Database Management Basics

Database management is the process for managing information that aids the company’s business operations. It involves storing data, distributing it to applications and users, editing it as needed and monitoring changes to data and making sure that data integrity is not compromised due to unexpected failure. It is one component of a company’s total informational infrastructure that aids in decision-making and growth of the company as well as 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 evolved into information management systems (IMS) that allowed the storage and retrieve large amounts data for a broad range of applications, from the calculation of inventory to supporting complex human resources and financial accounting functions.

A database is a set of tables that arrange data according to a particular arrangement, like one-to-many relationships. It makes use of primary keys to identify records and permits cross-references among tables. Each table is comprised of a set of attributes, or fields, that contain information about data entities. Relational models, invented by E. F. “TedCodd Codd in the 1970s at IBM, are the most well-known database type currently. This model is based on normalizing the data, making it more easy to use. It is also easier to update data since it does not require changing several databases.

The majority of DBMSs support a variety of databases, offering internal and external levels of organization. The internal level is concerned with the cost, scalability, and other operational issues, including the physical layout of the database. The external level is the representation of the database on user interfaces aimsinstitute.info and applications. It could include a mix of external views based on different models of data and could include virtual tables that are computed with generic data to enhance the performance.