ZAMBIA INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE

(ZICTC)

Course title

Fundamental of Database Systems

Course Code

ICT 3011

Submitted by:

T. Manue Garley (SID: 2200594 BICT)

TO:

Mr. D. Sinyangwe

Instructor

Date:

June 29, 2022

 Table of content

1.0. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………Page 1
1.1. File Base System
➢ Definition…………………………………………………………………………………… Page 1-2
➢ Example of organization file base system is used………………………. Page 2
➢ Short coming of the systems……………………………………………………… Page 2-3

2.1. Transformation processes of data to information to knowledge

➢ DIK Model explained………………………………………………………………… Page 3-4
➢ Example…………………………………………………………………………………… Page 4-5

3.1.1 Conceptual Data Model

➢ Definition of conceptual data model………………………………………….. Page 5
➢ Purpose of conceptual data model……………………………………………… Page 5
➢ Example of conceptual data model…………………………………………….. Page 5-6

3.2.1 Reference…………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 7

Instructions

1. Answer ALL questions.

2. Submission ONLY via Learning Management System (LMS) i.e., MOODLE.
3. The assignment is essay type therefore citations and references must be provided.
4. Your submission should have a cover page bearing your details. Must be submitted as
.doc(x) or .pdf QUESTIONS

1. Think of an organization where file-based system is being used. Discuss in detail

how the system works and the short comings of the system you have identified.
These should be specific to the organization you have chosen.

2. Describe the transformation process from data to information to knowledge.

Explain by using an example from data derived in the accounting, sales, or personnel
departments and describe what information is derived and how this information will
support managerial decision-making.

3. Conceptual modeling is transforming things that only exist in people’s minds into a
design that is sufficiently substantial to be created physically. Think of an idea in
your field of study or work, write detailed notes on your idea explaining to a
technical person who will later develop a database based on your idea.
1.0. Introduction

✓ The way in which computers manage data has come a long way over the last few
decades. Today’s users take for granted the many benefits found in a database system.
However, it wasn’t that long ago that computers relied on a much less elegant and
costly approach to data management called the file-based system.

✓ When data undergoes data analysis, it becomes more relevant, useful, and valuable.
Real-world problems don’t have simple solutions: To solve such problems, you must
apply information from multiple contexts. Combining data sources helps provide
diverse contexts that are useful in real-world problem solving and decision making.
✓ When starting to create a new database, the database designer or database
administrator needs to carefully plan ahead. Mistakes made in the planning phase
could be very costly later on when the database is in the process of being put together
and decisions have already been made on what kinds of technologies or formats are to
be used. There are three stages in data modeling: [1] conceptual, logical, and physical.
Each stage brings the database closer to reality. But for this task our attention will be
drawn only to conceptual data modeling

1.1. File base system

By definition what is a file base system?

One way to understand a file base system is to think of possible ways to keep information
on a computer is to store it in permanent files. [2] A company system has a number of
application programs; each
of them is designed to
manipulate data files.

These application programs

have been written at
the request of the users in
the organization. New
applications are added to
the system as the need
arises.

The system just described is

called the file-based system.
File based systems were
developed as better
alternatives to paper-based
filing systems. By having files

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stored on computers, the data could be accessed more efficiently. It was common
practice for larger companies to have each of its departments looking after its own data

Example of an organization, file base system is used.

Traditional Banking System

To further grasp the concept where File base system is used today, let’s consider this
traditional banking system that uses the file-based system to manage the organization’s
data as show below. As we can see, there are different departments in the bank. Each has
its own applications that manage and manipulate different data files. For banking
systems, the programs may be used to debit or credit an account, find the balance of an
account, add a new mortgage loan and generate monthly statements.

Some Common disadvantages/demerits of a file base system

➢ Data redundancy
Often, within an organization, files and applications are created by different users from
various departments over long periods of time. This practice can lead to several problems
such as:
✓ Inconsistency in data format
✓ The same information being kept in several different places (files)
✓ Data inconsistency

➢ Data isolation
Data isolation is a property that determines when and how changes made by one
operation become visible to other concurrent users and systems. This issue occurs in a
concurrency situation. This is a problem because:

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• It is difficult for new applications to retrieve the appropriate data, which might be stored
in various files.

➢ Integrity problems
Problems with data integrity is another disadvantage of using a file-based system. It refers
to the maintenance and assurance that the data in a database are correct and
consistent. Factors to consider when addressing this issue are:
✓ Data values must satisfy certain consistency constraints that are specified in the
application programs.
✓ It is difficult to make changes to the application programs in order to enforce new
constraints.
➢ Security problems
Security can be a problem with a file-based approach because:
✓ There are constraints regarding accessing privileges.
✓ Application requirements are added to the system in an ad-hoc manner so it is
difficult to enforce constraints.
➢ Concurrency access
Concurrency is the ability of the database to allow multiple users access to the same
record without adversely affecting transaction processing. With the file-based system this
is impossible to manage, or prevent, concurrency by the application programs. Because
typically, in a file-based system, when an application opens a file, that file is locked. This
means that no one else has access to the file at the same time.

2.1. Transformation processes of data to information to knowledge

The DIK Model (Data, Information & Knowledge) Better explained

Data is typically a jumble of raw facts, and users need to sift through it to properly
interpret and organize the data. Only then does the data become useful. [3] Data also
comes in multiple formats. For example, images and videos can hold a lot of data that
requires interpretation to extract information from them.

The process of reviewing and filtering data for relevant facts is costly in terms of time
and resources. This process is also subjective, inconsistent, and error-prone.

Information, in contrast, is a collection of consistently organized and structured facts.

Users invest less time and energy finding relevant facts. They can easily find a category
of relevance or interest within the information. This makes information more valuable
than raw data.

Knowledge is the application of information to answer a question or solve a problem. In

other words, information with context or meaning is knowledge. An earlier successful
outcome serves as the basis for assigning this context to information.

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 Thus, knowledge depends on the memory of and learning successful outcomes, and so
the process of converting information to knowledge is deterministic. Again, this process
is costly in terms of time and resources; therefore, knowledge is more valuable than
simple information.

Data becomes valuable when it meets the following criteria:

• It is available promptly.
• It is concise, well organized, and relevant.
• It has meaning and context based on experience.
• It is an aggregate of multiple data sources.

Example
Let’s consider SimplicityTech-Zwedru my small business quarterly financial report for the
year 2020 as an example below to fully understand the transformation processes from
data to information to knowledge that help influence, and informed me on proper
decision making [4].
INCOME WK1 WK2 WK3 WK4 WK5 WK6 WK7 WK8 WK9 WK10 WK11 WK12 WK13 WK14 WK15 Total
Monday 4100 2210 3050 1430 780 2390 1850 2420 3070 3075 3930 28,305.00
Tuesday 1045 1210 2100 1180 1720 2250 1520 2140 1630 1230 4095 20,120.00
Wednesday 2170 2470 11040 1425 1430 1800 1720 2810 2620 2030 5170 34,685.00
Thursday 1470 2810 1610 230 0 1520 1050 1580 1040 2610 1020 3110 18,050.00
Friday 2030 1050 2900 0 0 1500 1150 3140 1470 1650 1470 3650 20,010.00
Saturday 40 1110 2520 0 0 2660 1000 2540 20000 2480 3520 1550 37,420.00
Sunday 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -
Sub Total 10855
23220 10860 4265 3930 5680 9640 12350 29880 14060 12345 21505 0 0 0 158,590.00
What makes data
MONTH JULY
valuable? AUGUST SEPTEMBER SIX MONTHS
GRAND TOT $ 53,130.00 $ 71,610.00 $ 33,850.00 $ 158,590.00
EXPENSES WK1 WK2 WK3
WK4 WK5 WK6 WK7 WK8 WK9 WK10 WK11 WK12 WK13 WK14 WK15
2030 4015
5090 20340 0 6220 11090 12580 0 0 8270 25830
Sub Total 2030 4015
5090 20340 0 6220 11090 12580 0 0 8270 25830 0 0 0 0
MONTH JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER SIX MONTHS
GRAND TOT 31475 29890 34100 $ 95,465.00
COMPENSATION WK1 WK2 WK3 WK4 WK5 WK6 WK7 WK8 WK9 WK10 WK11 WK12 WK13 WK14 WK15
4250 4850 12000 6000 2495 2680 3070 2660 3870 6000 3200 3500
Sub Total 4250 4850 12000 6000 2495 2680 3070 2660 3870 6000 3200 3500 0 0 0 $ 54,575.00
MONTH JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER
GRAND TOT 29595 18280 6700 $ 54,575.00

JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER TOTAL

SUMMERY
REPORT
-7940 23440 -6950 8,550.00

Image of data on Income, Expenses, Staff compensation and profit and loss summary.

How have this financial narrative influence decisions, with reference to the DIK Model
(Data, Information & Knowledge)? Well let’s consider the following but not limited to:

1. Data from the income and expense columns, when tabulated informed management
that for the month of July 2020 the business generated less and spent more. As the
result the business monthly income report reflected a negative figure, meaning the
business ran into debt.

2. The data submitted for the month of July 2020 prompted management to adapt an
approach to minimize expenditure to maximize profit.

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3. From the information analyzed, management derived few approaches to help reduce
the business expenditure.

- Reduce staff compensation

- Devote more time to staff effectibility

- Expand business link to new clients

4. As the results of those approaches weekly sales increases and expenditure decreases
for August 2020.
Now, we can understand the paradigm shift from raw facts to compilation of described
scenarios to inform decision making.

3.2 Conceptual Data Model

So, what is Conceptual Data Modeling?

Conceptual model sketches out the entities to be represented and determines what kinds
of relationships exist between them. It deals with the scope of the database to be created
and defines the general rules that need to be considered.

What is the purpose of a conceptual data model?

The conceptual data model gives the designer the chance to gain an overview of the
system to be designed without being concerned with the details of how it will be
implemented. This is the time to ask questions, consult with stakeholders, consider the
business requirements that the database will solve, and the business processes it has to
support. [5] Conceptual data models can be very quick to create, but they can also rapidly
highlight faulty assumptions and potential problems. The conceptual model is a simplified
diagram of the final database, with the details deliberately ignored so that the big picture
can be understood.

Example:

A Concept for Database design that manages billing rate for employee per service

SimplicityTech- Zwedru is a Small Tech Business that offer explicit Graphics Design and
convenient Print and publication service in the Southeast Region of Liberia. SimplicityTech
Zwedru want to increase its employee effectiveness at work but is therefore concern of
setting up a database that will tracked employee performance by considering employee
interaction with SimplicityTech Zwedru list of services. SimplicityTech-Zwedru has a
number of employees. The attributes of employee include “Employee ID”, “Employee
Name”, “Employee Address” and “Employee Birthdate” SimplicityTech-Zwedru runs
several other services; ranging from
• Print and Publication Service
• Graphics Design Service
• Large Format Printing Service

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 • Web Development Service
• IT Support Service

The Attributes of SimplicityTech-Zwedru Services include “Service ID”, “Service Name”,

and “Service Start Date”. My business is considering that each employee may be assigned
to any number of Services, including to none. A Service must have at least one employee
billing rate may vary by Service and my business wishes to record the applicable billing
rate “Billing rate” for each employee when assigned to a particular Service.

Description of concept:
Entity: Entity
• Attributes
- Employee ID -------------(Primary Key)
- Employee name
- Employee address
- Employee Date of birth
Relationship:
• Assign to
- Billing rate
Cardinality: Services
• Attributes Relationship Link
- Service ID-------------(Primary Key) Em-1 S-1 1-1 Relationship
- Service Name 1-
Em-2 1-2 S-2 1-Many Relationship
- Start Date
ER-Diagram Em-3 S-3

Employee
Employee Service Services
Assigned Service Name
Employee Name to

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Reference:

[1] Beynon-Davies P. (2004). Database Systems 3rd Edition. Palgrave, Basingstoke,

UK. ISBN 1-4039-1601-2

[2] Computing Students - Notes - Databases and File Based

Systems/databasefile_based_systems.php

[3] Anand, A., & Singh, M. D. (2011). Understanding knowledge management.

International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology, 3(2), 926–939.
https://doi.org/http://www.ijest.info/docs/IJEST11-03-02-090.pdf Cooper, P. (2014).

[4]https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jL_CWMetL3pvCuxHFhSepcmpOtyo86O17h
nLHIMPnYA/edit?usp=drivesdk

[5] FIPS Publication 184 Archived 2013-12-03 at the Wayback Machine released of IDEF1X
by the Computer Systems Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST). 21 December 1993 (withdrawn in 2008).

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