Database Systems

Basic Concepts
Compiled by: Dagnachew Feleke

March 2023
 “
"Data is a precious thing and will
last longer than the systems
themselves." - Tim Berners-Lee

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Content
◎ Introduction
◎ Basic Terminology and Notions of Database Systems
◎ Data Independence and Abstraction
◎ The Advantages of Database Systems.
◎ Data Models and Storages
◎ Database System Architecture
 Introduction
◎Database Management System (DBMS) provides
efficient, reliable, convenient, and safe multi-user
storage of and access to massive amounts of
persistent data.
○ Efficient storage: is designed to store data in an optimized way, using various
techniques such as indexing, compression, and partitioning to ensure fast and
efficient data access and retrieval.
○ Reliable storage: ensures that it is accurate, consistent, and available when
needed.
○ Convenient storage: provides a user-friendly interface for accessing and
manipulating data in the database.
… Introduction
○ Safe storage: ensures that the data stored in the database is secure, meaning that
it is protected from unauthorized access, modification, or destruction.
○ Multi-user storage: A DBMS supports multiple users accessing and modifying the
data in the database concurrently, without causing data inconsistency or
corruption.
○ Massive amounts of persistent data: A DBMS is designed to handle large amounts
of data that are stored persistently, meaning that the data remains stored even
after the application or system that created it has terminated.

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 What the DBMS does
◎ Provides users with
○ Data definition language (DDL)
○ Data manipulation language (DML)
○ Data control language (DCL)
◎ Often these are all the same language
Basic Terminologies
 Database:
 is a collection of related data that is organized and stored in a way that allows efficient
retrieval and manipulation of the data.
 are used in many applications, including business, education, research, and government.
 Database system:
 is a software system that manages a database.
 It provides an interface for users and applications to access and manipulate the data, as
well as tools for managing the database and ensuring its integrity and security.
 Data independence:
 is the ability to change the data without affecting the applications that use it,
 Data abstraction:
 is the process of hiding complex details of the database system from users and
applications through the use of layers or interfaces.
…Terminologies
 The components of a database system include the data itself, the
database management system (DBMS), which is the software that
manages the data, the hardware on which the DBMS runs, and the users
and applications that interact with the data.
 The data in a database is organized into tables, which consist of rows and
columns. Each row represents a single record, and each column
represents a field or attribute of the record. Tables can be related to
each other through keys, which are columns that contain unique values
used to identify records in other tables.
 Examples of database systems include MySQL, Oracle, Microsoft SQL
Server, and PostgreSQL.
 Data Independence and Abstraction
 Data independence is the ability to change the physical or logical
structure of the data without affecting the applications that use it.
There are two types of data independence: physical and logical.
 Physical data independence means that changes to the physical
storage of the data, such as moving it to a different disk or
changing the file format, do not affect the applications that use
the data.
 Logical data independence means that changes to the logical
structure of the data, such as adding or deleting tables or
columns, do not affect the applications that use the data.
 …Abstraction
 Abstraction is the process of hiding complex details of the database system from
users and applications through the use of layers or interfaces. There are three
levels of abstraction in a database system: external, conceptual, and internal.
 The external level is the view of the data presented to the user or application. It is
customized to the specific needs of the user or application and is independent of
the internal and conceptual levels.
 The conceptual level is the representation of the data in the database. It is
independent of the external level and describes the overall structure and
relationships of the data.
 The internal level is the physical representation of the data in the database. It is
independent of the external and conceptual levels and describes how the data is
stored and accessed.
 Abstraction Architecture
◎ A three-level architecture
○ Internal level: For systems designers
○ Conceptual level: For database designers and administrators
○ External level: For database users
Internal Level
◎ Internal
Deals with
Schema
physical storage of data
○ Structure
RECORD EMPof records on disk - files, pages, blocks
○ Indexes and ordering of records
LENGTH=44
○ Used byBYTE(5)
HEADER: database system programmers
OFFSET=0
NAME: BYTE(25)
OFFSET=5
SALARY: FULLWORD
OFFSET=30
DEPT: BYTE(10)
OFFSET=34
Conceptual Level
◎ Conceptual
Deals with the
Schema
organisation of the data as a whole
○ Abstractions
CREATE TABLEare used to remove unnecessary details of the internal level
○ Used by DBAs
Employee ( and application programmers
Name
VARCHAR(25),
Salary REAL,
Dept_Name
VARCHAR(10))
External Level
◎ External
ProvidesSchemas
a view of the database tailored to a user
○ Parts of the data may be hidden
Payroll:
Data is presented
○String Name in a useful form
Used bySalary
○double end users and application programmers

Personnel:
char *Name
char *Department
Mappings
◎ Physical
Mappingsdata
translate
independence
information from one level to the next
○ External/Conceptual
Changes to internal level shouldn’t affect conceptual level
○ Conceptual/Internal
◎ Logical data independence
◎ These mappings
○ Conceptual levelprovide
changes data independence
shouldn’t affect external levels
DB Architecture
User 1 User 2 User 3

External External
External Schemas View 1 View 2

External/Conceptual Mappings
Conceptual
Conceptual Schema View DBA

Conceptual/Internal Mapping
Internal Schema Stored
Data
The Advantages of Database Systems.
 Database systems provide several advantages over traditional file-based
systems, including increased data sharing and availability, reduced data
redundancy and inconsistency, improved data integrity and security, and
increased productivity and efficiency.
 With a database system, multiple users and applications can access and
modify the data concurrently, without the risk of data conflicts or
inconsistencies.
 Database systems use mechanisms such as transactions, concurrency control,
and backup and recovery to ensure data integrity and security.
 Database systems also provide tools for querying and analyzing the data, as
well as for designing and maintaining the database.
 Data Models and Storages
 A data model is a description of the structure of the data in a database. It
defines the types of data that can be stored in the database and the
relationships between the data.
 The three main types of data models are the hierarchical model, the
network model, and the relational model.
 The hierarchical model organizes data into a tree-like structure, with each
record having a single parent record and possibly many child records.
 The network model organizes data into a graph-like structure, with each
record connected to one or more other records.
… Storages
 The relational model organizes data into tables, with each table
consisting of rows and columns.
 In a relational model, the relationships between tables are defined
through keys, which are columns that contain unique values used
to identify records in other tables.
 Data storage in a database system can be either centralized or
distributed. In a centralized system, all the data is stored on a
single computer, while in a distributed system, the data is stored
on multiple computers connected by a network.
 Database System Architecture
 A database system architecture consists of several components that work
together to provide efficient data storage and retrieval.
 The client application is the software that allows users to interact with the data
in the database. It sends requests to the database management system (DBMS)
to retrieve or modify data.
 The DBMS is the software that manages the data in the database. It handles
user requests, enforces data integrity and security, and provides tools for
managing the database.
 The database server is the computer that runs the DBMS and manages the data
storage. It can be a single server or a cluster of servers that work together to
provide high availability and scalability.
 The storage system is the physical storage device or devices where the data is
stored. It can be either magnetic disks or solid-state drives.
 … Architecture
 The storage system is responsible for managing the physical location of data on the
storage devices, optimizing data access, and ensuring data reliability and durability.
 The storage system can be divided into primary storage, secondary storage, and
tertiary storage, depending on the speed and cost of the storage device.
 Primary storage is the fastest and most expensive type of storage and is used for
storing frequently accessed data.
 Secondary storage is slower and less expensive than primary storage and is used for
storing less frequently accessed data.
 Tertiary storage is the slowest and cheapest type of storage and is used for storing
backups and archives of data.
 The choice of storage system depends on the performance requirements, cost, and
reliability of the database system.
 Big concept
…effectively managing and storing large
amounts of data for real-world applications

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Thanks!
Any questions?

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