Fundamentals of Database

systems(CoSc2041)
Jimma University Institute of
Technology
Faculty of computing and Informatics
Chapter One
Introduction: Databases and Database
Users
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 Chapter outline
• Introduction
• Functionality of DBMS
• Characteristics/Features of DBMS
• File system vs DBMS
• Types of DBMS users
• Historical background
• Application
• When and when not to use DBMS

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 Chapter Objectives
At the end the chapter students should able to know:
 The meaning of the term ‘database’.
 The meaning of the term ‘database management system’ (DBMS).
 Some common uses of database systems.
 The characteristics of Database systems.
 The problems with the file-based approach.
 The typical functions of a DBMS.
 The major components of the DBMS environment.
 The history of the development of DBMSs.
 The advantages and disadvantages of DBMSs.

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INTRODUCTION
• Database : is a collection of related data.
• Data: is a collection of facts and figures that can be processed to produce
information.
• Database Management System or DBMS
• in short refers to the technology of storing and retrieving users’ data with
at most efficiency along with appropriate security measures.
• A software package/ system to facilitate the creation and maintenance of
a computerized database.
• stores data in such a way that it becomes easier to retrieve, manipulate,
and produce information.

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• The DBMS software together with the data itself. Sometimes, the
applications are also included.

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

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• 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
• Other features:
• Protection or Security measures to prevent unauthorized access
• Active processing to take internal actions on data
• Presentation and Visualization of data
• Maintaining the database and associated programs over the lifetime of
the database application Called database, software, and system
maintenance

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 Characteristics of DBMS
DBMS was a new concept then, and all the research was done to make it
overcome the deficiencies in traditional style of data management.
1. Real-world entity − A modern DBMS is more realistic and uses real-
world entities to design its architecture.
 It uses the behavior and attributes too.
 For example, a school database may use students as an entity and their
age as an attribute.
2. Relation-based tables − DBMS allows entities and relations among
them to form tables. A user can understand the architecture of a database just
by looking at the table names.
3. Isolation of data and application − A database system is entirely
different than its data.
• A database is an active entity, whereas data is said to be passive, on which the
database works and organizes.
• DBMS also stores metadata, which is data about data, to ease its own
process.

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4. Less redundancy − DBMS follows the rules of normalization, which
splits a relation when any of its attributes is having redundancy in values.
• Normalization is a mathematically rich and scientific process that reduces
data redundancy.
5. Consistency− Consistency is a state where every relation in a database
remains consistent. There exist methods and techniques, which can detect
attempt of leaving database in inconsistent state.
• A DBMS can provide greater consistency as compared to earlier forms of
data storing applications like file-processing systems.
6. Query Language − DBMS is equipped with query language, which
makes it more efficient to retrieve and manipulate data.
• A user can apply as many and as different filtering options as required to
retrieve a set of data.
• Traditionally it was not possible where file-processing system was used.

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7. ACID Properties − DBMS follows the concepts of Atomicity,
Consistency, Isolation, and Durability (normally shortened as ACID). These
concepts are applied on transactions, which manipulate data in a database.
 Atomicity − is, either all of its operations are executed or none.
 Consistency − No transaction should have any adverse effect on the data
residing in the database.
 Isolation − No transaction will affect the existence of any other
transaction.
 Durability − The database should be durable enough to hold all its latest
updates even if the system fails or restarts.
8. Multiuser and Concurrent Access − DBMS supports multi-user
environment and allows them to access and manipulate data in parallel.
9. Multiple views − DBMS offers multiple views for different users. A
user who is in the Sales department will have a different view of database than
a person working in the Production department.

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10. Security − Features like multiple views offer security to some extent where users
are unable to access data of other users and departments.
• DBMS offers many different levels of security features, which enables multiple users to
have different views with different features.
 File-based System: A collection of application programs that perform
services for the end-users such as the production of reports. Each program
defines and manages its own data.
Traditionally, data was organized in file formats.
Disadvantage
Separation and isolation of data
Duplication of data and inconsistency
Data dependence
Incompatible file formats
Fixed queries/proliferation of application programs
Difficulty in accessing data
Integrity problems
Atomicity problems
Concurrent-access anomalies
Security problems
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What is table?
• The data in DBMS is stored in database objects called tables.
• The table is a collection of related data entries and it consists of columns
and rows

What is field ?
• Every table is broken up into smaller entities called fields. The fields in
the CUSTOMERS table consist of ID, NAME, AGE, ADDRESS and
SALARY.
• A field is a column in a table that is designed to maintain specific
information about every record in the table.

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 What is record or row?
• A record, also called a row of data, is each individual entry that exists in a
table.
• A record is a horizontal entity in a table.

What is column?
• A column is a vertical entity in a table that contains all information
associated with a specific field in a table.
• For example, a column in the CUSTOMERS table is ADDRESS, which
represents location description and would consist of the following

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Database Users
• A typical DBMS has users with different rights and permissions who use it for
different purposes. Some users retrieve data and some back it up.
• The users of a DBMS can be broadly categorized as follows:
• Administrators
• Designers and
• End Users
Administrators − Administrators maintain the DBMS and are responsible
for administrating the database.
• Responsible to look after its usage and by whom it should be used.
• Can create access profiles for users and apply limitations to maintain
isolation and force security.
• Look after DBMS resources like system license, required tools, and other
software and hardware related maintenance.

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Designers − are the group of people who actually work on the designing
part of the database.
• Keep a close watch on what data should be kept and in what format.
• Identify and design the whole set of entities, relations, constraints, and
views.
End Users − End users are those who actually reap the benefits of having
a DBMS.
• End users can range from simple viewers who pay attention to the logs or
market rates to sophisticated users such as business analysts.
• Categories of End-users
 Casual: access database occasionally when needed.
 Naïve or Parametric: they make up a large section of the end-user
population.
• They use previously well-defined functions in the form of “canned
transactions” against the database.
• Examples are bank-tellers or reservation clerks who do this activity for an
entire shift of operations.
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Sophisticated:
• These include business analysts, scientists, engineers, others thoroughly
familiar with the system capabilities.
• Many use tools in the form of software packages that work closely with the
stored database.
Stand-alone:
• Mostly maintain personal databases using ready-to-use packaged
applications.
• An example is a tax program user that creates its own internal database.
• Another example is maintaining an address book.

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Historical Development of Database Technology
• Early Database Applications:
• The Hierarchical and Network Models were introduced in mid 1960s and
dominated during the seventies.
• Relational Model based Systems:
• Relational model was originally introduced in 1970, was heavily
researched and experimented with in IBM Research and several
universities.
• Relational DBMS Products emerged in the 1980s.
Object-Oriented Applications and the Need for More Complex
Databases
• Object-Oriented Database Management Systems (OODBMSs) were
introduced in late 1980s and early 1990s.
• Used to cater the need of complex data processing in CAD.

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• Many relational DBMSs have incorporated object database concepts, leading to a
new category called object-relational DBMSs (ORDBMSs)

• Extended relational systems add further capabilities (e.g. for multimedia data, XML,
and other data types).
Data on the Web and E-commerce Applications:

• Web contains data in HTML (Hypertext markup language) with links among
pages.

• This has given rise to a new set of applications and E-commerce is using new
standards like XML (extended Markup Language).

• Script programming languages such as PHP and JavaScript allow generation

of dynamic Web pages that are partially generated from a database
• Also allow database updates through Web pages
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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
a) BANKING: For customer ,information, account, loans, and
transaction.
b) Airline: For reservation and schedule information. Airline were among the
first to use database in a geographically distributed manner terminals
situated around the world accessed the central database system through
phone lines and other data network.
c) Universities: For students information, course registration, and grades.
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d) Credits card transaction: For purchases on credits cards and generation of
monthly statements.
e) Sales: For customer, product, and purchase information.
f) Human resources: For information about employees, salaries, payroll taxes
and benefits, and for generation of paychecks.
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.

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

When not to use a DBMS

• 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.
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