CUIT201

DATABASE SYSTEMS

INTRODUCTION
 Outline of Today’s Class
• A Brief History.
• What is Data?
• What is Information?
• Data Vs. Information
• DIKW (Data Information Knowledge
Wisdom)
 A Brief History of
Information Technology
• The “dark ages”: paper forms in file cabinets
• Computerized systems emerge
– Initially for big projects like Social Security
– Same functionality as old paper-based systems
• The “golden age”: databases are everywhere
– Most activities tracked electronically
– Stored data provides detailed history of activity
• The next step: use data for decision-making
– The focus of this course!
– Made possible by omnipresence of IT
– Identify inefficiencies in current processes
– Quantify likely impact of decisions
Databases for Decision Support
• 1st phase: Automating existing processes
makes them more efficient.
– Automation → Lots of well-organized, easily accessed
data
• 2nd phase: Data analysis allows for better
decision-making.
– Analyze data → better understanding
– Better understanding → better decisions
• “Data Entry” vs. “Thinking”
– Data analysts are decision-makers: managers,
executives, etc.
 OLTP
• OLTP: On-Line Transaction Processing
– Many short transactions (queries + updates)
– Examples:
• Update account balance
• Enroll in course
• Add book to shopping cart
– Queries touch small amounts of data (one
record or a few records)
– Updates are frequent
– Concurrency is biggest performance concern
 What is Data?
Data is a raw and unorganized fact that
require to be processed to make it
meaningful. Data can be simple at the same time
unorganized unless it is organized. Generally, data
comprises facts, observations, perceptions
numbers, characters, symbols, image, etc.

Data is always interpreted, by a human or machine,

to derive meaning. So, data is meaningless. Data
contains numbers, statements, and characters in a
raw form.
 What is Information?
Information is a set of data which is processed
in a meaningful way according to the given
requirement. Information is processed,
structured, or presented in a given context to
make it meaningful and useful.
It is processed data which includes data that possess
context, relevance, and purpose. It also involves
manipulation of raw data.
Information assigns meaning and improves the
reliability of the data. It helps to ensure undesirability
and reduces uncertainty. So, when the data is
transformed into information, it never has any useless
details.
What is Data-Information?
Parameters
Data Vs. Information
Data Information
Qualitative Or QuantitativeVariables which
Description It is a group of data which carries news and meaning.
helps to develop ideas or conclusions.
Information word has old French and middle English
Data comes from a Latin word, datum, which
origins. It has referred to the "act of informing.". It is
Etymology means "To give something." Over a time
mostly used for education or other known
"data" has become the plural of datum.
communication.
Data is in the form of numbers, letters, or a
Format Ideas and inferences
set of characters.
It can be structured, tabular data, graph, data
Represented in Language, ideas, andthoughts based on the given data.
tree, etc.
It carries meaning that has been assigned by interpreting
Meaning Data does not have any specific purpose.
data.
Interrelation Information that is collected Information that is processed.
Data is a single unit and is raw. It alone Information is the product and group of data which jointly
Feature
doesn't have any meaning. carry a logical meaning.
Dependence It never depends on Information It depended on Data.
Measuring unit Measured in bits and bytes. Measured in meaningful units like time, quantity, etc.
Support for Decision making It can't be used for decision making It is widely used for decision making.
Contains Unprocessed raw factors Processed in a meaningful way
Knowledge level It is low-level knowledge. It is the second level of knowledge.
Data is the property of an organization and is
Characteristic Information is available for sale to the public.
not available for sale to the public.
Data depends upon the sources for
Dependency Information depends upon data.
collecting data.
Sales report by region and venue. It gives information
Example Ticket sales on a band on tour.
which venue is profitable for that business.
Significance Data alone has no signifiance. Information is significant by itself.
Data is based on records and observations
Information is considered more reliable than data. It helps
Meaning and, which are stored in computers or
the researcher to conduct a proper analysis.
remembered by a person.
The data collected by the researcher, may or Information is useful and valuable as it is readily available
Usefulness
may not be useful. to the researcher for use.
Information is always specific to the requirements and
Data is never designed to the specific need
Dependency expectations because all the irrelevant facts and figures
of the user.
are removed, during the transformation process.
 DIKW (Data Information Knowledge Wisdom)

DIKW is the model used for discussion of data,

information, knowledge, wisdom and their
interrelationships. It represents structural or
functional relationships between data, information,
knowledge, and wisdom.
 Conclusion

Data is a raw and unorganized fact that required to be

processed to make it meaningful.

Information is a set of data which is processed in a meaningful

way according to the given requirement.

Data comes from a Latin word, datum, which means "To give
something.“

Information word has old French and middle English origins. It

has referred to the "act of informing.".
Data is in the form of numbers, letters, or a set of characters.
Information is mainly in the form of Ideas and inferences.
DIKW is the model used for discussion of data, information,
knowledge, wisdom and their interrelationships