Databases and Data Warehouses

Management Information Systems

CSC-373
Objectives
• Explain the difference between traditional file
organisation and the database approach to managing
digital data
• Explain how relational and object oriented database
management systems are used to construct databases,
populate them with data, and manipulate the data to
produce information
• Enumerate the most important features and operations of
a relational database, the most popular database model
Objectives (continued)
• Understand how data modeling and design creates a conceptual
blueprint of a database
• Discuss how databases are used on the Web
• List the operations involved in transferring data from transactional
databases to data warehouses
Managing Digital Data
• Businesses collect and dissect data (analyze data in minute detail)
• Data can be stored in powerful database format
• Easy access and manipulation
• Databases have profound impact on business
• Database technology integrated with Internet
The Traditional File Approach
• Traditional file approach: no mechanism for manipulating data
• Database approach: has mechanism for manipulating data
• Traditional approach inconvenient
• Data redundancy:
• Presence of duplicate data in multiple files
• High data redundancy
• Low data integrity
The Traditional File Approach (cont.(

• Problems with the traditional file environment (files

maintained separately by different departments)
– Data inconsistency:
• Same attribute has different values
– Data integrity: accuracy of data
– Program-data dependence:
• When changes in program requires changes to data accessed by program
– Lack of flexibility
– Poor security
– Lack of data sharing and availability
 TRADITIONAL FILE PROCESSING

The use of a traditional

approach to file processing
encourages each functional
area in a corporation to
develop specialized
applications. Each
application requires a
unique data file that is
likely to be a subset of the
master file. These subsets
of the master file lead to
data redundancy and
inconsistency, processing
inflexibility, and wasted
storage resources.

FIGURE 6-2
Traditional File Processing

Chapter 5 Data Resource ManagementChapter 5 8

The Traditional File Approach (continued)
 Capabilities of Database Management Systems (DBMSs)

• Database
– Serves many applications by centralizing data and controlling redundant data
• Database management system (DBMS)
– Interfaces between applications and physical data files
– Separates logical and physical views of data
– Solves problems of traditional file environment
• Controls redundancy
• Eliminates inconsistency
• Uncouples programs and data
• Enables organization to central manage data and data security
 HUMAN RESOURCES DATABASE WITH MULTIPLE VIEWS

FIGURE 6-3 A single human resources database provides many different views of data, depending on the information
requirements of the user. Illustrated here are two possible views, one of interest to a benefits specialist and
one of interest to a member of the company’s payroll department.
The Database Approach
• Database approach: data organised as entities
• Entity: object that has data
• People
• Events
• Products
• Character: smallest piece of data
• Field: single piece of information about entity
• Record: collection of fields
The Database Approach (continued)
• File: collection of related records
• Database management system (DBMS): program used to build
databases
• Populates with data
• Manipulates data
• Query: message requesting access to data
The Database Approach (continued)
• Database has security issues
• Database administrator (DBA): limits user access to database
• Requires users to enter codes
• DBMS bundled with fourth-generation languages
The Database Approach (continued)
The Database Approach (continued)
The Database Approach (continued)
Database Models
• Database model: general logical structure
• How records stored in database
• Records linked differently in different models
• Models constantly changing
The Relational Model
• Relational Model: consists of tables
• Based on relational algebra
• Tuple: record
• Attribute: field
• Relation: table
• Key: identifier field
• Used to retrieve records
Relational Model (continued)
The Relational Model (continued)
• Primary key: unique key
• Uniquely identifies record
• Required in table
• Composite key: combination of fields
• Serves as primary key
• Foreign key: shared field
• Links tables
• Join table: composite of tables
The Relational Model (continued)
The Relational Model (continued)
• Table relationships with other tables
• One-to-many relationship: one item in table linked to
many items in other table
• Many-to-many relationship: many items in table
linked to many items of other table
The Object-Oriented Model
• Object-Oriented model: uses object-oriented approach
• Encapsulation: combined storage of data and relevant procedures
• Allows object to be planted in different data sets
• Inheritance: creates new object by replicating characteristics of existing
(parent) object
The Object-Oriented Model (continued)
Relational Operations
• Relational operation: create temporary subset of
table
• Create limited list or joined table list
• Select records based on conditions
• Project columns
• Join tables to create temporary table
Structured Query Language

• Structured query language: language of

choice for DBMSs
• Advantages
• Standardised language
• Used in many host languages
• Portable
The Schema and Metadata

• Schema: plan
• Describes structure of database
• Names and sizes of fields
• Identifies primary keys
• Data dictionary: repository of information about data
The Schema and Metadata (continued)
• Metadata: data about data
• Source of data
• Tables related to data
• Field information
• Usage of data
• Population rules
The Schema and Metadata (continued)
Data Modeling
• Databases must be carefully planned
• Data modeling: analysis and organisation of data
• Proactive process
• Develop conceptual blueprint
• Entity relationship diagram: graphical representation of relationships
Data Modeling (continued)
• Entity relationship diagram
• Boxes identify entities
• Lines indicate relationship
• Crossbars indicate mandatory fields
• Circles indicate optional
• Crows feet identify “many”
Data Modeling (continued)
Data Modeling (continued)
Databases on the Web
• Web dependent on databases
• Interface between Web and database required
• CGI
• ASP
• API
Databases on the Web (continued)
Data Warehousing
• Data collections used for transactions
• Accumulation of transaction data useful
• Data warehouse: large database
• Typically relational
• Supports decision making
• Data copied from transactional database
• Data mart: collection of data focusing on particular
subject
From Database to Data Warehouse
• Transactional database not suitable for business
analysis
• Only current data
• Not historic
• Data warehouse requires large storage capacity
• Mainframe computers used
• Scalability issue
Phases in Building a Data Warehouse
• Begin building data warehouse after equipment
secured
• Extraction phase
• Create files from transactional database
• Transformation phase
• Cleanse and modify data
• Loading phase
• Transfer files to data warehouse
Phases in Building a Data Warehouse
(continued)
Summary
• organisations collect vast amounts of data
• Database approach has advantages over traditional
approach
• Character: smallest piece of data
• File: collection of records
• Designer must construct schema to construct
database
Summary (continued)
• Database management system enables database
construction and manipulation
• Relational and object-oriented database models have
different advantages
• Keys used to form links among entities
• Object-oriented database maintains links differently
• SQL adopted as international standard
Summary (continued)
• Designers conduct data modeling to show required
tables
• Databases often linked to Web
• Data warehouses contain huge collections of historical
data
• Data warehouse allows data extraction,
transformation, and loading
• Invasion of privacy is exacerbated by database
technology
Bibliography

• Chapter 6: Databases and Data Warehouses,

Effy Oz “Management Information Systems”. (6th Edition).
Cencage Learning: www.cengage.co.uk/oz

• Kenneth. C. Laudon & Jane P. Laudon “Management Information Systems: Managing a Digital Firm”
(15th Edition) Pearson.

• James A. O’Brien. “Management Information Systems”

(11th Edition) McGraw Hill.