Chapter 1: Database Systems Vocab

Database Management System (DBMS)

A collection of programs that manages the database structure and controls access to the data stored in the database

File

A collection of related records

Data Quality

A comprehensive approach to ensuring the accuracy, validity, and timeliness of data.

Field

A character or group of characters (alphabetic or numeric) that has a spicific meaning. A field is used to define and store data

Discipline-specific Databases

Contain data focused on specific subject areas

Data Dictionary

Contains information about the structure of the database, including a description of each data element (metadata)

End-user data

Raw facts of interest to the end user

Ad hoc Query

A "spur-of-the-moment" question

Analytical Database

A database focused primarily on storing historical data and business metrics used exclusively for tactical or strategic decision making

Cloud Database

A database that is created and maintained using cloud services

Operational Database

A database that is designed primarily to support a company's day-to-day operations. Also known as a online transaction processing(OLTP), transactional, or production database

Centralized Database

A database that supports data located at a single site

Data Management

A discipline that focuses on the proper generation, storage, and retrieval of data.

Structural Dependence

A file system where access to a file is dependent on its structure

Record

A logically connected set of one or more fields that describes a person, place, or thing

Query Language

A nonprocedural language that is used by a DBMS to manipulate its data. An example of a query language is SQL.

Database

A shared, integrated computer structure that stores a collection of End-user data and Metadata

Desktop Database

A single-user database that runs on a personal computer.

Extensible Markup Language (XML)

A special language used to represent and manipulate data elements in a textual format

Data Warehouse

A specialized database that stores data in a format optimized for decision support

Query

A specific request issued to the DBMS for data manipulation - ex. read or update data

Unstructured Data

Data that exist in their original (raw) state -- in the format in which they were collected

Distributed Database

Database that supports data distributed across several different sites

Business Intelligence

Describes a comprehensive approach to capture and process business data with the purpose of generating information to support business decision making

Data Anomaly

Develops when not all of the required changes in the redundant data are made successfully

Data Redundancy

Exists when the same data are stored unnessarily at different places

Structural Independence

Exists when you can change the file structure without affecting the application's ability to access the data

NoSQL (Not only SQL)

Generally used to describe a new generation of database management systems that is not based on the traditional relational database model

Semistructured Data

Have already been processed to some extent; most data encountered will be found in this format

Data

Raw facts, such as a telephone number, a birth date, a customer name, etc. Has little meaning unless organized in some logical manner.

Database Design

Refers to the activities that focus on the design of the database structure that willl be used to store and manage end-user data

Social Media

Refers to web and mobile technologies that enable "anywhere, anytime, always on" human interactions

Performance Tuning

Relates to the activities that make the database perform more efficiently in terms of storage and access speed

Islands of Information

Scattered data locations, Increases the probability of having different versions of the same data

Multiuser Database

Supports multiple users at the same time.

Single-user Database

Supports only one user at a time

XML Database

Supports the storage and management of semistructured XML data

Query Result Set

The collection of data rows returned by a query.

Data Integrity

The condition in which all of the data in the database are consistent with the real-world events and conditions - Data are accurate: no inconsistencies - Data are verfiable: the data will always yield consistent results

Structured Query Language (SQL)

The de facto query language and data access standard supported by the majority of DBMS vendors

Data Processing (DP) Specialist

The person responsible for developing and managing a computerized file processing system.

Structured Data

The result of formatting unstructured data to facilitate storage, use, and the generation of information

Workgroup Database

WHen a multiuser database supports a relatively small number of users (<50) or a specific department within an organization

Enterprise Database

When the database is used by the entire organization and supports many users (more than 50, usually hundreds) across many departments

Online Analytical Processing (OLAP)

a set of tools that work together to provide an advanced data analysis environment for retrieving, processing, and modeling data from the data warehouse

General-purpose Databases

contain a wide variety of data used in multiple disciplines

Metadata

data about data, through wich the end-user data are integrated and managed

Data Inconsistency

exists when different versions of the same data appear in different places

Database System

refers to an organization of components that define and regulate the collection, storage, management, and use of data within a database environment