Database Management Basics

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Database management is the system for managing data that supports the organization’s business processes. It involves storing data, disseminating it to applications and users making edits as needed and monitoring changes to data and stopping data corruption due unexpected failure. It is an integral part of the overall infrastructure of a business that supports decision making as well as corporate growth and compliance with laws such as the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act.

In the 1960s, Charles Bachman and IBM among others came up with the first database systems. They developed into information management systems (IMS), which allowed huge 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.

A database consists of a set of tables that organize data in accordance with a specific scheme, such as one-to-many relationships. It utilizes primary keys to identify records and allows cross-references between tables. Each table contains a number of fields, referred to as attributes, that provide information about the data entities. The most popular kind of database is a relational model, designed by E. F. “Ted” Codd at IBM in the 1970s. This design is based on normalizing data to make it simpler to use. It is also easier to update data since it doesn’t require the modification of many sections of the databases.

Most DBMSs can support multiple types of databases by providing different internal and external levels of organization. The internal level is focused on cost, scalability, and other operational issues, like the physical layout of the database. The external level focuses on how the database is displayed in user interfaces and other applications. It could comprise a mix of different external views based on different data models. It also could include virtual tables that are calculated using generic data in order to improve the performance.