Database Management Basics

Database management is a system of managing the information that is used to support a company’s business operations. It includes data storage, distributing it to applications and users and then modifying it if necessary and monitoring the changes in the data and preventing the data from becoming corrupted due to unexpected failures. It is a part of a company’s overall informational infrastructure that supports decision-making, corporate growth and compliance with laws like the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act.

In the 1960s, Charles Bachman and IBM along with others created the first database systems. They developed into information management systems (IMS), which allowed large amounts of data to be stored and retrieved for a range of purposes. From calculating inventory to supporting complex financial accounting functions as well as human resource functions dornasere.one.

A database is a set of tables that store data according to a particular pattern, for example, one-to-many relationships. It uses primary key to identify records and allows cross-references among tables. Each table has a collection of attributes or fields that provide information about data entities. The most widely used type of database currently is a relational model created by E. F. “Ted” Codd at IBM in the 1970s. This model is based on normalizing the data, making it more easy to use. It also makes it easier to update data since it eliminates the necessity of changing several databases.

Most DBMSs can accommodate multiple types of databases through different levels of internal and external organization. The internal level focuses on costs, scalability, and other operational issues such as the layout of the physical storage. The external level is the representation of the database on user interfaces and applications. It may include a mix of different external views (based on the different data models) and can also include virtual tables which are generated from generic data to improve performance.