Module 1:

Fundamentals of Database
Management
 INTRODUCTION
An organization must have accurate and reliable
data (information) for effective decision
making. Data (information) is the backbone
and most critical resource of an organization
that enables managers and organizations to
gain a competitive edge. In this age of
information explosion, where people are
bombarded with data, getting the right
information, in the right amount, at the right
time is not an easy task. So, only those
organizations will survive that successfully
manage information.
 Basic Definitions and Concepts

• Data - defined as known facts that could

be recorded and stored on Computer
Media. It is also defined as raw facts
from which the required information is
produced
• Information - According to Burch et. al.,
“Information is data that have been put
into a meaningful and useful content and
communicated to a recipient who uses it
to made decisions”.
 Basic Definitions and Concepts

In these days, there is no lack of

data, but there is lack of quality
information. The quality information means
information that is accurate, timely and
relevant, which are the three major key
attributes of information.
 Basic Definitions and Concepts
1. Accuracy : It means that the information is free from errors, and
it clearly and accurately reflects the meaning of data on which it
is based. It also means it is free from bias and conveys an
accurate picture to the recipient.
2. Timeliness : It means that the recipients receive the information
when they need it and within the required time frame.
3. Relevancy : It means the usefulness of the piece of information
for the corresponding persons. It is a very subjective matter.
Some information that is relevant for one person might not be
relevant for another and vice versa e.g., the price of printer is
irrelevant for a person who wants to purchase computer.
 Basic Definitions and Concepts

Database - is a collection of interrelated data

stored together with controlled redundancy to
serve one or more applications in an optimal way.
It is also defined as a collection of logically
related data stored together that is designed to
meet information requirements of an organization.
We can also define it as an electronic filling system
 Basic Definitions and Concepts
Databases are organized by fields, records and files.
1. Fields - It is the smallest unit of the data that has meaning to its users and is
also called data item or data element. Name, Address and Telephone number
are examples of fields. These are represented in the database by a value.
2. Records - A record is a collection of logically related fields and each field is
possessing a fixed number of bytes and is of fixed data type. Alternatively, we
can say a record is one complete set of fields and each field have some value.
The complete information about a particular phone number in the database
represents a record. Records are of two types fixed length records and variable
length records.
3. Files - A file is a collection of related records. Generally, all the records in a file
are of same size and record type but it is not always true. The records in a file
may be of fixed length or variable length depending upon the size of the records
contained in a file.
 Basic Definitions and Concepts

Database Management System (DBMS) - is the

software package used to define, create, use, and
maintain a database. It typically consists of several
software modules, each with their own functionality.
Popular DBMS vendors are Oracle, Microsoft, and
IBM. MySQL is a well-known open-source DBMS.
The combination of a DBMS and a database is then
often called a database system
File-based approach or Traditional file system

• In the early days of computing, every application

stored its data into its own dedicated files. This is
known as a file-based approach or traditional
file system and is illustrated in Figure 1.1.
Disadvantages of Traditional File System
1. Data Redundancy
2. Data Inconsistency
3. Lack of Data Integration
4. Program Dependence
5. Data Dependence
6. Limited Data Sharing
7. Poor Data Control
8. Problem of Security
9. Data Manipulation Capability is Inadequate
10. Needs Excessive Programming
 Advantages of Database Approach

1. Controlled redundancy
2. Data consistency
3. Program data independence
4. Sharing of data
5. Enforcement of standards
6. Improved data integrity
7. Improved security
Advantages of Database Systems
(DBMS’s)
8. Data access is efficient
9. Conflicting requirements can be balanced
10. . Improved backup and recovery facility
11. Minimal program maintenance
12. Data quality is high
13. Good data accessibility and responsiveness
14. Concurrency control
15. Economical to scale
16. Increased programmer productivity
 Disadvantages of Database Systems
1. Complexity increases
2. Requirement of more disk space
3. Additional cost of hardware
4. Cost of conversion
5. Need of additional and specialized
manpower
6. Need for backup and recovery
7. Organizational conflict
8. More installation and management cost :
 Database Model versus Instances

The database model or database schema

- provides the description of the database
data at different levels of detail and specifies the
various data items, their characteristics, and
relationships, constraints, storage details, etc. It
is specified during database design and is not
expected to change frequently. It is stored in the
catalog, which is the heart of the DBMS
• The following are examples of data
definitions that are an essential part of
the database model stored in the
catalog.
The database state then represents the
data in the database at a particular
moment. It is sometimes also called the
current set of instances. Depending upon
data manipulations, such as adding,
updating, or removing data, it typically
changes on an ongoing basis.
Figure 1.3 Example of Database State
 Data Model
A database model comprises different data
models, each describing the data from
different perspectives. A good data model is
the start of every successful database
application. It provides a clear and
unambiguous description of the data items,
their relationships, and various data
constraints from a particular perspective
 Types of Data Model
• A conceptual data model provides a
high-level description of the data items
(e.g., supplier, product) with their
characteristics (e.g., supplier name,
product number) and relationships (e.g.,
a supplier can supply products).
A logical data model is a translation or mapping of the
conceptual data model toward a specific
implementation environment.

The logical data model can be mapped to an internal

data model that represents the data’s physical storage
details. It clearly describes which data are stored
where, in what format, which indexes are provided to
speed up retrieval.
The external data model contains various
subsets of the data items in the logical
model, also called views, tailored toward
the needs of specific applications or
groups of users
The Three Layer Architecture
1. Conceptual/logical layer
Here, the conceptual and logical data
models. Both focus on the data items, their
characteristics, and relationships without
bothering too much about the actual
physical DBMS implementation
2. External layer
It has the external data model, which
includes views offering a window on a carefully
selected part of the logical data model. A view
describes the part of the database that a
particular application or user group is
interested in, hiding the rest of the database.
3. Internal layer
includes the internal data model,
which specifies how the data are stored or
organized physically. Ideally, changes in
one layer should have no to minimal
impact on the others.
Catalog
The catalog is the heart of the DBMS. It
contains the data definitions, or metadata,
of your database application. It stores the
definitions of the views, logical and internal
data models, and synchronizes these three
data models to ensure their consistency
 Database Users
• Information Architect – He/she designs the
conceptual data model. He/she closely interacts with
the business user to make sure the data requirements
are fully understood and modeled.
• Database Designer – He/she translates the
conceptual data model into a logical and internal data
model.
• Database Administrator (DBA) – He/she is
responsible for the implementation and monitoring of
the database. He/she sets up the database
infrastructure and continuously monitors its
performance by inspecting key performance indicators
such as response times, throughput rates, and storage
space consumed.
 Database Users
• Application Developer – He/she develops database
applications in a general purpose programming
language such as Java or Python. He/she provides
the data requirements, which are then translated by
the database designer or DBA into view definitions.
• End users – He/she will run these applications to
perform specific database operations. He/she can
also directly query the database using interactive
querying facilities for reporting purposes.
 Database Languages
• Data Definition Language (DDL)
– used by the DBA to express the database’s
external, logical, and internal data models. These
definitions are stored in the catalog.
• Data Manipulation Language (DML)
– used to retrieve, insert, delete, and modify data.
DML statements can be embedded in a general-
purpose programming language, or entered
interactively through a front-end querying tool
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