Organizing Data and Information

Databases and Database Management

Systems
 Learning Objectives

1. Define general data management concepts and terms

2. Highlight the advantages of the database approach to data
management
3. Describe the relational database model and outline its basic
features
4. Identify the common functions performed by all database
management systems and identify popular user database
management systems
5. Identify and briefly discuss current database applications

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 Chapter Overview
1. Why Learn About Database Systems?
2. What is a Database?
3. The Hierarchy of Data
4. The Database Approach
5. Data Modeling
6. Database Management Systems (DBMS)
7. Data Warehouses, Data Marts, and Data Mining
8. Business Intelligence
9. Online Analytical Processing (OLAP)
10. Object-Oriented Databases
11. Summary
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 1. Why Learn About Database Systems?
• Database systems process and organize large amounts of data
• Database systems organize all transactions and services in our societies
• Examples
• Student registration database system
• Bank accounts database system
• Hospital patient record database system

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 2. What is a Database?

•Database (DB): an organized collection of data

•Database Management System (DBMS): group of programs
to:
• Manages and Manipulates database
• Provides an interface between database and user and other
application programs
•Database administrator (DBA): skilled IS professional who
directs all activities related to an organization’s database

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Data Management
• Without data and the ability to process it, an organization could not
successfully complete most business activities
• Data consists of raw facts
• For data to be transformed into useful information, it must first be
organized in a meaningful way

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 3. The Hierarchy of Data
•Bit (a binary digit): a circuit that is either on or off
•Byte: eight bits
•Character: basic building block of information
• Each byte represents a character
• Can be an uppercase letter, lowercase letter, numeric digit, or
special symbol
•Field: typically a name, number, or combination of
characters that describes an aspect of a business object or
activity

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The Hierarchy of Data (cont.)
• Record: a collection of related data fields
• File: a collection of related records
• Database: a collection of integrated and related files
• Hierarchy of data: bits, characters, fields, records, files, and databases

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The Hierarchy of Data (cont.)

The Hierarchy of Data

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Data Entities, Attributes, and Keys
•Entity: a generalized class of people, places, or things for
which data is collected, stored, and maintained (students,
teachers, employees, …)
•Attribute: characteristic of an entity
•Data item (value): value of an attribute
•Primary key: field or set of fields that uniquely identifies the
record

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Data Entities, Attributes, and Keys (cont.)

Keys and Attributes

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 4. The Database Approach
•Traditional approach to data management: separate
data files are created for each application
• Results in data redundancy (duplication)
• Data redundancy conflicts with data integrity
•Database approach to data management: pool of
related data is shared by multiple applications
• Significant advantages over traditional approach

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DB Approach

The Database Approach to Data Management

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DB Approach (cont.)

Advantages of the Database Approach

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DB Approach (cont.)

Advantages of the Database Approach (continued)

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DB Approach (cont.)

Disadvantages of the Database Approach

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5. Data Modeling
• Data model: a diagram of data entities and their relationships
• Entity-relationship (ER) diagrams: data models that use basic graphical
symbols to show the organization of and relationships between data entities

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Data Modeling (cont.)
Entity

Relationship

An Entity-Relationship (ER) Diagram for a Customer Order Database

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Data Modeling (cont.)

A Simplified ER Diagram Showing the Relationship Between the Manager,

Department, and Project Tables
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DB Design
• Building a database requires two types of designs
• Logical design
• Abstract model of how data should be structured and arranged to meet an organization’s
information needs
• Physical design
• Fine-tunes the logical database design for performance and cost considerations

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Building DB

• When building a database, consider:

• Content: What data should be collected, at what cost?
• Access: What data should be provided to which users and when?
• Logical structure: How should data be arranged to make sense to a given user?
• Physical organization: Where should data be physically located?

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Database Models
• Flat file Databases
• Plain text files usually contain one record per line
• Fields can be separated by delimiters such
as comma or tab characters
• Relational Databases
• 2-D tables
• Each row represents a record
• Each column represents an attribute
 The Relational Database Model
• Relational model: all data elements are placed in two-dimensional tables,
which are the logical equivalent of files
• In the relational model
• Each table is an entity
• Each row of a table represents a record
• Columns of the table represent attributes
• Domain: the allowable values for data attributes

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 The Relational Database Model (cont.)

A Relational Database Model

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Manipulating Data
• Selecting: eliminates rows according to criteria
• Projecting: eliminates columns in a table
• Joining: combines two or more tables
• Linking: relates or links two or more tables using common data attributes

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Linking Data

Linking Data Tables to Answer an Inquiry

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6. Database Management Systems (DBMS)

•DBMS: a group of programs used as an interface

between a database and application programs
or a database and the user
•Creating and implementing the right DBMS
ensures that the database will support both
activities and goals

user Application DBMS DB

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Overview of Database Types
•Single user
• Only one person can use the database at a time
• Examples: Access, FileMaker, and InfoPath
•Multiple user
• Allows dozens or hundreds of people to access the same database
system at the same time
• Examples: Oracle, Sybase, and IBM

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 DB schema
• Schema: description of the entire database
• Large database systems typically use schemas to define the tables and other
database features associated with a person or user

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 Creating a DB schema
• Data Definition Language (DDL)
• Collection of instructions/commands that define and describe data and data
relationships in a database
• Data dictionary: a detailed description of all the data used in the database

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Using DDL to define schema

Using a Data Definition Language to Define a Schema

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Data Dictionary

A Typical Data Dictionary Entry

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Storing and Retrieving Data
• When an application requests data from the DBMS, the application follows
a logical access path
• When the DBMS goes to a storage device to retrieve the requested data, it
follows a path to the physical location (physical access path) where the data
is stored

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Storing and Retrieving Data (cont.)

Logical and Physical

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Access Paths
Manipulating Data and Generating Reports
•Query-By-Example (QBE): a visual approach to developing
database queries or requests
•Data Manipulation Language (DML): commands that
manipulate the data in a database
•Structured Query Language (SQL): ANSI standard query
language for relational databases
•Database programs can produce reports, documents, and
other outputs

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SQL Commands

Examples of SQL Commands

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Database Administration
• Database administrator (DBA): directs or performs all activities to maintain
a database environment
• Designing, implementing, and maintaining the database system and the DBMS
• Establishing policies and procedures
• Employee training

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Popular DBMS
•Popular DBMSs for end users: Microsoft Access and
FileMaker Pro
•Entire market includes databases by IBM, Oracle,
and Microsoft
•Examples of open-source database systems:
PostgreSQL and MySQL
•Many traditional database programs are now
available on open-source operating systems

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Selecting a DBMS
• Important characteristics of databases to consider
• Size of the database
• Cost of the system
• Number of concurrent users
• Performance
• Ability to be integrated with other systems
• Vendor considerations

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Using DBMS with Other Software
• DBMS are often used with other software packages or the Internet
• A DBMS can act as a front-end application or a back-end application
• Front-end application: interacts with users
• Back-end application: interacts with applications

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Linking Databases to the Internet
• Linking databases to the Internet is important for many organizations and
people
• Allows people to access and manipulate a number of traditional databases
at the same time through the Internet

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 7. Data Warehouses and Data Marts

• Data warehouse: collects business information from many sources in the

enterprise
• Data mart: a subset of a data warehouse

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Data mining
• Data mining: an information-analysis tool for discovering patterns and
relationships in a data warehouse or a data mart
Elements of data warehouse

Elements of a Data Warehouse

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8. Business Intelligence
• Business intelligence (BI): gathering the right information in a timely manner
and usable form and analyzing it to have a positive impact on business and
enterprise
• Turns data into useful information that is then distributed throughout an
enterprise

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 Business Intelligence (cont.)
• Competitive intelligence: aspect of business intelligence limited to
information about competitors and the ways that knowledge affects strategy,
tactics, and operations
• Counterintelligence: steps an organization takes to protect information
sought by “hostile” intelligence gatherers

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 9. Online Analytical Processing (OLAP)

• Software that allows users to explore data from a number of different

perspectives

Comparison of OLAP and Data Mining

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10. Object-Oriented Databases
• Object-oriented database
• Stores both data and its processing instructions
• Method: a procedure or action
• Message: a request to execute or run a method

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11. Summary
•Hierarchy of data: bits, characters, fields, records, files,
and databases
•Entity: generalized class of people, places, or things for
which data is collected, stored, and maintained
•Attribute: characteristic of an entity
•Data model: diagram of data entities and relationships
•Relational model: describes data in which all elements are
placed in two-dimensional tables called relations

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Summary (cont.)

•A database management system (DBMS) is a group of

programs used as an interface between:
• Database and application programs
• Database and the user
•Data warehouse: database that collects business
information from all aspects of a company’s processes,
products, and customers
•Data mining: an information-analysis tool for
discovering patterns and relationships in a data
warehouse