Database Design Chapter 1
Ad hoc query
A "spur-of-the-moment" question.
Data Dictionary
A DBMS component that stores metadata—data about data. The data dictionary contains data definitions as well as data characteristics and relationships. May also include data that is external to the DBMS.
Desktop database
A Single-User database that runs on a PC
Field
A character or group of characters (alphabetic or numeric) that has a specific meaning. A field is used to define and store data.
Database Management System (DBMS)
A collection of programs that manages database structure and controls access to the data stored in the database.
File
A collection of related records. For example, a file might contain data about the students currently enrolled at Gigantic University.
Data anomaly
A data abnormality in which inconsistent changes have been made to a database. For example, an employee moves, but the address change is not corrected in all files in the database.
XML database
A database system that stores and manages semi-structured XML data
Record
A logically connected set of one or more fields that describes a person, place, or thing. For example, the fields that constitute a record for a customer might consist of the customer's name, address, phone number, date of birth, credit limit, and unpaid balance.
Extensible Markup Language (XML)
A metalanguage used to represent and manipulate data elements. Unlike other markup languages, XML permits the manipulation of a document's data elements.
Workgroup database
A multi-user database that supports a small number of users (50 or less) or specific department
Enterprise databases
A multi-user database that supports the overall company and many users across many departments
NoSQL
A new generation of database management systems that is not based on traditional relational database model.
Query language
A nonprocedural language that is used by a DBMS to manipulate its data. An example of a query language is SQL.
Data Management
A process that focuses on data collection, storage, and retrieval. Common data management functions include addition, deletion, modification, and listing.
Query
A question or task asked by an end user of a database in the form of SQL code. A specific request for data manipulation issued by the end user or the application of DBMS.
Business Intelligence
A set of tools and processes used to capture, collect, integrate, store, and analyze data to support business decision making.
Online analytical processing (OLAP
A set of tools that provide advanced data analysis for retrieving, processing, and modeling data from the data warehouse.
Database
A shared integrated structure that contains end user data and metadata (data about data).
Data warehouse
A specialized database that stores historical and aggregated data in a format optimized for decision support.
Structural Dependence
Access to a file is dependent on its own structure. All file system programs are modified to conform to a new file structure.
Manual File Systems
Accomplished through a system of file folders and file cabinets
Database System
An organization of components that defines and regulates the collection, storage, management, and use of data in a database environment.
General-purpose database
Contains a wide variety of data used in multiple disciplines
Discipline-specific database
Contains data focuses on specific subject areas
Data Processing (DP) specialist
Created a computer-based system that would track data and produce required reports
Data processing (DP) specialist
Created a computer-based system that would track data and produce required reports
Cloud database
Created and maintained using cloud data services that provide defined performance measures for the database. (Microsoft Azure or Amazon AWS)
Data Dependence
Data access changes when data storage characteristics change
Structured data
Data has been formatted to facilitate storage, use, and information generation.
Distributed database
Data is distributed across two or more sites
Centralized database
Data is located at a single site
Data Independence
Data storage characteristics is changed without affecting the program's ability to access data
Unstructured data
Data that exists in its original, raw state; that is, in the format in which it was collected.
Operational database/transactional database/online transaction processing database (OLTP)/production database
Designed to support a company's day-to-day operations
Data inconsistency
Different versions of the same data appear in different places.
Structured Query Language (SQL)
Do facto query language and data access standard supported by the majority of DBMS vendors. A powerful and flexible relational database language composed of commands that enable users to create database and table structures, perform various types of data manipulation and data administration, and query the database to extract useful information.
Backup and recovery management
Enables recovery of the database after a failure
Security Management
Enforces user security and data privacy
Performance Tuning
Ensures efficient performance of the database in terms of storage and access speed
Structural Independence
File structure is changed without affecting the application's ability to access data.
Data integrity
In a relational database a condition in which the data in the database complies with all entity and referential integrity constraints.
File System Redux: Modern End-User Productivity Tools
Includes spreadsheet programs such as Excel
Data integrity management
Minimizes redundancy and maximizes consistency
Semi-structured data
Processed to some extent
Data quality
Promoting accuracy, validity, and timeless of data.
Data
Raw facts, such as a telephone number, a birth date, a customer name, and a year-to-date (YTD) sales value. Data have little meaning unless they have been organized in some logical manner.
Islands of information
Scattered data locations. Increases the probability of having different versions of the same data
Multiuser access control
Sophisticated algorithms ensuring that multiple users can access the database concurrently without compromising integrity
Analytical database
Stores historical data and business metrics used exclusively for tactical or strategic decision making
Multi-user database
Supports multiple users at the same time
Single-user database
Supports one user at a time
Knowledge
The body of information and facts about a specific subject. Knowledge implies familiarity, awareness, and understanding of information as it applies to an environment. A key characteristic is that new knowledge can be derived from old knowledge.
Query result set
The collection of data rows returned by query.
Data Design
The process that yields the description of the database structure and determines the database components. The second phase of the Database Life Cycle.
Information
The result of processing raw data to reveal its meaning. Information consists of transformed data and facilitates decision making.
Physical data format
The way a computer "sees" (stores) data.
Logical data format
The way a person views data within the context of a problem domain
Data transformation and presentation
Transforms entered data to conform to required data structures
Data redundancy
Unnecessarily storing same data at different places
Social media
Web and mobile technologies that enable "anywhere, anytime, always on" human interactions.
Practical Significance
of data dependence is the difference between logical and physical format
Advantages of DBMS
• Better data integration and less data inconsistency • Increased end-user productivity • Improved data sharing, security, access, decision making, quality
Disadvantages of DBMS
• Increased costs • Management complexity • Maintaining currency • Vendor dependency • Frequent upgrade/replacement cycles
Roles of DBMS
• Intermediary between the user and the database • Enables data to be shared • Presents the end user with an integrated view of the data • Receives and translates application requests into operations required to fulfill the request • Hides database's internal complexity from the application program