Database Management Basics

17 May Database Management Basics

Database management is the method for managing data that supports the company’s business operations. It involves storing data, distributing it to applications and users, editing it as needed as well as monitoring changes in data and preventing data corruption due to unexpected failure. It’s a component of a company’s informational infrastructure, which supports decision-making, corporate growth and compliance with laws such as the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act.

In the 1960s, Charles Bachman and IBM along with other companies developed the first database systems. They evolved into the information management systems (IMS) that enabled the storage and retrieve large amounts data for a broad range of purposes, ranging from calculating inventory to supporting complex human resources and financial accounting functions.

A database is tables that arrange data according to a particular arrangement, like one-to-many relationships. It utilizes primary key to identify records, and also allows cross-references between tables. Each table has a set of attributes or fields that contain information about data entities. The most popular kind of database is a relational model, developed by E. F. “Ted” Codd at IBM in the 1970s. This design is based on normalizing the data, making it more easy to use. It is also simpler to update data since it doesn’t require the modification of many sections of the databases.

Most DBMSs can support multiple database types by providing different levels of external and internal organization. The internal level deals with cost, scalability and other operational issues including the design of the database’s physical storage. The external level determines how the database is presented in user interfaces and other applications. It could include a mix of various external views (based on the various data models) and can also include virtual tables that are created using generic data to improve performance.

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