Ch 1 Database Systems 1 Basic Definition . Data: Known facts that can be recorded and have an implicit meaning. .

Information: Data that has been processed. . Metadata: Data that describe the properties or characteristics of other data. . Database: An organized collection of related data. It represents some aspects of the real world, called mini-world. . Mini-world: Some part of the real world about which data is stored in a database. For example, students grades and transcripts at a university. . Database Management System (DBMS): A software package to facilitate the creation and maintenance of a computerized database. Its function includes: . Defining a database--specifying the data types, structures, constraints for the data to be stored in the database. . Constructing a database--a process of storing the data on medium. . Manipulating a database--querying to retrieve data,
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updating database, generating reports. . Database System: The DBMS software together with the data itself. 2 Disadvantages of File Processing Systems . Program-data dependence: File descriptions are stored within the application program that accesses a given file. . Duplication of data and data inconsistency . Difficulty in accessing data . Limited data sharing . Integrity problem . Atomicity problem . Concurrent-access anomalies . Lengthy development times . Security problem . Excessive system maintenance

3 Example of a Database . Mini-world for the example: Part of a university environment. . Some mini-world entities: . STUDENTs . COURSEs . SECTIONs (of COURSEs) . (academic) DEPARTMENTs . INSTRUCTORs . Some mini-world relationships: . SECTIONs are of specific COURSEs . STUDENTs take SECTIONs . COURSEs have prerequisite COURSEs . INSTRUCTORs teach SECTIONs . COURSEs are offered by DEPARTMENTs . STUDENTs major in DEPARTMENTs 4 Main Characteristics of Database Technology . The database system contains not only the database itself but also a complete definition of the database. The definition is stored in the system catalog. In traditional file processing, data definition is part of the application programs.
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. Self-contained nature of a database system: A DBMS catalog stores the description of the database including structure, types and format. The description is called meta-data. This allows the DBMS software to work with different databases. . In traditional file processing, the structure of files is embedded in the access program, changes to the structure of files require changing the program that accesses the file. In DBMS, just change the description in the catalog, no access programs are changed. . Insulation between programs and data: Called program-data independence. Allows changing data storage structures without having to change the DBMS access programs. . Data Abstraction: A data model (a type of abstraction) is used to hide storage details and present the users with a conceptual view of the database. Program-data independence/ program-operation independence is called data abstraction. . In OO databases, an operation is specified in two parts: . The interface of an operation includes the operation name and the data types of parameters. . The implementation of the operation is specified separately and can changed without affecting the interface. . Here a data model uses objects, properties, inter4

relationships rather than storage concepts. . Support of multiple views of the data: A database typically has many users. Each user may see a different view of the database, which describes only the data of interest to that user. A view may be a subset of the database or it may contain virtual data that is derived from the database files but is not explicitly stored. 5 Classes of Database Users . Workers on the scene: Persons whose job involves daily use of a large database. . Database administrators (DBAs): Responsible for managing the database system, such as authorizing access to database, coordinating and monitoring its use, acquiring software and hardware, defining schema, defining storage structure and access-method. . Database designers: Responsible for designing the database, such as identifying the data to be stored in the database, choosing structures to represent and store data. . End users: The persons that use the database for querying, updating, generating reports, etc. . Casual end users: Occasional users.
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. Parametric end users: They use pre-programmed canned transactions to interact continuously with the database. For example, bank tellers or reservation clerks. . Sophisticated end users: Use full DBMS capabilities for implementing complex applications. . Database analysts/application programmers: Design and implement canned transactions for parametric users. . Workers behind the scene: Persons whose job involves design, development, operation, and maintenance of the DBMS software and system environment. . DBMS designers and implementers: Design and implement the DBMS software package itself. . Tool developers: Design and implement tools that facilitate the use of the DBMS software. Tools include design tools (CASE), performance monitoring tools, special interfaces (natural language, simulation), etc. . Operators and maintenance personnel: Work on running and maintaining the hardware and software environment for the database system. 6 Additional Characteristics of Database Technology . Controlling redundancy in data storage (any data will be
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stored only one place in the database) and in development and maintenance efforts. . Sharing of data among multiple users. . Restricting unauthorized access to data. . Providing multiple interfaces (programming language, natural language, etc) to different classes of users. . Representing complex relationships among data ( a variety of data may be interrelated in many ways). . Enforcing integrity constraints on the database. . Providing backup and recovery services (recovering from hardware and software failure). . Potential for enforcing standards (standards can be defined for names and formats of data elements, display formats, report structures. It is easy to enforce standard than each user has control of own files and software). . Flexibility to change data structures (to change the structure of a database as requirements change). . Reduced application development time (development time is one-sixth of that for a file system). . Availability of up-to-date information (a DBMS makes the
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database available to all users. As soon as an update is done, all users see the update). . Economies of scale (permits consolidation of data and applications).