DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (DBMS) BASIC CONCEPTS

Data Models: A model is a representation of reality, real world objects and events, and their associations. It is an abstraction that concentrates on the essential, inherent aspects of an organization and ignores the accidental properties. A data model represents the organization itself. Let should provide the basic concepts and notations that will allow database designers and end users unambiguously and accurately to communicate their understanding of the organizational data. Data Model can be defined as an integrated collection of concepts for describing and manipulating data, relationships between data, and constraints on the data in an organization. A data model comprises of three components: A structural part, consisting of a set of rules according to which databases can be constructed. A manipulative part. Defining the types of operation that are allowed on the data (this includes the operations that are used or updating or retrieving data from the database and for changing the structure of the database). Possibly a set of integrity rules, which ensures that the data is accurate.

The purpose of a data model is to represent data and to make the data understandable. There have been many data models proposed in the literature. They fall into three broad categories: Object Based Data Models Physical Data Models Record Based Data Models

The object based and record based data models are used to describe data at the conceptual and external levels, the physical data model is used to describe data at the internal level.

Database Management System (DBMS) DBMSs are the technology tools that directly support managing organizational data. With a DBMS you can create a database including its logical structure and constraints, you can manipulate the data and information it contains, or you can directly create a simple database application or reporting tool. Human administrators, through a user interface, perform certain tasks with the tool such as creating a database, converting an existing database, or archiving a large and growing database. Business applications, which perform the higher level tasks of managing business processes, interact with end users and other applications and, to store and manage data, rely on and directly operate their own underlying database through a standard programming interface like ODBC. The following diagram illustrates the five components of a DBMS.

Database Engine:

The Database Engine is the core service for storing, processing, and securing data. The Database Engine provides controlled access and rapid transaction processing to meet the requirements of the most demanding data consuming applications within your enterprise. Use the Database Engine to create relational databases for online transaction processing or online analytical processing data. This includes creating tables for storing data, and database objects such as indexes, views, and stored procedures for viewing, managing, and securing data. You can use SQL Server Management Studio to manage the database objects, and SQL Server Profiler for capturing server events.
Data dictionary:

A data dictionary is a reserved space within a database which is used to store information about the database itself. A data dictionary is a set of table and views which can only be read and never altered. Most data dictionaries contain different information about the data used in the enterprise. In terms of the database representation of the data, the data table defines all schema objects including views, tables, clusters, indexes, sequences, synonyms, procedures, packages, functions, triggers and many more. This will ensure that all these things follow one standard defined in the dictionary. The data dictionary also defines how much space has been allocated for and / or currently in used by all the schema objects. A data dictionary is used when finding information about users, objects and schema and storage structures. Every time a data definition language (DDL) statement is issued, the data dictionary becomes modified. A data dictionary may contain information such as:

Database design information Stored SQL procedures User permissions User statistics Database process information Database growth statistics Database performance statistics Query Processor: A relational database consists of many parts, but at its heart are two major components: the storage engine and the query processor. The storage engine writes data to and reads data from the disk. It manages records, controls concurrency, and maintains log files. The query processor accepts SQL syntax, selects a plan for executing the syntax, and then executes the chosen plan. The user or program interacts with the query processor, and the query processor in turn interacts with the storage engine. The query processor isolates the user from the details of execution: The user specifies the result, and the query processor determines how this result is obtained. The query processor components include

DDL interpreter DML compiler Query evaluation engine Report writer: Also called a report generator, a program, usually part of a database management system, that extracts information from one or more files and presents the information in a specified format. Most report writers allow you to select records that meet certain conditions and to display selected fields in rows and columns. You can also format data into pie charts, bar charts, and other diagrams. Once you

have created a format for a report, you can save the format specifications in a file and continue reusing it for new data.

Components
DBMS engine accepts logical requests from various other DBMS subsystems, converts them into physical equivalents, and actually accesses the database and data dictionary as they exist on a storage device. Data definition subsystem helps the user create and maintain the data dictionary and define the structure of the files in a database. Data manipulation subsystem helps the user to add, change, and delete information in a database and query it for valuable information. Software tools within the data manipulation subsystem are most often the primary interface between user and the information contained in a database. It allows the user to specify its logical information requirements. Application generation subsystem contains facilities to help users develop transaction-intensive applications. It usually requires that the user perform a detailed series of tasks to process a transaction. It facilitates easy-to-use data entry screens, programming languages, and interfaces. Data administration subsystem helps users manage the overall database environment by providing facilities for backup and recovery, security management, query optimization, concurrency control, and change management.

Database Components
An Access database consists of several different components. Each component listed is called anobject. Listed below are the names and descriptions of the different objects you can use in Access. This tutorial will focus on the first two objects: tables and queries. Tables: tables are where the actual data is defined and entered. Tables consist of records (rows) and fields (columns). Queries: queries are basically questions about the data in a database. A query consists of specifications indicating which fields, records, and summaries you want to see from a database. Queries allow you to extract data based on the criteria you define. Forms: forms are designed to ease the data entry process. For example, you can create a data entry form that looks exactly like a paper form . People generally prefer to enter data into a well-designed form, rather than a table. Reports: when you want to print records from your database, design a report. Access even has a wizard to help produce mailing labels. Pages: a data access page is a special type of Web page designed for viewing and working with data from the Internet or an intranet. This data is stored in a Microsoft Access database or a Microsoft SQL Server database.

Macros: a macro is a set of one or more actions that each performs a particular operation, such as opening a form or printing a report. Macros can help you automate common tasks. For example, you can run a macro that prints a report when a user clicks a command button. Modules: a module is a collection of Visual Basic for Applications declarations and procedures that are stored together as a unit.

Components of a database
These three items form the building blocks of a database. They store the data that we want to save in our database. Columns Columns are akin to fields, that is, individual items of data that we wish to store. A customer's name, the price of a part, the date of an invoice are all examples of columns. They are also similar to the columns found in spreadsheets (the A, B, C etc along the top). Rows Rows are akin to records as they contain data of multiple columns (like the 1,2,3 etc in a spreadsheet). Unlike file records though, it is possible to extract only the columns you want to make up a row of data. Old "records" that computers read forced the computer to read EVERYTHING, even if you only wanted a tiny portion of the record. In databases, a row can be made up of as many or as few columns as you want. This makes reading data much more efficient - you fetch what you want. Tables A table is a logical group of columns. For example, you may have a table that stores details of customers' names and addresses. Another table would be used to store details of parts and yet another would be used for supplier's names and addresses. It is the tables that make up the entire database and it is important that we do not duplicate data at all. Onlykeys would duplicate (and even then, on some tables - these would be unique). Keys Keys are used to relate one table for another. For example. A customer places an order for some parts. We need to store the customer's details, the parts ordered and the supplier of the parts (to ensure we have enough stock or place a new order to restock). How do we "link" all this information together? How can we separate one customer's order from another? Suppose we have the following tables to store this information.
The copyright of the article Components of a database in PC Support is owned by Chris Cruickshank. Permission to republish Components of a database in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

DATABASE SYSTEM AND IT'S COMPONENTS

DATABASE SYSTEM

A database system is a computer based record keeping System whose overall purpose is to record and maintain information that is relevant to the organization necessary for making decisions. With the growth of the database, these systems are used in various applications of real world such as Banking System and ATM's machines. Stock Trading Systems. Flight Reservation Systems. Computerized Library Systems. Super Market Product Inventory System. Credit Card/Credit Limit Check System. Database can range from those of a single user with a desktop computer to those on mainframe computers with thousands of users. COMPONENTS OF DATABASE SYSTEM A database system is composed of four components; Data Hardware Software Users which coordinate with each other to form an effective database system.

Fig. 1.1 Data Base System

1. Data - It is a very important component of the database system. Most of the organizations generate, store and process 1arge amount of data. The data acts a bridge between the machine parts i.e. hardware and software and the users which directly access it or access it through some application programs. Data may be of different types.

 User Data - It consists of a table(s) of data called Relation(s) where Column(s) are called fields of attributes and rows are called Records for tables. A Relation must be structured properly. Metadata - A description of the structure of the database is known as Metadata. It basically means "data about data". System Tables store the Metadata which includes. - Number of Tables and Table Names - Number of fields and field Names - Primary Key Fields Application Metadata - It stores the structure and format of Queries, reports and other applications components. ' 2. Hardware - The hardware consists of the secondary storage devices such as magnetic disks (hard disk, zip disk, floppy disks), optical disks (CD-ROM), magnetic tapes etc. on which data is stored together with the Input/Output devices (mouse, keyboard, printers), processors, main memory etc. which are used for storing and retrieving the data in a fast and efficient manner. Since database can range from those of a single user with a desktop computer to those on mainframe computers with thousand of users, therefore proper care should be taken for choosing appropriate hardware devices for a required database. 3. Software - The Software part consists of DBMS which acts as a bridge between the user and the database or in other words, software that interacts with the users, application programs, and database and files system of a particular storage media (hard disk, magnetic tapes etc.) to insert, update, delete and retrieve data. For performing these operations such as insertion, deletion and updation we can either use the Query Languages like SQL, QUEL, Gupta SQL or application softwares such as Visual 3asic, Developer etc. 4. Users - Users are those persons who need the information from the database to carry out their primary business responsibilities i.e. Personnel, Staff, Clerical, Managers, Executives etc. On the basis of the job and requirements made by them they are provided access to the database totally or partially. The various types of users which can access the database are: Database Administrators (DBA) Database Designers End Users Application Programmers