A database system consists of a collection of interrelated data and a database management system (DBMS) to manage the data.

The collection of data, called the database, contains information regarding one particular enterprise; the database can be manipulated via a set of database operations. The primary goals of a DBMS are (1) to provide the persistency of data, (2) to enable convenient and efficient access to shared data, and (3) to maintain consistency in the presence of concurrent access and failures. Database systems are designed to manage large bodies of information. The management of data involves the definition of structures, known as the data definition. The storage and manipulation of information is done through a data manipulation langua ge consisting of a query language and an update language. In the event of a failure, such as a system failure or a media failure, the DBMS should restore the database to the same correct state as before the failure. The former is ensured by a correct concurrency control protocol and the latter by a recovery mechanism. A database contains certain privileged information that can be accessed and manipulated only by a special group of users. The DBMS must provide the security of the privileged information against unauthorized access. The chapter discusses the three levelsphysical level, conceptual level, and view level of abstraction in a DBMS and elaborates database system architecture.