A schema is the blueprint or structure that defines how data is organized and stored in a database.
It outlines
the tables, fields, relationships, views, indexes, and other elements within the database. The schema defines
the logical view of the entire database and specifies the rules that govern the data, including its types,
constraints, and relationships.
Concept of Schema
In databases, a schema is the structure or blueprint of how a database is organized. It defines how data is
stored, related, and managed.
🔹 Definition:
A schema is the logical structure that defines the organization of data in a database, including tables, fields, data
types, relationships, indexes, views, and constraints.
🔹 Types of Schema:
Type Description
Physical
Describes how data is stored on disk (files, indices, partitions).
Schema
Describes what data is stored and how the data is related. It includes tables, columns, and
Logical Schema
relationships.
View Schema Defines how users interact with the database through views (virtual tables).
🔹 Example of a Schema (for a Student Database):
sql
CopyEdit
CREATE TABLE Students (
StudentID INT PRIMARY KEY,
Name VARCHAR(100),
Age INT,
CourseID INT,
FOREIGN KEY (CourseID) REFERENCES Courses(CourseID)
);
CREATE TABLE Courses (
CourseID INT PRIMARY KEY,
CourseName VARCHAR(100),
Instructor VARCHAR(100)
);
Here, the schema defines:
Two tables: Students and Courses
Fields in each table (column names and data types)
Relationships (e.g., foreign key between Students and Courses)
🔹 Importance of Schema:
Ensures data integrity and consistency.
Acts as a blueprint for developers and users.
Helps organize and manage large databases.
+----------------+ +----------------+
| Students | | Courses |
+----------------+ +----------------+
| StudentID (PK) |◄───────┐| CourseID (PK) |
| Name | └| CourseName |
| Age | | Instructor |
| CourseID (FK) |────────►| |
+----------------+ +----------------+
Instance in Database
An instance shows the data or information that is stored in the database at a specific point in time. In this article
we will come to know about, what is Instances in databases. We will see two examples related to it as well. But
first of all, let us know about some terminologies related to it.
Primary Terminologies
DBMS: DBMS stands for Database Management System. It is a type of software, which makes it able to
store the data in a structured manner in the form of tables. The user can query the stored data as per the
requirement using a query language.
Schema: It can be defined as the logical representation of a Database. Which tells us how the data is
logically set into the Database.
What is an Instance in a Database?
The instance of the database is the values of these variables at any given time. Instances are also called the
current state or database state. The database schema is the design that defines the variables in tables that belong
to a particular database. There may be many instances that correspond to a certain database schema. The new
data items in a record can be inserted, modified, or deleted at any time. So, according to this, we can say that the
data can change from one state to another.
Example 1 (Orders table):
Instance_example
The 5 rows in the above-provided table are called Instances because they provide the information of the
Database stored at the current point in time. So, on this basis, we can say that the Instance gives the information
of the Database at any point in time.
Example 2 (Customer table):
Customer_table
The above customer table 5 rows contain the information about Customers. So, these are the instances of
Customers table.
States in Database
At any certain point of time the Database can be at any states out of these three:
Empty stage: This state occurs when a new Database is created.
Initial stage: This state occurs when the data is inserted into the Database for the vary first time.
Current stage: The present image of Database at current time.
What is Data Independence in DBMS?
Data Independence is a fundamental concept in Database Management Systems (DBMS) that refers to the
ability to modify the schema at one level of the database without affecting the schema at the next higher level.
This concept ensures that changes in how data is stored or structured internally do not impact how users or
applications access and interact with the data.
Why is Data Independence Important?
Reduces Maintenance: Developers don't need to update applications every time the database structure
changes.
Increases Flexibility: The database can be reorganized or optimized internally without affecting user
queries.
Supports Long-Term Growth: As business needs evolve, the database can be updated without breaking
existing systems.
DBMS Three-Level Architecture
To understand data independence, it’s essential to know how DBMS is organized:
1. Internal Level : Deals with physical storage (files, indexing, compression).
2. Conceptual Level : Describes structure like tables, fields and relationships.
3. View Level : Defines how users and applications see the data.
Data independence exists between these levels:
Physical Data Independence: Change in the internal level without affecting the logical level.
Logical Data Independence: Change in the logical level without affecting the view level.
Types of Data Independence
Data Independence is the ability to change the database schema at one level without affecting the schema at
other levels. It helps in maintaining flexibility, reducing maintenance and ensuring that applications continue
to work despite internal changes in the database. There are two types of data independence.
Logical Data Independence
Ability to change the logical structure (tables, columns, relationships) without affecting external views or
application programs. Purpose of this to allow the database structure to evolve without impacting user access
or requiring changes in application code.
Why it matters:
Helps modify the structure of the database as business needs evolve.
Applications and user interfaces remain unaffected.
Example:
Adding a column like email in the employees table.
Creating a new relationship between two tables.
Merging two tables into a view for simplified access.
Benefits:
Easier maintenance of application code.
Allows smoother updates in growing systems.
Helps support new business requirements without rewriting existing queries.
Physical Data Independence
The ability to change how data is physically stored without affecting the logical schema or user-facing
applications. Purpose is to improve performance, storage efficiency, or hardware configurations without
changing how the data is structured logically.
Example:
Moving data files from the C: drive to the D: drive.
Creating an index to speed up queries.
Switching from HDD to SSD for better performance.
Compressing data files to save space.
Benefits:
Backend optimizations without affecting users
Reduces need for structural changes during storage upgrades
Improves long-term maintainability
