BTEC 2012

Unit 1 The Online World

Name: .

Lesson 11 Data Storage

Starter What is meant by data storage?
Data storage is the holding of data in an electromagnetic form for access by a computer processor. There are
two main kinds of storage: Primary storage is data that is held in in random access memory (RAM) and other
memory devices that are built into
computers.

1. What is a database structure made out of?

Field - this is a single piece of data such as name, date of birth or telephone number
Record - this is one complete set of fields, for example one pupil's school record
File - this is a collection of records, for example a school
database
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2. Explain what is meant be each of the following terms.
Table
The table allows you to see all of the records stored in the database.
Tables can store many records, from a few dozen for a small database up to millions for a large company
database.....................................
Record
A record is all of the data about one person or one
thing.....................................
Field
A field is usually a single column within a multi-column table. It is good practice to give a field a sensible
name.....................................
Relationship
Before you design a database, it is a good idea to sketch out what the various things within the database are
meant to be doing. What is the 'concept' behind the database i.e. what is its
purpose.....................................
Data Type
a particular kind of data item, as defined by the values it can take, the programming language used, or the
operations that can be performed on
it.....................................
3. Name the various data types that are used in databases.
I.
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II.
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III.
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IV.
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Databases use relationships to link different tables together as shown below.

BTEC 2012
Unit 1 The Online World

Name: .

4. What is a primary key?

A primary key, also called a primary keyword, is a key in a relational database that is unique for each
record
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5. What is a foreign key?
A foreign key (FK) is a column or combination of columns that is used to establish and enforce a link between
the data in two
tables.
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6. What kind of relationships can tables have between each other?

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Online databases are databases which are accessible using a network, including the internet. They are
very different to local databases as they have to be accessed, and possibly updated, by millions of
users. Normally these databases will have thousands of rows of information. Usually information is
found in online databases by using a search engine.
7. How might an online database be used?

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8. What is a DBMS? What does it do?

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9. Name some common database management systems that are used:
I.
..
II.
..
III.
..

BTEC 2012
Unit 1 The Online World

Name: .

Plenary What is the difference between a database and a database management system?

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