BTEC 2012

Unit 1 The Online World

Name: Iyobel Kibreab

Lesson 11 Data Storage

(Student Book B Pg 18 - 21)

Starter What is meant by data storage?

The term data storage covers all of the many ways in which data is held.
1. What is a database structure made out of?
A database structure is made out of records then the records are made out of fields.
2. Explain what is meant be each of the following terms.
Table
A two-dimensional representation of data in a database.
Record
A group of selected data which are associated in some way.
Field
A single piece of data within a record.
Relationship
A relationship is a link between databases.
Data Type
Data type is data which is inserted into fields.
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3. Name the various data types that are used in databases.

Text
Number
Date/time
Logical

Databases use relationships to link different tables together as shown below.

4. What is a primary key?

The primary key is the unique identifier of each record in the table.
5. What is a foreign key?
A field which can be used to cross-reference and access associated information across many tables.

A.Silver

BTEC 2012
Unit 1 The Online World

Name: Iyobel Kibreab

6. What kind of relationships can tables have between each other?

Relationships can be one-way, two-way, one-to-many or many-to-one. Many-to-many relationships also
exist in some databases but are extremely complex to provide.
Online databases are databases which are accessible using a network, including the internet.
They are very different to local databases as they have to be accessed, and possibly updated,
by millions of users. Normally these databases will have thousands of rows of information.
Usually information is found in online databases by using a search engine.
7. How might an online database be used?
Online databases are databases which are accessible using a network, including the internet. They are
very different to local databases as they have to be accessed, and possibly updated, by millions of users.
8. What is a DBMS? What does it do?
Database management systems (DBMS) are the programs which allow you to create any database that
you need and to use the databases you have created.
It also allows you to create, maintain, search and sort data on a database. It allows different users to
access the database at the same time, and can provide different levels of access to the data.
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9. Name some common database management systems that are used:

Data Definition Language (DDL) - This is the part which is used to define the database
structure.
Data Manipulation Language (DML) - This is the part used to add, delete, change and query the
data which is held in the database structure.
Structured Query Language (SQL) - Structured Query Language (SQL) is a high-level language
which is used to undertake this management activity.

Plenary What is the difference between a database and a database management system?
A database is a collection of data which is usually structured, whereas a DBMS is the software that
allows you to make use of that data.

A.Silver