Definition of DBMS

A Database Management System (DBMS) is a software system that is designed to manage

and organize data in a structured manner. It allows users to create, modify, and query a
database, as well as manage the security and access controls for that database.

Overview of DBMS

DBMS allows users the following tasks:

o Data Definition: It is used for creation, modification, and removal of definition that
defines the organization of data in the database.
o Data Updation: It is used for the insertion, modification, and deletion of the actual
data in the database.
o Data Retrieval: It is used to retrieve the data from the database which can be used by
applications for various purposes.
o User Administration: It is used for registering and monitoring users, maintain data
integrity, enforcing data security, dealing with concurrency control, monitoring
performance and recovering information corrupted by unexpected failure.

Characteristics of DBMS

o It uses a digital repository established on a server to store and manage the

information.
o It can provide a clear and logical view of the process that manipulates data.
o DBMS contains automatic backup and recovery procedures.
o It contains ACID properties which maintain data in a healthy state in case of failure.
o It can reduce the complex relationship between data.
o It is used to support manipulation and processing of data.
o It is used to provide security of data.
o It can view the database from different viewpoints according to the requirements of
the user.

Advantages of DBMS
 o Controls database redundancy: It can control data redundancy because it stores all
the data in one single database file and that recorded data is placed in the database.
o Data sharing: In DBMS, the authorized users of an organization can share the data
among multiple users.
o Easily Maintenance: It can be easily maintainable due to the centralized nature of the
database system.
o Reduce time: It reduces development time and maintenance need.
o Backup: It provides backup and recovery subsystems which create automatic backup
of data from hardware and software failures and restores the data if required.
o multiple user interface: It provides different types of user interfaces like graphical
user interfaces, application program interfaces

Disadvantages of DBMS

o Cost of Hardware and Software: It requires a high speed of data processor and large
memory size to run DBMS software.
o Size: It occupies a large space of disks and large memory to run them efficiently.
o Complexity: Database system creates additional complexity and requirements.
o Higher impact of failure: Failure is highly impacted the database because in most of
the organization, all the data stored in a single database and if the database is damaged
due to electric failure or database corruption then the data may be lost forever.
o

Levels of Abstraction in DBMS

The concept of levels of abstraction in DBMS is important because it allows users to work
with databases without worrying about the underlying implementation details. In this article,
we will discuss the different levels of abstraction in DBMS.

The three levels of abstraction in DBMS are:

 External Level / View Level

 Conceptual Level/ Logical Level

 Internal Level / Physical Level

The below image provides a clear view of the different levels of abstraction in DBMS.
Each level has its own purpose and functions, and they are connected to each other through
mappings. Let us learn about each levels of abstraction in DBMS in detail.

Physical Level (External Level)

The external level, also known as the View level, is the level of abstraction that is closest to
the end users. It defines how the data is viewed by the users or applications that access the
database. It provides a high-level view of the database that is tailored to the specific needs of
each user or application.

The external level includes the schema, which is a description of the data that is relevant to a
specific user or application. The schema defines the tables, attributes, and relationships that
are relevant to the user or application. Users or applications interact with the database
through the schema, which provides a simplified view of the database that is easy to
understand and use.

The external level is designed to provide a level of abstraction that shields the users or
applications from the complexities of the underlying database. It allows users to work with
the data in a way that is meaningful to them without worrying about the details of how the
data is stored or organized.
Conceptual Level (Logical Level)

The conceptual level, also known as the logical level, is the level of abstraction that defines
the overall structure of the database. It defines the relationships between the data elements,
the constraints on the data, and the operations that can be performed on the data.

The conceptual level includes the data model, which is a representation of the data that is
independent of any specific database management system. The data model defines the tables,
attributes, and relationships that make up the database and the constraints that govern them.

The conceptual level is designed to provide a high-level view of the database that is
independent of any specific implementation. It allows users to define the structure of the
database in a way that is meaningful to them without worrying about the details of how the
data is stored or accessed.

Physical Level (Internal Level)

The internal level, also known as the physical level, is the level of abstraction that defines
how the data is physically stored and organized in the database. It includes the details of how
the data is stored on disk, the access methods used to retrieve the data, and the algorithms
used to perform operations on the data.

The internal level includes the physical schema, which is a description of how the data is
physically stored in the database. The physical schema defines the data structures used to
store the data, the access methods used to retrieve the data, and the algorithms used to
perform operations on the data.

The internal level is designed to provide a low-level view of the database that is optimized for
performance and efficiency. It allows database management systems to store and access data
in the most efficient way possible, without worrying about the needs of the users or
applications.

Benefits of Levels of Abstraction in DBMS

The levels of abstraction in DBMS provide several benefits to users and applications,
including:

 The levels of abstraction in DBMS provide a separation between the way data is
viewed by users or applications and how it is stored and accessed by the database
management system. This allows changes to be made to the physical storage and
access methods without affecting the external or conceptual levels.

 The levels of abstraction in DBMS make it easier for database administrators to

manage the database. They can make changes to the physical storage and access
methods without affecting the users or applications that interact with the database.

 The levels of abstraction in DBMS allow the database management system to

optimize the physical storage and access methods for performance without affecting
the way data is viewed by users or applications.
  The levels of abstraction in DBMS allow users or applications to view the data in a
way that is meaningful to them without worrying about the underlying
implementation details. This makes it easier to adapt to changing business
requirements and user needs.

Conclusion
The levels of abstraction in DBMS provide a powerful tool for managing data in complex
systems. They allow users and applications to work with the database in a way that is
meaningful to them without worrying about the underlying implementation details. The levels
of abstraction in DBMS provide data independence, simplified database management,
improved performance, and flexibility. By understanding the different levels of abstraction
and how they are connected through mappings, users, and applications can interact with the
database in a way that is efficient, effective, and meaningful.

Data independence

 Data independence is a property of a database

management system by which we can change the database
schema at one level of the database system without
changing the database schema at the next higher level.
 DBMS permits you to see data with such a generalized
sight. It actually means that the ability to change the
structure of the lowerlevel schema without presenting the
 upper-level schema is called Data independence

Types of Data Independence

There are two types of data independence.
 logical data independence
 Physical data independence
Logical Data Independence
 Changing the logical schema (conceptual level) without
changing the external schema (view level) is called
logical data independence.
 It is used to keep the external schema separate from the
logical schema.
 If we make any changes at the conceptual level of data,
it does not affect the view level.
 This happens at the user interface level.
 For example, it is possible to add or delete new entities,
attributes to the conceptual schema without making any
changes to the external schema.
Physical Data Independence
  Making changes to the physical schema without
changing the logical schema is called physical data
independence.
 If we change the storage size of the database system
server, it will not affect the conceptual structure of the
database.
 It is used to keep the conceptual level separate from the
internal level.
 This happens at the logical interface level.
 Example – Changing the location of the database from C
drive to D drive.
Difference Between Physical and Logical
Data Independence
Physical Data Logical Data
Independence Independence

It mainly concerns about

It mainly concerns how the data
changes to the structure or data
is stored in the system.
definition.

It is difficult to achieve
It is easier to achieve than
compared to physical
logical independence.
independence.

To make changes at the physical

To make changes at the logical
level we generally do not require
level, we need to make changes
changes at the application
at the application level.
program level.

It tells about the internal It tells about the conceptual

schema. schema.

There may or may not be a need Whenever the logical structure

for changes to be made at the of the database has to be
internal level to improve the changed, the changes made at
structure. the logical level are important.

Example- change in compression

Example – adding/modifying or
technology, hashing
deleting a new attribute.
algorithm, storage device etc.