CHAPTER 1

Introduction

1.1 INTRODUCTION TO DBMS

In modern society Databases and database systems plays a vital role. Most of our day to day
activity involves the use of databases. For example, bank application, ticket reservations for any
sort of applications, computerized library etc make use of databases.
Data: Known facts that can be recorded that have implicit meaning.
Information: When data is processed, organized, structured or presented in a given context it
becomes information.
Database: collection of data.
DBMS: DBMS is a collection of interrelated data and a set of program to access those data. The
primary goal of a DBMS is to provide a way to store and retrieve database information that is
both convenient and efficient.
The DBMS manages incoming data, organizes it, and provides ways for the data to be modified or
extracted by users or other programs.
Database System: Database and DBMS collectively known as database system. Database system
is a computerized record keeping system. It is a repository or container for a collection of
computerixed data files. Users of the system can perform or request the system to perform a
variety of operations such as adding new files to the database, inserting data into a existing files,
retrieving or deleting data from existing files, modifying data in existing file or removing existing
files from the database.

1.1.1 Structure of DBMS

An overview of the structure of database management system is shown in Fig. 1.1. A DBMS is a
software package, which translates data from its logical representation to its physical
representation and vice versa.
1.2 Database Management System 
 
The DBMS uses an application specific database description to define this translation. The
database description is generated by a database designer from his or her conceptual view of the
database, which is called the Conceptual Schema. The translation from the conceptual schema to
the database description is performed using a data definition language (DDL) or a graphical or
textual design interface.

1.1.2 Applications of Database

• Banking: for all sorts of bank transactions like withdraw, deposit etc
• Airlines: for reserving tickets and to prepare schedules
• Universities: for student information, registration, grades
• Sales: customers, products, purchases
• Online retailers: order tracking, customized recommendations
• Manufacturing: production, inventory, orders, supply chain
• Human resources: employee records, salaries, tax deductions
Databases touch all aspects of our lives

Fig. 1.1 Structure of database management system 

1.1.3 Classification of Database Management System

The database management system can be broadly classified into

1. Passive Database Management System
2. Active Database Management System
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1. Passive Database Management System
Passive Database Management Systems are program-driven. In passive database management
system the users query the current state of database and retrieve the information currently
available in the database. Traditional DBMS are passive. Applications send requests for
operations to be performed by the DBMS and wait for the DBMS to confirm and return any
possible answers.

2. Active Database Management System

Active Database Management Systems are data-driven or event-driven systems. In active database
management system, the users specify to the DBMS the information they need. If the information
is currently available, the DBMS actively monitors the arrival of the desired information and
provides it to the relevant users. The scope of a query in a passive DBMS is limited to the past
and present data, whereas the scope of a query in an active DBMS additionally includes future
data.

1.2 FILE PROCESSING SYSTEM

A file processing system is a collection of files and programs that access or modify these files.
New files and programs are added by the programmers when there is a need for
• storing new information and
• new ways to access information
File processing system is supported by a conventional operating system. The system stores
permanent records in various files. The system needs different application programs to extract
records from and add records to the appropriate files. Each program defines and manages its own
data.

Fig. 1.2 File based system 

 
 
1.4 Database Management System 
 
1.2.1 Drawbacks of Conventional File Processing System

The conventinal file processing system has a number of drawback

(i) Data redundancy and inconsistency
• Since the files and application programs are created by different programmers over a
long period of time, the files have different formats and the programs may be written in
several programming language. The same piece of information may be duplicated in
several files.
• For Example consider bank application: The address and phone number of particular
customer may appear in a file that consists of personal information and in saving
account records file also. This redundancy leads to data consistency that is, the various
copies of the same data may no longer agree.
• For example: a changed customer address may be reflected in personal information
file, but not in saving account records file.
• This redundancy leads to wastage of storage space, high access cost and data
inconsistency.
(ii) Difficulty in accessing data
• Conventional file processing environments do not allow needed data to be retrieved in
a convenient and efficient manner.
• For Example: Suppose that bank officer needs to find out the names of all customers
who live within a particular area. The bank officer has now two choices:
1. Get the list of customers and extract the needed information manually
2. Ask the data processing department to have a system programmer write the
necessary application program. Both alternatives are unsatisfactory.

(iii) Data isolation

• Data is scattered in various files and files may be in different formats, it is difficult to
write new application programs to retrieve appropriate data.
(iv) Concurrent access anomalies
• In order to improve the overall performance of the system and obtain a faster response
time many systems allow multiple users to update the data simultaneously. In such
environment, interaction of concurrent updates may results in inconsistent data.
• For Example: Consider bank account A, with Rs.500.If two customers with draw
funds (say Rs.50 and Rs.100 resp ) from account A at the same time, the result of the
concurrent executions Rs.400, rather than Rs.350. In order to guard against this
possibility, some form of supervision must be maintained in the system.
(v) Security problems
• Not every user of the database system should be able to access all the data.
 Introduction 1.5 
 
• For Example: In a banking system, pay roll personnel need to be only part of the
database that has information about the various bank employees. They do not need
access to information about customer accounts. Since application programs added to
the system in an ad-hoc manner, it is difficult to enforce such security constraints.
(vi) Integrity problems
• The data values stored in the database must satisfy certain types of consistency
constrains.
• For Example: The balance of a bank account may never fall below a prescribed
amount (say Rs.100).These constraints are enforced in the system by adding
appropriate code in the various application programs. However, when new constraints
are added, it is difficult to change the programs to enforce them. The problem is
compounded when constraints involve several data items from different files.
(vii) Atomicity problems
• Like all devices a computer system may also be subjected to failure. If a failure occurs
the data existed prior to failure can be restored to the consistent state.
• Consider a program to transfer Rs.50 from account A to account B. If a system failure
occurs during the execution of the program, it is possible that the Rs.50 was removed
from account A but was not credited to account B, resulting in an inconsistent database
state.
• The funds transfer must be atomic, it must happen entirety or not at all. It is difficult to
ensure atomicity in a conventional file-processing system.

1.3 ADVANTAGES OF DATABASE

Data base is a way to consolidate and control the operational data centrally. The DBMS has a
number of advantages as compared to traditional computer file processing approach. The DBA
must keep in mind these benefits or capabilities during designing databases, coordinating and
monitoring the DBMS. The major advantages of having a centralized database are as follows:
(i) Controlling Data Redundancy
• In traditional computer file processing, each application program has its own files. In
this case, the duplicated copies of the same data are created at many places. In DBMS,
all the data of an organization is integrated into a single database. The data is recorded
at only one place in the database and it is not duplicated.
• When they are converted into database, the data is integrated into a single database so
that multiple copies of the same data are reduced to-single copy.
• In DBMS, the data redundancy can be controlled or reduced but is not removed
completely. Sometimes, it is necessary to create duplicate copies of the same data items
in order to relate tables with each other.

 
 
1.6 Database Management System 
 
• By controlling the data redundancy, you can save storage space. Similarly, it is useful
for retrieving data from database using queries.
(ii) Data Consistency
• By controlling the data redundancy, the data consistency is obtained. If a data item
appears only once, any update to its value has to be performed only once and the
updated value is immediately available to all users.
(iii) Data Sharing
• In DBMS, data can be shared by authorized users of the organization. The DBA
manages the data and gives rights to users to access the data. Many users can be
authorized to access the same set of information simultaneously.
• The remote users can also share same data. Similarly, the data of same database can be
shared between different application programs.
(iv) Data Integration
• Data in database is stored in tables. A single database contains multiple tables and
relationships can be created between tables. This makes easy to retrieve and update
data.
(v) Integrity Constraints
• Integrity constraints or consistency rules can be applied to database so that the correct
data can be entered into database.
• The constraints may be applied to data item within a single record or they may be
applied to relationships between records.
(vi) Data Security
• Data security is the protection of the database from unauthorized users. Only the
authorized persons are allowed to access the database. Some of the users may be
allowed to access only a part of database i.e., the data that is related to them or related
to their department.
• Mostly, the DBA or head of a department can access all the data in the database. Some
users may be permitted only to retrieve data, whereas others are allowed to retrieve as
well as to update data. The database access is controlled by the DBA. He creates the
accounts of users and gives rights to access the database. Typically, users or group of
users are given usernames protected by passwords.
• The user enters his/her account number or username and password to access the data
from database.
• For example, if you have an account of e-mail in the "gmail.com", then you have to
give your correct username and password to access your account of e-mail. Similarly,
when you insert your ATM card into the Auto Teller Machine (ATM) in a bank, the
machine reads your ID number printed on the card and then asks you to enter your pin
code to access your account.