INFS1603 – Introduction to Databases Study Notes

1 - Database Systems
Data: Facts that have not yet been processed to reveal their meaning to the end
user.
Information: Data that has been processed and presented in a form for human
interpretation, often with the purpose of revealing trends or patterns. Facilitates
decision-making.

Database
Database: A collection of data that exists over a long period of time. It includes:
 End-user data: raw facts of interest to the end user
 Metadata: data about data, through which the end-user data is integrated and
managed. Describes the data characteristics and the set of relationships that
links the data found within the database e.g. metadata stores info such as name
of each data element, type of values (numeric, dates or text), etc.

Elements of a database:
 Character: Most basic element of data
 Field: Contains data – composed of characters
 Record: set of related fields
 Database: collects related records
 DBMS: manages the database

Importance of databases:
 Best way to store and manage data
 Makes data persistent and shareable in a secure way

Database management system (DBMS)

DBMS: A collection of programs that manages the database structure and controls
access to the data stored in the database. Enables users to read and write data since
the data appears to be well integrated. Can be used to build many different types of
databases. Examples: Visual Basic. NET, Java, C#.

Advantages of a DBMS:
 Improved data sharing – creates an environment in which end users have better
access to more and better-managed data
 Improved data security – provides framework for better data privacy and security
policy enforcement
 Better data integration – produces quick answers to ad hoc queries (a specific
request issued to the DBMS for data manipulation e.g. data reading or update)
 Minimised data inconsistency and anomalies
 Improved data access, including concurrency handling
 Improved decision making
 Improved end-user productivity
Types of Databases
 Single-user: supports one user at a time
 Desktop: single-user database that runs on a PC
 Multiuser: support multiple concurrent users
 Workgroup: usually support <50 users or is used for a specific department in an
organisation
 Enterprise: used by entire organisation and supports >50 users
 Centralised: located at a single site
 Distributed: stored in two or more physically independent sites
 Cloud: created and maintained used cloud services e.g. Microsoft Azure, Amazon
AWS. Data owner does not have to know what hardware and software is being
used to support their database. Performance capabilities are negotiated with the
cloud provider as the business demands on the database change.
 General-purpose: contains a wide variety of data used in multiple disciplines
 Discipline-specific: contains data focused on specific subject areas

DBMS Functions:
 Data dictionary management
 Data storage management
 Data transformation and presentation
 Security management
 Multi-user access control
 Backup and recovery management
 Data integrity management
 Database access languages and application programming interfaces
 Database communication interfaces

Database Models
Implementation models
 Hierarchical database models
o Advantages:
 Fast data retrieval
 1:M promotes data integrity
 High security
 Efficiency with 1:M fixed
relationships
Network database models
Object-oriented database models
Relational database models

Conceptual models
Entity-relationship (ER) model
Object-oriented (OO) model

Importance of Database Design

 Database design: the activities that focus on the design of the database structure
that will be used to store and manage end-user data
 Even a good DBMS will perform poorly with a badly designed database-

Database System Environment/Main components:

 Hardware: the system’s physical devices, including computers, storage devices,
printers, network devices (hubs, switches, routers, fiber optics), and other
devices (automated teller machines, ID readers, etc.)
 Software: three types are needed to make the database system function fully:
o Operating system
o DBMS software
o Application programs and utility
 People: users of the database system. Five types of users can be identified on the
basis of primary job functions:
o System administrators
o Database administrators
o Database designers
o System analysts and programmers
o End users
 Procedures: instruction and rules that govern the design and use of the database
system. They enforce the standards by which business is conducted and ensures
that companies have an organised way to monitor and audit the data
 Data: collection of facts stored in the database

DBMS Functions
 Data dictionary management
 Data storage management
 Data transformation and presentation
 Security management
 Multiuser access control
 Backup and recovery management
 Data integrity management
 Database access languages and application programming interfaces
 Database communication interfaces

Future of databases

2 – Data Models