Chapter 7: Databases and Data

Warehouses

Management Information Systems, Fifth

Edition

Objectives
Explain the difference between traditional file
organization and the database approach to
managing digital data
Explain how relational and object oriented
database management systems are used to
construct databases, populate them with data,
and manipulate the data to produce information
Enumerate the most important features and
operations of a relational database, the most
popular database model
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Objectives (continued)
Understand how data modeling and design
creates a conceptual blueprint of a database
Discuss how databases are used on the Web
List the operations involved in transferring data
from transactional databases to data
warehouses

Management Information Systems, Fifth Edition

Managing Digital Data

Businesses collect and dissect data
Data can be stored in powerful database format
Easy access and manipulation

Databases have profound impact on business

Database technology integrated with Internet

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The Traditional File Approach

Traditional file approach: no mechanism for
manipulating data
Database approach: has mechanism for
manipulating data
Traditional approach inconvenient
High data redundancy
Low data integrity

Data redundancy: duplication of data

Data integrity: accuracy of data
Management Information Systems, Fifth Edition

The Traditional File Approach

(continued)

Figure 7.1: The layout of a human resource file in traditional file organization

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The Database Approach

Database approach: data organized as entities
Entity: object that has data
People
Events
Products

Character: smallest piece of data

Field: single piece of information about entity
Record: collection of fields

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The Database Approach (continued)

File: collection of related records
Database management system (DBMS):
program used to build databases
Populates with data
Manipulates data
Query: message requesting access to data

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The Database Approach (continued)

Database has security issues
Database administrator (DBA): limits user
access to database
Requires users to enter codes

DBMS bundled with fourth-generation languages

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The Database Approach (continued)

Figure 7.2: Data hierarchy

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The Database Approach (continued)

Databases include more than just text and numbers: for instance, a database used by real
Estate agents may show property pictures in addition to addresses, prices, and sale status

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The Database Approach (continued)

Figure 7.3: Different database views reveal different combinations of data

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The Database Approach (continued)

Figure 7.4: Different views from the same database

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Database Models
Database model: general logical structure
How records stored in database
Records linked differently in different models
Models constantly changing

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The Relational Model

Relational Model: consists of tables
Based on relational algebra

Tuple: record
Attribute: field
Relation: table
Key: identifier field
Used to retrieve records

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Relational Model (continued)

Figure 7.5: A relational database

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The Relational Model (continued)

Primary key: unique key
Uniquely identifies record
Required in table

Composite key: combination of fields

Serves as primary key

Foreign key: shared field

Links tables

Join table: composite of tables

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The Relational Model (continued)

Figure 7.6: A join table

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The Relational Model (continued)

Table relationships with other tables
One-to-many relationship: one item in table
linked to many items in other table
Many-to-many relationship: many items in
table linked to many items of other table

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The Object-Oriented Model

Object-Oriented model: uses object-oriented
approach
Encapsulation: combined storage of data and
relevant procedures
Allows object to be planted in different data sets

Inheritance: creates new object by replicating

characteristics of existing (parent) object

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The Object-Oriented Model (continued)

Figure 7.7: An object-oriented database

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Relational Operations
Relational operation: create temporary subset
of table
Create limited list or joined table list
Select records based on conditions
Project columns
Join tables to create temporary table

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Structured Query Language

Structured query language: language of
choice for DBMSs
Advantages
Standardized language
Used in many host languages
Portable

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The Schema and Metadata

Schema: plan
Describes structure of database
Names and sizes of fields
Identifies primary keys

Data dictionary: repository of information about

data

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The Schema and Metadata (continued)

Metadata: data about data

Source of data
Tables related to data
Field information
Usage of data
Population rules

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The Schema and Metadata (continued)

Figure 7.8: Schema of the Employee table in an Access database

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Data Modeling
Databases must be carefully planned
Data modeling: analysis and organization of
data
Proactive process
Develop conceptual blueprint

Entity relationship diagram: graphical

representation of relationships

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Data Modeling (continued)

Entity relationship diagram

Boxes identify entities

Lines indicate relationship
Crossbars indicate mandatory fields
Circles indicate optional
Crows feet identify many

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Data Modeling (continued)

Figure 7.9: An entity relationship diagram (ERD)

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Data Modeling (continued)

Figure 7.10: Fields of the Professor entity

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Databases on the Web

Web dependent on databases
Interface between Web and database required
CGI
ASP
API

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Databases on the Web (continued)

Figure 7.11: Active server pages and similar software enable data queries and
entry via the Web

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Data Warehousing
Data collections used for transactions
Accumulation of transaction data useful
Data warehouse: large database
Typically relational
Supports decision making
Data copied from transactional database

Data mart: collection of data focusing on

particular subject
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From Database to Data Warehouse

Transactional database not suitable for business
analysis
Only current data
Not historic

Data warehouse requires large storage capacity

Mainframe computers used
Scalability issue

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Phases in Building a Data Warehouse

Begin building data warehouse after equipment
secured
Extraction phase
Create files from transactional database

Transformation phase
Cleanse and modify data

Loading phase
Transfer files to data warehouse

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Phases in Building a Data Warehouse

(continued)

Figure 7.12: Phases in preparing and using a data warehouse

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Summary
Organizations collect vast amounts of data
Database approach has advantages over
traditional approach
Character: smallest piece of data
File: collection of records
Designer must construct schema to construct
database

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Summary (continued)
Database management system enables
database construction and manipulation
Relational and object-oriented database models
have different advantages
Keys used to form links among entities
Object-oriented database maintains links
differently
SQL adopted as international standard

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Summary (continued)
Designers conduct data modeling to show
required tables
Databases often linked to Web
Data warehouses contain huge collections of
historical data
Data warehouse allows data extraction,
transformation, and loading
Invasion of privacy is exacerbated by database
technology
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