TUTORIAL AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS | WEEK 1 and 2

1. Define what a Database is?

A database is a logically coherent collection of data with some inherent meaning, representing some
aspect of real world and which is designed, built and populated with data for a specific purpose.

2. List and discuss the various types of Databases.

3. Explain the difference between data and information.

4. What is the relevance of accurate, relevant, and timely information?

Accurate, reliable and timely information is vital to effective decision-making in almost every aspect of
human endeavour, whether it be undertaken by individuals, community organizations, businesses or
governments

5. Why is data management important to any organization?

1. Increases productivity: If data can be accessed easily, especially in large organisations,your company
will be more organised and productive. It reduces the time that peoplespend looking for information
and instead ensures that they can do their job efficiently.Employees will also be able to understand and
communicate information to others.
Furthermore, it makes it easy to access past correspondence and prevent
miscommunication due to messages lost in transit.

2. Smooth operations: A seamless operating system is every business’ dream and datamanagement can
make that a reality. It is one of the determining factors in ensuring thesuccess of an organisation; if one
takes too long to respond to their customers or to thechanging trends around them, they run the risk of
falling behind. A risk that one cannot afford. A good data management system will sure that you
respond to the worldaccordingly and stay ahead of the competition.

3. Reduce security risk: It is the first time in history that so much personal information is available to
those that can access it. When you store people’s credit card information, personal address, phone
numbers, photos, etc. it is of paramount importance that this data is protected by the best possible
security. If your data is not managed properly, it can fall into the wrong hands. Data theft will also have
severe implications on the growth of your
company; nobody wants to leave their details in the hands of people that do not know how to protect it.
4. Cost effective: If you have a good system in place, you will spend less money trying tofix problems
that shouldn’t have occured in the first place. It also prevents spending time-and money- duplicating
information that already exists.

5. Minimal chance of data loss: A good data management system will reduce the chances of losing
important company information. It also ensures that your data is backed up and in case of a sudden
glitch or system failure, any data that is lost can be retrieved easily, limiting the repercussions of the
same.

6. 6. Better decision making: When everything is in its place, and everyone knows where to look for it,
the quality of your decisions improve drastically. By nature, people have different ways of processing
information, but a centralised system ensures a framework to plan, organise and delegate. Additionally,
a good system will ensure good feedback,
which in turn will lead to necessary updates to the process that will only benefit your company in the
long run.

6. Discuss each of the following terms:

Data: raw facts

Field: an attribute, same data type

Record: related data that describes an entity

File: a collection of related records.

7. Explain the difference between Field and record.

8. What is data redundancy, and which characteristics of the file system can lead to it?

Data redundancy is a form created inside a database or data storage technology underwhich the
identical piece of data is contained in two separate places. It occurs during the samedata is stored in two
different locations accidentally.Due to the organized structure present in file systems, it is difficult to
consolidate datafrom multiple sources hence the storage of the same data in different locations is
increased.This, however, results in data redundancy and data inconsistency as updates made to one
datafile may not be carried to the corresponding data file in a different location

9. What is data independence, and why is it lacking in file systems?

Data independence means that "the application is independent of the storage structure and access
strategy of data". In

other words, The ability to modify the schema definition in one level should not affect the schema
definition in the next

higher level.

Two types of Data Independence:

1. Physical Data Independence: Modification in physical level should not affect the logical level.

2. Logical Data Independence: Modification in logical level should affect the view level.

NOTE: Logical Data Independence is more difficult to achieve

The data storage characteristics change without affecting the programs ability to accessdata is data
independence.Indeed, changes in the characteristics of data, such as changing a field from integer
todecimal, expect changes in all the programs that access the file. All data access programsare subject to
change when any of the file’s data storage characteristics change but when it

comes to data independence a condition in which data access is unaffected by changes inthe physical
data storage characteristics

10. What is a DBMS and what are its functions?

Database Management System (DBMS) is a collection of programs that enable its users to access
databases, manipulate data, report, and represent data. It also helps to control access to the
database.

11. What is the role of a DBMS, and what are its advantages? What are its disadvantages?

What are the advantages of DBMS?

1. Redundancy is controlled.

2. Unauthorised access is restricted.

3. Providing multiple user interfaces.

4. Enforcing integrity constraints.

5. Providing backup and recovery.

12. List and describe the different types of databases.

13. What are the main components of a database system? ADK

CS / IS

14. Define data redundancy?

Data redundancy is a condition created within a database or data storage technology in which the same
piece of data is held in two separate places.

15. Define data integrity.

Data integrity is the maintenance of, and the assurance of, data accuracy and consistency over its entire
life-cycle and is a critical aspect to the design, implementation, and usage of any system that stores,
processes, or retrieves data.

16. Name the five components that make up a Database System.

There are five major components in a database environment: data, hardware, software, people
and procedures. The data is a collection of facts, typically related. The hardware is the physical
devices in the database environment. Operating systems, database management systems and
applications make up the software.

17. What is data mining?

It may be defined as the process of analyzing hidden patterns of data into meaningful information,
which is collected and stored in database warehouses, for efficient analysis. The algorithms of Data
Mining, facilitating business decision making and other information requirements to ultimately reduce
costs and increase revenue.

18. What is a data warehouse?

• stores data used for tactical or strategic decisions

19. Explain what a distributed database management system (DDBMS) is?

A distributed database management system (DDBMS) is a set of multiple, logically interrelated

databases distributed over a network. They provide a mechanism that makes the distribution of data
transparent to users.

20. What is the importance of a data dictionary in DBMS?

Data dictionary is a set of tables and database objects that is stored in a special area of the database and
maintained

exclusively by the kernel.

21. Define RDBMS?

Two important pieces of RDBMS architecture are the kernel, which is the software, and the data
dictionary, which consists of the system-level data structures used by the kernel to manage the
database You might think of an RDBMS as an operating system (or set of subsystems), designed
specifically for controlling data access; its primary functions are storing, retrieving, and securing data. An
RDBMS maintains its own list of authorized users and their associated privileges; manages memory
caches and paging; controls locking for concurrent resource usage; dispatches and schedules user
requests; and manages space usage within its table-space structures.