may consist of an entire department of technical
personnel under the database administrator.
Monzales, Jovy E. Quiz Assignment: Chapter 4
BSA 3-2 Prof. Liberty Ocampo
Part A
1. What are the four primary elements of the database
approach?
● The key elements of the database environment
include the database management system
(DBMS), users, the database administrator, the
physical database, and DBMS models.
Database Management System (DBMS)- The
DBMS provides a controlled environment to assist
(or prevent) access to the database and to
efficiently manage the data resource.
Users- User programs, prepared by systems
professionals, send data access requests (calls) to
the DBMS, which validates the requests and
retrieves the data for processing. Under this mode
of access, the presence of the DBMS is
transparent to the users.
The Database Administrator- (DBA). The DBA is
responsible for managing the database resource.
The sharing of a common database by multiple
users requires organization, coordination, rules,
and guidelines to protect the integrity of the
database. In large organizations, the DBA function
The Physical Database- This is the lowest level
of the database and the only level that exist in
physical form. The physical database consists of
magnetic spots on metallic coated disks. The other
levels of the database (the user view, conceptual
view, and internal view) are abstract
representations of the physical level.
2. What is the relationship between a schema and a
subschema?
● The schema (or conceptual view) describes the
entire database. This view represents the
database logically and abstractly, rather than the
way it is physically stored. There is only one
conceptual view for a database. The subschema
or user view, defines the user’s section of the
database—the portion that an individual user is
authorized to access. To a particular user, the
user view is the database. Unlike the internal and
conceptual views, there may be many distinct user
views. In essence, the schema represents the
physical storage of the entire database. A
subschema is a subset of the entire database; it
represents a user’s view of the database.
Numerous sub- schemas exist for every schema.
3. How can data be centralized in a distributed data
processing system?
● The data are stored centrally, but updated or
processed, at the local (remote) site. Thus, data
is retrieved from the centralized data store,
processed locally, and then sent back to the
centralized data store.
4. How can passwords actually circumvent security?
What actions can be taken to minimize this?
● Users may share their passwords, write-down
their passwords, or use easily guessed
passwords. Protection against these include
software that allow only "smart" passwords and
one-time passwords used in conjunction with
smart cards.
Part B (Discussion questions 2 & 14)
1. Discuss the potential aggravations you might face as a
student as a result of your university using a traditional
data management environment—that is, different
databases for the registrar, library, parking permits, and
so on.
● In a traditional data management environment
where different databases are used for various
university functions such as the registrar, library,
and parking permits, students often face several
aggravations. Firstly, accessing information
becomes fragmented, requiring navigation
through multiple systems, which is time-
consuming and frustrating.
Additionally, the need to enter the same
information repeatedly into different systems
leads to duplication of effort and increases the
likelihood of errors. The lack of consistency in
user experience across different databases
further compounds these issues, making tasks
more challenging for students. Moreover, the
limited integration among databases hampers the
university's ability to provide personalized services
and insights based on comprehensive student
data. Data security concerns also arise due to the
complexity of managing multiple databases,
potentially compromising the protection of
sensitive student information. Overall, these
aggravations contribute to inefficiencies and
frustrations for students, highlighting the need for
a more integrated and centralized data
management system to enhance the university
experience.
2. Which database method would be most appropriate for
ticket sales at thirty different outlets to an assigned
seating concert? Why?
● For managing ticket sales at thirty different
outlets to an assigned seating concert, a
centralized database method, particularly a
relational database management system
(RDBMS), would be the most appropriate method for efficiently managing ticket sales across
choice. RDBMS provides a structured multiple outlets for an assigned seating concert.
approach to data storage, facilitating efficient
management and retrieval of ticket sales
information. With all ticket sales data stored in a
centralized database, RDBMS ensures
consistency and accuracy across all outlets,
serving as a single source of truth for transactions.
This centralized approach not only streamlines
data management but also enhances data integrity
by enforcing constraints and relationships to
prevent errors and inconsistencies in ticket sales
records.
Additionally, RDBMS offer scalability to
accommodate the increasing volume of ticket
sales and the addition of more outlets without
compromising performance. Their flexibility in
supporting complex queries enables concert
organizers to analyze sales data, monitor seat
availability, and generate reports effectively,
aiding in decision-making processes.
Moreover, RDBMS provides robust security
features to safeguard sensitive ticket sales data
from unauthorized access or breaches. In
situations where multiple outlets may be
simultaneously processing ticket sales, RDBMS
offer concurrency control mechanisms to manage
concurrent access and ensure data consistency.
Overall, the centralized and structured nature of
RDBMS makes them the most suitable database