to be stored in two smaller relations for
performance reasons.
ii an application needs to access an existing personnel attribute which
it did not need before.
iii a personnel record is to be added to the database
(6 marks)
 Answer

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