and

Unit 1 : Database
Database Users

1
 Introduction
2

 Traditional file processing system

 Database
 Database Management Systems (DBMS)
 Introduction
3 Data
 raw materials i.e. the unprocessed facts and figures
 It could be numbers, letters, symbols, images, or even sounds.
 Data itself doesn't hold much meaning on its own. It's like a pile
of bricks
– useful for building something, but meaningless in its current state.
Information
 Information is data that has been processed, organized, and
given context.
 It's the insights we gain from the raw facts.
 This is where the magic happens! Think of those bricks arranged
into a beautiful wall, now it has a purpose and conveys something
significant and meaningful.
 Introduction
4
 Introduction
5 Database
 A database is essentially an organized collection of structured data. It's like
a well-designed library where information is stored efficiently and retrieved
easily.
 The collection of related data organized in some specific manner is known
as database.
 A database is a collection of interrelated data which helps in the efficient
retrieval, insertion, and deletion of data from the database and organizes
the data in the form of tables, views, schemas, reports, etc.
Example, University database for maintaining information about students,
teachers, courses and grades in university.
Database Management System (DBMS)
 Database System (DBMS): Let's think of it as the librarian! A DBMS is
software that allows users to create, manage, and access data stored in the
database.
 It provides tools for creating, organizing, manipulating, and querying the
data.
 Goal: To store and retrieve data both in convenient and efficient manner.
 Popular DBMS are MySQL, Oracle, MongoDB, etc.
 Database systems are generally designed to manage large volume of
information.
 Introduction
6  DBMS can also define as a general purpose software system that
enables user to create, maintain and manipulate database.
Some application areas of database system are:
 Banking: To store customer's information's and their account info
 Airlines: For reservations and schedules info
 Universities: To keep record of students, courses, faculties, grades
 Credit card transactions: For purchases on credit cards and generation
of statements
 Telecommunications: To Keep record of customers, call made, balance
inquiry, monthly bill generation
 Finance: For storing information about holding, sales and purchases
 Sales: for customer, product and purchase information.
 Manufacturing: For product design data, production processes, inventory
control, supply chain management, and quality assurance.
 Human resources: To keep information about employee, salary, working
days
 Retail: For customer information, point-of-sale transactions, inventory
management, targeted marketing campaigns, and loyalty programs.
 Introduction
7  Social Media: For user profiles, connections, posts,
comments, and managing the vast amount of data
generated by user interactions.
 Library Management: For cataloging books, journals, and
other media, managing user accounts, tracking loans and
returns, and providing access to digital resources.
 Introduction
8  Benefits of DBMS
 Reduced data redundancy
 Data security and data integrity
 Backup and recovery after system failure
 Reduced application development and maintenance time
 Privacy and Sharing of data
 Introduction
9  Traditional file processing system
 Before the use of a computer, a manual file system was used to
maintain the records and files.
 Data were stored and processed using a traditional file system and
it makes it easy to find any information.
 Here, each file is independent of other file and data in the different
file can be integrated only by writing an individual program for
each application.
 The data and application program that uses the data are arranged
that any change to data requires modification of all the programs
that use the data.
 The files such as inventory and payroll generate separate files and
do not communicate with each other.
 Components of Traditional File System
 Hardware, Software, data manager, DB Engine, User, Data,
Database, Database access language, Server, Run Time Manager.
 Introduction
10  Traditional file processing system

 Advantages of Traditional File System

 Simple to use.
 Less complex.
 Minimal investment (Not make the investment in software
because it allows us to transport files from one to another
computer).
 No requirement of the specialist.
 Introduction
11  Traditional file processing system
 Disadvantages of Traditional File System
 Data redundancy (Each application has its own data file so, same data
may have to be recorded and stored in many times).
 Data inconsistency (Due to the same data items that appear in more
than one file do not get updated simultaneously in each and every file).
 Data dependence (Program and application in the file processing system
are data dependent but, the problem is incompatible with file format).
 Limited data sharing.
 The problem with security.
 Retrieval (retrieval is not easy).
 Time-consuming.
 Inefficient to maintain the record of the big firm having a large number
of items.
 Required Lots of labor work to do.
 Characteristics of Database Approach
12  Traditional file system approach involves storing
data in separate files for different users, leading to
duplication of data and wastage of storage space
 DBMS approach involves storing the entire data in
a single repository, allowing multiple users to
access the data based on their interests and
eliminating duplication of data
 Characteristics of Database Approach
13 1. Self-describing nature of a database system
 A fundamental characteristic of the database approach is that the
database system stores not only the data itself, but also a complete
definition or description of the data structure.
 This information is known as metadata and is stored in a system
catalog (or data dictionary).
 The metadata includes details like:
 Structure of each data file
 Data types of each element
 Constraints applied to the data (e.g., primary keys, foreign keys)
 Self-describing nature offers several advantages such as reduced
data redundancy, improved data integrity and improved data
independence.
 This separation of data and information about the data makes a
database system totally different from the traditional file-based
system in which the data definition is part of the application
programs.
 Characteristics of Database Approach
14 2. Insulation between programs and data and data
abstraction
a. Insulation Between Programs and Data (Program-Data
Independence):
 This concept ensures a clear separation between the application
programs that use the data and the actual structure of the data
itself.
 The data definition, including tables, columns, data types, and
relationships, is stored in the database catalog, independent of the
application logic.
 Programs interact with the data through the DBMS using
standardized interfaces (like SQL).
b. Data Abstraction
 Data abstraction builds upon program-data independence by
providing a simplified view of the data to users and applications.
 The DBMS hides the underlying complexities of data storage and
retrieval, presenting a logical view that focuses on the meaning
 Characteristics of Database Approach
15 3. Support for multiple views of data
 A database supports multiple views of data.
 A view is a subset of the database, which is defined and
dedicated for particular users of the system.
 Multiple users in the system might have different views of
the system. Each view might contain only the data of
interest to a user or group of users.
 Support for multiple views provides flexibility and caters
to diverse user needs.
 It empowers users to access and analyze data relevant to
their tasks while maintaining data security and
consistency.
 Characteristics of Database Approach
16 4. Sharing of data and multi-user system
 Many Users, One Database: Modern database systems
are designed for teamwork. Multiple users can access and
work with the same data simultaneously.
 Sharing Made Safe: Special features called
"concurrency control" ensure data accuracy. These
features prevent conflicts and maintain data integrity,
even with multiple users accessing the same information.
 A Big Leap Forward: This multi-user capability is a vast
improvement over older systems that limited access to a
single user at a time.
 Collaboration & Efficiency: By enabling data sharing,
modern databases promote teamwork and efficient data
management for organizations.
 Characteristics of Database Approach
17 5. Control of data redundancy
 In the database approach, ideally, each data item is
stored in only one place in the database.
 In some cases, data redundancy still exists to improve
system performance, but such redundancy is controlled
by application programming and kept to minimum by
introducing as little redundancy as possible when
designing the database.
18  Why We Need Database Systems: Overcoming File System
Limitations
 Before database systems, data was stored in file systems. However, file
systems have several drawbacks that make them unsuitable for large,
complex data management:
 Repetitive Data (Data redundancy): Imagine duplicate information
scattered across files, like the same customer address in multiple formats.
This wastes storage space and can lead to inconsistencies when updating
information.
 Limited Access (Difficulty in accessing data): Each new task required
writing a new program to access specific data, making it cumbersome
and inflexible. It's like needing a unique key for each drawer in the
cabinet.
 Data Scattered Everywhere (Data isolation): Data resided in separate
files with different formats, making it difficult to see connections or get a
complete picture. It's like having customer details in one file and history
19  Why We Need Database Systems: Overcoming File System
Limitations
 Enforcing Rules was Tricky (Integrity problems): Rules like "account balance
can't be negative" were buried within program code. Adding or changing
these rules was difficult and error-prone. It's like writing these rules on sticky
notes stuck inside the file folders, making them hard to manage.
 Updates Could Go Wrong (Atomicity of updates): Imagine transferring money
between accounts. A system failure could leave the process incomplete, like
starting to move a file but getting interrupted. Database systems ensure
updates are "atomic" - they either happen entirely or not at all.
 Sharing Caused Chaos (Concurrent access by multiple users): Multiple users
accessing the same data simultaneously could lead to inconsistencies.
Imagine two people updating the same customer balance at the same time -
database systems prevent this conflict.
 Security Was a Challenge (Security problems): Securing data in a file system
can be complex. Database systems offer built-in security features to control
user access and protect sensitive information.
20  Why We Need Database Systems: Overcoming File System
Limitations
 Database systems emerged to address these issues, providing a more
organized, reliable, and secure way to manage data. Database systems
address these limitations by providing:
 Centralized, Organized Data: Data is stored efficiently in a single location,
eliminating redundancy and simplifying access.
 Structured Query Language (SQL): A standardized way to access and
manipulate data, eliminating the need for custom programs for every task.
 Data Integrity Constraints: Built-in rules ensure data accuracy and
consistency.
 Transaction Management: Guarantees all updates are completed
successfully or not at all, avoiding partial updates.
 Concurrency Control: Manages multiple user access to prevent conflicts
and maintain data consistency.
 Security Features: User access controls and data encryption safeguard
sensitive information.
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