Databases

1. Describe The File Based Approach Database Systems

- File based Approach is a traditional approach of collecting and storing data
In which data is stored in files with each unit of organization having its own
files and each file having a specific set of programs that manipulate the data
in that file.

2. Outline Features Of A DBMS

DBMS
- Is a complex layer of software used to develop and to maintain the
database and provides interface between the database and application
programs.
Features of Database Management Systems
a. Data Dictionary Management

*Data Dictionary: contains names and descriptions of every data

element in the database i.e. how data elements are related to each other.
- Stores data in a consistent memory, reducing data redundancy.
*Data Languages: a Special language (Data Definition Language) used to
describe thecharacteristics of a data element placed into the Data Dictionary
b. D a t a S t o r a g e M a n a g e m e n t
- DBMS Handles data storage in the database.
- Uses Teleprocessing monitors which is a software that manages
communication between the database and remote terminals.
c) D a t a T r a n s f o r m a t i o n a n d P r e s e n t a t i o n
- DBMS provides options to transform data in multiple formats & then
present it to the appropriate users.
d) S e c u r i t y M a n a g e m e n t
- DBMS provides security rules that can restrict access to tables, schema
& other database objects.
- Security Software: provides tools used to shield the database from
unauthorised access.
e) B a c k u p A n d R e c o v e r y M a n a g e m e n t
- DBMS should be able to take backups and provide methods to recover the
lost data.
- Recovery and archiving system: these allow data to be copied onto
backups in case of disaster.
f) D a t a I n t e g r i t y M a n a g e m e n t
- DBMS makes use of primary keys to make sure that data integrity is not
affected in any case.
- The information in database management system occurs only once so
chances of duplicity are very less, thus maintaining data integrity, data
concurrency & data consistence
g) Database Access Languages And Application Programming Interfaces
- Use of Structured Query language to access database. The query language
provided by DBMS is so easy to understand.
- Report writers: these are programs used to design output reports without
writing an algorithm in any programming language.
3. Describe Features Of Relational Database Which
Address Limitations Of A File Based Approach
a) Program-Data Independence
- Data is independent of the programs that accesses it, in the file-based
system, the structure of the data files is defined in the application programs
so if a user wants to change the structure of a file, all the programs that
access that file might need to be changed as well.
- Relational databases is self-describing, ie. Contains the database itself and
also metadata which defines and describes the data and relationships between
tables in the database (DD).
- Therefore, one change is all that is needed to change the structure of a file.

b) Support for multiple views of data

- A database supports multiple views of data, ie. Subsets of the database,
which is defined and dedicated for particular users of the system.
- Multiple users in the system might have different views of the system and
each view might contain only the data of interest to a user or group of users.

c) Sharing of data and multiuser system

- allow many users to access the same database at the same time through
use of concurrency control strategies (features of a database that
allow several users access to the same data item at the same time)
- These strategies ensure that the data accessed are always correct and that data
integrity is maintained.

d) Control of data redundancy/ Eliminating data redundancy

- Data need only be stored once and applications that need data can
access the data from the central database.

e) Data sharing
- allows for data sharing among employees and others who have access to the
system.
- gives users the ability to generate more information from a given amount of
data than would be possible without the integration of all the data, for an
organization, within a database system.

f) Enforcement of integrity constraints

- define and enforce certain constraints to ensure that users enter valid
information and maintain data integrity.
- A database constraint is a restriction or rule that dictates what can be entered
or edited in a table
- Database constraints like Data uniqueness ensures that no duplicates are
entered thus ensuring consistence and integrity.

g) Restriction of unauthorized access

- Database management system provide a security system to create and control
different types of user accounts and restrict unauthorized access.
 - Users of a database system are given different access privileges e.g
read-only access (i.e., the ability to read a file but not make changes),
or read and write privileges, which is the ability to both read and modify
a file.
- Databases implement security through data classification (i.e., data
objects are given classification levels and users are assigned clearance
levels) and data encryption

h) Data independence
- The system data descriptions or data describing data (metadata) are
separated from the application programs.
- The database approach allows multiple application programs to use the
data concurrently and the data can be accessed in several different ways
(e.g., through applications processing, online query, and report writing
programs).
- The access can be quickly changed by modifying the definition of the tables or views.

i) Transaction processing
- Database management system include concurrency control subsystems
which ensures that data remains consistent and valid during transaction
processing even if several users update the same information.

j) Backup and recovery facilities

- Database system provides for backing up and recovering of data.
- If a computer system fails in the middle of a complex update process, the recovery
subsystem is responsible for making sure that the database is restored to its original
state.

k) Ease of maintenance.
- Because each data element is stored only once, any additions, deletions, or
changes to the database are accomplished easily.

l) Reduced storage costs.

- By eliminating redundant data, storage space is reduced, resulting in
associated cost savings.

Relational Database Vs Flat File

Relational database Flat file
Less duplication of data as data does not need to in every Too much duplication of data since every table repeats
table data
Offer greater data integrity as there is little chance of getting No data integrity is guaranteed due to too much
duplicate of data duplication
of data
Data is available to all users of the system as there are Data not available everywhere as there is no sharing of
no problems of software incompatibility. Thus users files
share files
Creates different user views within the DBMS No different user views are created
Easy to access data from different table due to relationships Difficult to access data from different files as the files are
between the tables not
Linked
Retrieval of records from different files is faster Retrieval of records from different files is slower
Better security of records is enhanced Less security of data from unauthorised access
Promote program data independence There is program data dependence
There is centralised management of data which is more No central data management, difficult to manage and less
efficient Security