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What Is A Database

A database is an organized collection of data. A database management system provides tools to organize, add, modify, delete, query, and report data. The ultimate purpose of a DBMS is to transform data into information, knowledge, and action. Relational databases link data across tables using identifying fields, while non-relational databases store information in user-created categories. Factors like the number of records, users, data modifications, and hardware/budget determine which database system to select. Tables form the basic structure of databases, with each column representing a field and each row a unique record.

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41 views

What Is A Database

A database is an organized collection of data. A database management system provides tools to organize, add, modify, delete, query, and report data. The ultimate purpose of a DBMS is to transform data into information, knowledge, and action. Relational databases link data across tables using identifying fields, while non-relational databases store information in user-created categories. Factors like the number of records, users, data modifications, and hardware/budget determine which database system to select. Tables form the basic structure of databases, with each column representing a field and each row a unique record.

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What is a database

A database is any organized collection of


data. Some examples of databases you
may encounter in your daily life are:
 a telephone book
 T.V. Guide
 airline reservation system
 motor vehicle registration records
 papers in your filing cabinet
 files on your computer hard drive. 
Data vs. information:
What is the difference?
What is data? What is information?
 Information is data that have
 Data can be defined in
been organized and
many ways. Information
communicated in a coherent
science defines data as
and meaningful manner.
unprocessed information.  Data is converted into
information, and information
is converted into knowledge.
 Knowledge; information
evaluated and organized so
that it can be used
purposefully.
Why do we need a database?
Keep records of our:
 Clients
 Staff
 Volunteers
To keep a record of activities
and interventions;
Keep sales records;
Develop reports;
Perform research
Longitudinal tracking
What is the ultimate purpose of
a database management
system?
Is to transform

Data Information Knowledge Action


What is a database?
Quite simply, it’s an organized collection of data.

A database management system (DBMS) such as


Access, FileMaker, Lotus Notes, Oracle or SQL
Server which provides you with the software tools
you need to organize that data in a flexible manner.
It includes tools to add, modify or delete data from
the database, ask questions (or queries) about the
data stored in the database and produce reports
summarizing selected contents.
Types of Databases
Non-relational databases
Non-relational databases place information in field categories that we create so
that information is available for sorting and disseminating the way we need it.
The data in a non-relational database, however, is limited to that program and
cannot be extracted and applied to a number of other software programs, or
other database files within a school or administrative system. The data
can only be "copied and pasted.“ Example: a spread sheet

Relational databases
In relational databases, fields can be used in a number of ways (and
can be of variable length), provided that they are linked in tables. It is
developed based on a database model that provides for logical
connections among files (known as tables) by including identifying
data from one table in another table
Database Management System
Collection of interrelated data
Set of programs to access the data
DBMS contains information about a particular enterprise
DBMS provides an environment that is both convenient and efficient
to use.
Database Applications:
 Banking: all transactions
 Airlines: reservations, schedules
 Universities: registration, grades
 Sales: customers, products, purchases
 Manufacturing: production, inventory, orders, supply chain
 Human resources: employee records, salaries, tax deductions
Database management systems (or DBMSs) can be divided into
two categories -- desktop databases and server databases.  

Desktop databases are oriented toward single-user


applications and reside on standard personal computers
(hence the term desktop). 
Server databases contain mechanisms to ensure the reliability
and consistency of data and are geared toward multi-user
applications.
Selecting a database system:
Need Analysis
The needs analysis process will be specific to your organization but, at
a minimum, should answer the following questions:
How many records we will warehouse and for how long?
Who will be using the database and what tasks will they perform? 
How often will the data be modified?  Who will make these
modifications?
Who will be providing IT support for the database?
What hardware is available?  Is there a budget for purchasing
additional hardware?
Who will be responsible for maintaining the data?
Will data access be offered over the Internet?  If so, what level of
access should be supported?
Some Definitions
A File: A group or collection of similar records, like INST6031
Fall Student File, American History 1850-1866 file, Basic
Food Group Nutrition File
A record book: a "rolodex" of data records, like address lists,
inventory lists, classes or thematic units, or groupings of
other unique records that are combined into one list (found in
AppleWorks, FileMaker Pro software).
A field: one category of information, i.e., Name, Address,
Semester Grade, Academic topic
A record: one piece of data, i.e., one student's information, a
recipe, a test question
A layout: a design for a database that contains field names
and possibly graphics.
Fundamental building blocks
Tables comprise the fundamental building blocks of any database.  If you're familiar with
spreadsheets, you'll find database tables extremely similar.  Take a look at this example of
a table sample database:

The table above contains the employee information for our organization -- characteristics
like name, date of birth and title.  Examine the construction of the table and you'll find that
each column of the table corresponds to a specific employee characteristic (or attribute in
database terms).  Each row corresponds to one particular employee and contains his or her
information.  That's all there is to it!  If it helps, think of each one of these tables as a
spreadsheet-style listing of information.
Where do we start?
Let’s explore your “paper
system”
 Client intake forms
 Job application form
 Funders reports
Database modeling:
 Define required fields from
“forms” or required reports
 Avoid repetition
 Keep it simple
 Identify a unique identifier
or primary key
Data entry considerations
Define “must” enter fields – no record is complete
unless: such and such is entered;

Make data entry fool proof. Example: Grade level can


be entered as a number (8 or 8th or eight). By using a
pull-down menu with the correct data format these
mistakes can be avoided.
Data Entry – additional
considerations
Barcode scanners
 USB or
 Wireless attached to a
Palm or Pocket PC
Pocket PC
 WiFi 802.11g,
Bluetooth
 Wireless networks
(real-time on demand
systems)

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