Chapter 14 - Databases and Database Management Systems
Query
A request to see information from a database that matches specific criteria.
Data security
Protecting the data located in a database against destruction and misuse.
Attribute
A characteristic of an entity.
Database
A collection of related data that is stored in a manner enabling information to be retrieved as needed; in a relational database, a collection of related tables.
Record
A collection of related fields in a database. Also called a row.
Row
A collection of related fields located in a single table in a database.
Multiuser database system
A database designed to be accessed by multiple users.
Single-user database system
A database located on a single computer and designed to be accessed by a single user.
Centralized database system
A database system in which all of the data used by the system is located on a single computer.
Distributed database system
A database system in which the data used by the system is located on multiple computers tat ae connected via a network.
Client-server data base system
A database system where the database is located on a server and accessed by client devices.
In-memory database (IMDB)
A database that stores all data in memory instead of on a hard drive.
Column
A field in a database.
Report
A formatted way of looking at information retrieved from a database table or the results of a query.
Form
A formatted way of viewing and editing a table in a database.
Indexed organization
A method for organizing data on a storage medium or in a database that uses an index to specify the exact storage location.
Direct organization
A method of arranging data on a storage medium that uses hashing to specify the exact storage location.
Structured query language (SQL)
A popular query language standard for information retrieval in relational databases.
Field
A single category of data to be stored in a database, such as customer names or employee telephone numbers. Also called a column.
Index
A small table containing a primary key and the location of the record belonging to that key; used to locate records in a database.
Primary key
A specific field in a database table that uniquely identifies the records in that table.
Multidimensional database (MDDB)
A type of database designed to be used with data warehousing.
Relational database management system (RDBMS)
A type of database system in which data is stored in tables related by common fields; the most widely used database model today.
Object-oriented database management system (OODBMS)
A type of database system in which multiple types of data are stored as objects along with their related code.
Hybrid XML/relational database
A type of database system that can store and retrieve both XML data and relational data.
Database management system (DBMS)
A type of software program used to create, maintain, and access databases.
Table
In a relational database, a collection of related records or rows.
Data privacy
Protecting the privacy of the data located in a database.
Middleware
Software used to connect two otherwise separate applications, such as a Web server and a database management system.
Entity
Something (such as a person, object, or event) that is important to a business or organization; typically becomes a database table in a database system for that business or organization.
Data integrity
The accuracy of data.
Data definition
The process of describing the properties of data that is to be included in a database table.
Data validation
The process of ensuring that data entered into a database is valid (matches the data definition).
Normalization
The process of evaluating and correcting the structure of a database table to minimize data redundancy.
Metadata
Data about data, such as the data contained in a data dictionary.
Data dictionary
The repository of all data definitions in a database.
