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Chapter 1

Database Systems

Database Systems:
Design, Implementation, and Management,
Seventh Edition, Rob and Coronel
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In this chapter, you will learn:

• The difference between data and information

• What a database is, what the different types
of databases are, and why they are valuable
assets for decision making
• The importance of database design
• How modern databases evolved from file
systems

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In this chapter, you will learn (continued):

• About flaws in file system data management

• What the database system’s main
components are and how a database system
differs from a file system
• The main functions of a database
management system (DBMS)

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Data vs. Information

• Data:
– Raw facts; building blocks of information
– Unprocessed information
• Information:
– Data processed to reveal meaning
• Accurate, relevant, and timely information is key to
good decision making
• Good decision making is the key to survival in a
global environment
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Transforming Raw Data into Information

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Transforming Raw Data into Information
(continued)

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Transforming Raw Data into Information
(continued)

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Transforming Raw Data into Information
(continued)

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Introducing the Database
and the DBMS
• Database—shared, integrated computer
structure that stores:
– End user data (raw facts)
– Metadata (data about data)

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Introducing the Database and the DBMS
(continued)
• DBMS (database management system):
– Collection of programs that manages
database structure and controls access to
data
– Possible to share data among multiple
applications or users
– Makes data management more efficient and
effective

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Role and Advantages of the DBMS
(continued)
• End users have better access to more and
better-managed data
– Promotes integrated view of organization’s
operations
– Probability of data inconsistency is greatly
reduced
– Possible to produce quick answers to ad hoc
queries

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Role and Advantages of the DBMS
(continued)

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Types of Databases

• Single-user:
– Supports only one user at a time
• Desktop:
– Single-user database running on a personal
computer
• Multi-user:
– Supports multiple users at the same time

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Types of Databases (continued)

• Workgroup:
– Multi-user database that supports a small
group of users or a single department
• Enterprise:
– Multi-user database that supports a large
group of users or an entire organization

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Types of Databases (continued)

Can be classified by location:

• Centralized:
– Supports data located at a single site
• Distributed:
– Supports data distributed across several sites

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Types of Databases (continued)

Can be classified by use:
• Transactional (or production):
– Supports a company’s day-to-day operations
• Data warehouse:
– Stores data used to generate information
required to make tactical or strategic decisions
– Often used to store historical data
– Structure is quite different

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Why Database Design is Important

• Defines the database’s expected use

• Different approach needed for different types
of databases
• Avoid redundant data
• Poorly designed database generates errors
 leads to bad decisions  can lead to
failure of organization

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Historical Roots: Files and File Systems

• Managing data with file systems is obsolete

– Understanding file system characteristics
makes database design easier to understand
– Awareness of problems with file systems helps
prevent similar problems in DBMS
– Knowledge of file systems is helpful if you plan
to convert an obsolete file system to a DBMS

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Historical Roots: Files and File Systems
(continued)
Manual File systems:
• Collection of file folders kept in file cabinet
• Organization within folders based on data’s expected
use (ideally logically related)
• System adequate for small amounts of data with few
reporting requirements
• Finding and using data in growing collections of file
folders became time-consuming and cumbersome

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Historical Roots: Files and File Systems
(continued)
Conversion from manual to computer system:
• Could be technically complex, requiring hiring
of data processing (DP) specialists
• Resulted in numerous “home-grown” systems
being created
• Initially, computer files were similar in design
to manual files (see Figure 1.3)

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Historical Roots: Files and File Systems 1
(continued)

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Historical Roots: Files and File Systems
(continued)

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Historical Roots: Files and File Systems
(continued)
• DP specialist wrote programs for reports:
– Monthly summaries of types and amounts of
insurance sold by agents
– Monthly reports about which customers should
be contacted for renewal
– Reports that analyzed ratios of insurance
types sold by agent
– Customer contact letters summarizing
coverage
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Historical Roots: Files and File Systems
(continued)
• Other departments requested databases be
written for them
– SALES database created for sales department
– AGENT database created for personnel
department

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Historical Roots: Files and File Systems
(continued)

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Historical Roots: Files and File Systems
(continued)
• As number of databases increased, small file
system evolved
• Each file used its own application programs
• Each file was owned by individual or
department who commissioned its creation

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Historical Roots: Files and File Systems
(continued)

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Example of Early Database Design
(continued)
• As system grew, demand for DP’s
programming skills grew
• Additional programmers hired
• DP specialist evolved into DP manager,
supervising a DP department
• Primary activity of department (and DP
manager) remained programming

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Problems with File System
Data Management
• Every task requires extensive programming in
a third-generation language (3GL)
– Programmer must specify task and how it
must be done
• Modern databases use fourth-generation
languages (4GL)
– Allow users to specify what must be done
without specifying how it is to be done

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Problems with File System
Data Management

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Problems with File System
Data Management
• Time-consuming, high-level activity
• As number of files expands, system
administration becomes difficult
• Making changes in existing file structure is
difficult
• File structure changes require modifications
in all programs that use data in that file

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Problems with File System
Data Management
• Modifications are likely to produce errors,
requiring additional time to “debug” the
program
• Security features hard to program and
therefore often omitted

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Structural and Data Dependence

• Structural dependence
– Access to a file depends on its structure

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Structural and Data Dependence
(continued)
• Data dependence
– Changes in the data storage characteristics
without affecting the application program’s
ability to access the data
– Logical data format
• How the human being views the data
– Physical data format
• How the computer “sees” the data

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Field Definitions and Naming Conventions

• Flexible record definition anticipates reporting

requirements by breaking up fields into their
component parts

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Field Definitions and Naming Conventions
(continued)

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Data Redundancy
• Data redundancy results in data inconsistency
– Different and conflicting versions of the same
data appear in different places
• Errors more likely to occur when complex
entries are made in several different files and/or
recur frequently in one or more files
• Data anomalies develop when required changes
in redundant data are not made successfully

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Data Redundancy

Types of data anomalies:

• Update anomalies
– Occur when changes must be made to
existing records
• Insertion anomalies
– Occur when entering new records
• Deletion anomalies
– Occur when deleting records

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Database Systems

• Problems inherent in file systems make using

a database system desirable
• File system
– Many separate and unrelated files
• Database
– Logically related data stored in a single logical
data repository

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Database Systems

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The Database System Environment

• Database system is composed of five

main parts:
– Hardware
– Software
• Operating system software
• DBMS software
• Application programs and utility software
– People
– Procedures
– Data

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The Database System Environment (continued)

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DBMS Functions

• DBMS performs functions that guarantee

integrity and consistency of data
– Data dictionary management
• defines data elements and their relationships
– Data storage management
• stores data and related data entry forms, report
definitions, etc.

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DBMS Functions (continued)

– Data transformation and presentation

• translates logical requests into commands to
physically locate and retrieve the requested
data
– Security management
• enforces user security and data privacy within
database

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DBMS Functions (continued)

– Multiuser access control

• uses sophisticated algorithms to ensure
multiple users can access the database
concurrently without compromising the integrity
of the database
– Backup and recovery management
• provides backup and data recovery procedures
– Data integrity management
• promotes and enforces integrity rules

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DBMS Functions (continued)

– Database access languages and application

programming interfaces
• provide data access through a query language

– Database communication interfaces

• allow database to accept end-user requests via
multiple, different network environments

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DBMS Functions (continued)

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DBMS Functions (continued)

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Summary

• Data are raw facts. Information is the result of

processing data to reveal its meaning.
• To implement and manage a database, use a DBMS.
• Database design defines the database structure.
• A well-designed database facilitates data
management and generates accurate and valuable
information.
• A poorly designed database can lead to bad decision
making, and bad decision making can lead to the
failure of an organization.

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Summary (continued)

• Databases were preceded by file systems.

• Limitations of file system data management:
– requires extensive programming
– system administration complex and difficult
– making changes to existing structures is difficult
– security features are likely to be inadequate
– independent files tend to contain redundant data
• DBMS’s were developed to address file systems’
inherent weaknesses

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