Database

a repository for data…

Professor - Mr. Piyush Mistry

[email protected]

Mobile – 90043 34009

Introduction to Database
• A database can be thought of as a kind of electronic filing
cabinet; it contains digitized information (“data”), which is
kept in persistent storage of some kind, typically on
magnetic disks or a solid state device. Users can insert new
information into the database, and delete, change, or
retrieve existing information in the database, by issuing
requests or commands to the software that manages the
database.
• Databases are designed to offer an organized mechanism
for storing, managing and retrieving information. They do
so through the use of tables. If you're familiar with
spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel, you're probably already
accustomed to storing data in tabular form. It's not much of
a stretch to make the leap from spreadsheets to databases.
Enterprise systems feature a set of integrated software modules and a central
database that enables data to be shared by many different business
processes and functional areas throughout the enterprise.
Managers use the data to come up with more precise and timely information
for coordinating the daily operations of the business and a firm-wide view of
business
Database
Just like Excel tables, database tables also consist
of columns and rows. Each column contains a
different type of attribute and each row
corresponds to a single record. For example,
imagine that we were building a database table
that contained names and telephone numbers.
Lets set up columns named “FirstName”,
“LastName” and “TelephoneNumber.” Then you
simply start adding rows underneath those
columns that contained the data we're planning to
store. Each row is for 1 contact, so if you have 100
contact it will result in 100 rows of data
Flat file
• Typically *.xlsx, *.docx, *.pptx etc are flat
data files that holds the data

• These files have there own limitation and

not suitable for large volume of data
Database v/s Flat file
• You may wonder why not user flat files instead of
Databases. Databases are are actually much more
powerful than spreadsheets. Flat file has the following
constraints:
▫ Retrieve all records that match certain criteria
▫ Update records in bulk
▫ Cross-reference records in different tables
▫ Perform complex aggregate calculations
▫ Correlate information from multiple tables in a
database
▫ Large volume of data
▫ Security and reliability and concerns
▫ Replicating/Backup
Database Management system
• Database software is the phrase used to describe
any software that is designed for creating databases
and managing the information stored in them.
• Also referred as database management systems
(DBMS).
• Database software tools are primarily used for
storing, modifying, extracting, and searching for
information within a database.
• Database software is used for a number of reasons
in any industry - from keeping your bookkeeping on
task, compiling client lists to running your online
Web site.
Various Types of Databases
• The various types of databases are:
• a) Operational databases
• b) End user databases
• c) Centralized databases
• d) Distributed databases
• e) Personal databases
• f) Commercial databases
Types of Databases
• a. Operational databases:
• These databases store data relating to the operations of the
enterprise. Generally, such databases are organized on
functional lines such as marketing, production, employees, etc.

• b. End-User databases:
• These databases are shared by users and contain information
meant for use by the end-users like managers at different
levels. These managers may not be concerned about the
individual transactions as found in operational databases.
• Rather, they would be more interested in summary information.
Although, the operational databases can also generate
summary information from the transaction details, they would
be quite slow as they are not designed for this purpose.
Types of Databases
• c. Centralized databases:
• These databases store the entire information and application
programs at a central computing facility. The users at different
locations access the central data base to make processing. The
communication controller sends the transactions to the relevant
application programs. These programs pick up the appropriate
data from the database for processing the transaction.
• For example, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) has
a centralized data base for registration of applications for new
tel­ephone connections. The data regarding the applicant are
received from a local area office of MTNL.
• Data validation and verification is carried out by the application
programs at the central computer centre, and a registration
number is allotted by the application pro­grams located at the
central facility.
Types of Databases
• d. Distributed databases:
• These databases have contributions from the common databases as well
as the data captured from the local operations. The data remains
distributed at various sites in the organization. As the sites are linked to
each other with the help of communication links, the entire collection of
data at all the sites constitutes the logical database of the organization.
• These data­bases reduce the communication requirement by ensuring that
the detailed local information remains stored on the local facility. To­day,
the client-server technology is most popular for managing distributed data
bases. In a client-server environment, DBMS has two components, one
interacting with the needs of the user (client) and passing requests to the
other component of DBMS.
• The basic reason for dividing the DBMS into two components is that a part
of the job is moved to the user’s PC (client). This makes the simultaneous
processing possible on client PC and Server com­puter system. The server
is also able to co-ordinate the requests from a number of clients at a time.
Types of Databases
• The other component interacts with the database to meet the
information needs of the client. The figure depicts the functioning
of these components of DBMS in a client server environment.

• The basic reason for dividing the DBMS into two components is that
a part of the job is moved to the user’s PC (client). This makes the
simultaneous processing possible on client PC and Server com­puter
system. The server is also able to co-ordinate the requests from a
number of clients at a time.
Types of Databases
• e. Personal databases:
• The personal databases are maintained, gen­erally, on
Personal computers. They contain information that is
meant for use only among a limited number of users,
generally working in the same department.

• These databases are generally subject specific and

are user designed. They use simple and less powerful
DBMS packages available on PCs. These DBMS
packages may not have all the features of relational
DBMS but do have simi­lar features in a limited way.
Types of Databases
• f. Commercial databases:
• The database to which access is provided to users as a
commercial venture is called a commercial or external
database. These databases contain information that external
users would require but by themselves would not be able to
afford main­taining such huge databases.
• These databases are subjected specific and access to these
databases is sold as a paid service to its user. There are many
commercial database services available, particularly in the area
of financial and technical information.
• These databases may offer statistics regarding commodity,
foreign exchange and stock markets, companies and their
performance, importers and their buy­ing patterns, decided case
laws, etc. The access to commercial databases may be given
through communication links.
What is SQL
• Structured Query Language (SQL)
• To make it easy for other programs to
access data through them, many database
software support a computer language
called "SQL" (often pronounced as
"sequel").
• SQL was specially designed for such a
purpose. Programs that want the
database software to handle the low-level
work of managing data simply use that
DBMS Advantages
• Transaction Support– Atomic transactions guarantee
complete failure or success of an operation. This
includes automatic recovery of the database to a
transaction consistent point in the event of an abnormal
termination of the application (crash, power loss, etc.).
• Concurrent Access– The ability to share data by
controlling access to data items, many users (process or
threads) can access data concurrently.
• Data Normalization– A well designed database schema
can reduce storage requirements on the target storage
media by reducing duplicate data.
• Expandability, Flexibility, Scalability– A database
system can scale easily to larger data sets.
DBMS Advantages
• Standards Enforcement– One example of this advantage
would be to use the DBMS for all data storage requirements
for the application. Multiple data structures can be
manipulated using the same Application Programming
interfaces (API) functions. The can lead to reduced application
development times and reduced maintenance costs in the
future.
• Fast Query Access– Databases allow indexing based on any
attribute or data-property (i.e. SQL columns). This helps fast
retrieval of data, based on the indexed attribute. This is an
importance advantage as data-sets begin to grow large as it
provides a more predictable query response time.
• Interoperability– Connectivity through industry standard
protocols allowing third-party tools to access and analyze
data.
RDBMS
• Relational Database Management System (RDBM
• A relational database management system (RDBMS)
is a database management system (DBMS) that is
based on the relational model as invented by E. F.
Codd, of IBM's San Jose Research Laboratory.
• The data in a relational database is stored in various
data tables. Each table has a key field which is used
to connect it to other tables. Hence all the tables are
related to each other through several key fields.
• Many popular databases currently in use are based
on the relational database model.
Database Software‘s
Some of the prominent Databases are as
below:
• Oracle
• Microsoft SQL Server
• Sybase
• MySQL
• DB2

They are also referred as Relational Database

Management System(RDBMS)