BASICS OF

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

By
Parteek Bhatia
Sr. Lecturer
Department of Comp Sc & Engineering
Thapar University
Patiala
 Understanding Databases

What is Data and Information?

Data is the term, that may be new to beginners, but it is very
interesting and simple to understand. It can be anything like
name of a person or a place or a number etc. Data is the name
given to basic facts and entities such as names and numbers.
The main examples of data are weights, prices, costs, numbers
of items sold, employee names, product names, addresses, tax
codes, registration marks etc.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
Information: Information is data that has been converted into
a more useful or intelligible form. It helps human beings in
their decision making process. Examples are: Time Table,
Merit List, Report card, Headed tables, printed documents,
pay slips, receipts, reports etc. The information is obtained by
assembling items of data into a meaningful form.

For example, marks obtained by students and their roll

numbers form data, the report card/sheet is the information.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
Difference between Data and
Information

Simplified Approach to DBMS

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Database
The related information when placed is an organized form
makes a database. The organization of data/information is
necessary because unorganized information has no meaning.
In dictionary, the words are arranged in alphabetic order
along with their meanings.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
There are so many operations like:
¨ To add new information (e.g. to add the address of a new
friend in your address book)
To view or retrieve the stored information (e.g. you
have to find the address of one of your old friends)
¨ To modify or edit the existing information (e.g. your
friend has shifted to a new place so his address would get
changed)
¨ To remove or delete the unwanted information (e.g. your
friend has changed his/her mobile number, so his/her mobile
number would have to be removed from list)
¨ Arranging the information in a desired order etc.
Simplified Approach to DBMS
By Parteek Bhatia
 Manual database and its
problems
Consider an example of accounts department of an
organization. To make the salary calculations of the employees
every month they are to keep the record of every employee and
do a number of calculations such as addition of allowances like
DA, HRA to the basic salary and to make several deductions as
loan recoveries, income tax and insurance etc and at the end, to
make the pay slips of the net pay. This whole procedure is
repeated every month and is very tedious and laborious job.
It’s a mere calculation job and does not require any logic or
intelligence. So to waste the skills and intelligence of human
beings on such repetitive calculations is not a wise decision.
Simplified Approach to DBMS
By Parteek Bhatia
Database and Computers
¨ Computer has a large storage capacity. It can store
thousands of records at a time.
¨ It has high speed, within no time it searches any desired
information, arrange the data in alphabetical order, do
calculations on the data and make repetitions and so on.
¨ Computer is more accurate.
¨ Data in computers can be stored in the form of a file,
records and fields.
¨ There are two approaches for storing data in computers
such as File based approach and Database approach.
Simplified Approach to DBMS
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File Based Approach
File Based system: File-based systems were an early attempt
to computerize the manual filing system that we are all
familiar with.

A file system is a method for storing and organizing

computer files and the data they contain to make it easy to
find and access them.
File systems may use a storage device such as a hard disk or
CD-ROM and involve maintaining the physical location of
the files
Simplified Approach to DBMS
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Flat File
Each file called a flat file, contained and processed
information for one specific function, such as accounting or
inventory. Programmers used programming languages such as
COBOL, C++ to write applications that directly accessed flat
files to perform data management services and provide
information for users.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
 Limitations of the File-Based Approach

There are following problems associated with the File Based

Approach:
• Separated and Isolated Data
• Duplication of data
•Data Dependence
•Difficulty in representing data from the user’s view
•Data Inflexibility
•Incompatible file formats

Simplified Approach to DBMS

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Database Approach
In order to remove all the above limitations of the File Based
Approach, a new approach was required that must be more
effective known as Database approach.
A database is a computer based record keeping system whose
over all purpose is to record and maintain information. The
database is a single, large repository of data, which can be
used simultaneously by many departments and users.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
The Database Management System (DBMS)
DBMS A database management system is the software
system that allows users to define, create and maintain a
database and provides controlled access to the data.

A database management system (DBMS) is basically a

collection of programs that enables users to store, modify, and
extract information from a database as per the requirements.
DBMS is an intermediate layer between programs and the data.
Programs access the DBMS, which then accesses the data. There
are different types of DBMS ranging from small systems that
run on personal computers to huge systems that run on
mainframes. The following are main examples of database
applications:
Simplified Approach to DBMS
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Computerized library systems
¨ Automated teller machines
¨ Flight reservation systems
¨ Computerized parts inventory systems

Commercially available Database management systems in the

market are dbase, Foxpro, IMS and Oracle.
These systems allow users to create, update, and extract
information from their databases. Compared to a manual filing
system, the biggest advantages to a computerized database
system are speed, accuracy, and accessibility.
Simplified Approach to DBMS
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Components of the DBMS Environment
•Hardware
•Software
•Data
•Users
•Procedures

Simplified Approach to DBMS

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Hardware

The hardware is the actual computer system used for

keeping and accessing the database. Conventional DBMS
hardware consists of secondary storage devices, usually
hard disks, on which the database physically resides,
together with the associated

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
Software
The software is the actual DBMS. Between the physical
database itself (i.e. the data as actually stored) and the
users of the system is a layer of software, usually called
the Database Management System or DBMS. All requests
from users for access to the database are handled by the
DBMS.
One general function provided by the DBMS is thus the
shielding of database users from complex hardware-level
detail.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
Data
The database should contain all the data needed by the
organization. One of the major features of databases is that
the actual data are separated from the programs that use the
data. A database should always be designed, built and
populated for a particular audience and for a specific purpose.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
Users
There are a number of users who can access or retrieve data
on demand using the applications and interfaces provided by
the DBMS. Each type of user needs different software
capabilities. The users of a database system can be classified
in the following groups, depending on their degrees of
expertise or the mode of their interactions with the DBMS.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
The users can be:

¨ Naive Users
¨ Online Users
¨ Application Programmers
¨ Sophisticated Users
¨ DBA

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
 Advantages of DBMS
Controlling Redundancy

Simplified Approach to DBMS

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Integrity can be enforced
Integrity of data means that
data in database is always
accurate, such that incorrect
information cannot be stored
in database. In order to
maintain the integrity of
data, some integrity
constraints are enforced on
the database. A DBMS
should provide capabilities
for defining and enforcing
the constraints. Simplified Approach to DBMS
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Inconsistency can be avoided
When the same data is duplicated and changes are made at one site, which
is not propagated to the other site, it gives rise to inconsistency and the two
entries regarding the same data will not agree. At such times the data is
said to be inconsistent. So if the redundancy is removed chances of having
inconsistent data is also removed.
Let us again consider the college system and suppose that in case of
General_Office file it is indicated that Roll_Number 5 lives in Amritsar but
in library file it is indicated that Roll_Number 5 lives in Jalandhar. Then
this is a state at which the two entries of the same object do not agree with
each other (that is one is updated and other is not). At such time the
database is said to be inconsistent.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
In case of DBMS, Roll number and address occurs together
only single time in General_Office table. So, it needs single
updation and then all other application retrieve the address
information from General_Office which is updated so, all
application will get the current and latest information by
providing single update operation and this single update
operation is propagated to the whole database or all other
application automatically, this property is called as
Propagation of Update.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

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•Data can be shared
•Providing Backup and Recovery
•Standards can be enforced
•Restricting unauthorized access
•Solving enterprise requirement than individual
requirement

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
 Disadvantages of DBMS

•Complexity
•Size
•Performance
•Higher impact of a failure
•Cost of DBMS
•Additional Hardware costs
•Cost of Conversion

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
 Three Level Architecture

An early proposal for a standard terminology and general architecture

for database systems was produced in 1971 by the DBTG (Data
Base Task Group) appointed by the Conference on Data Systems and
Languages (CODASYL, 1971). The DBTG recognized the need for a
two level approach with a system view called the schema and user
views called subschema. The American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) recognized the need for a three level approach with a system
catalog.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

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There are following three levels or layers of DBMS architecture:

¨ External Level

¨ Conceptual Level

¨ Internal Level

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
Objective of the Three Level Architecture

¨ Each user should be able to access the same data, but

have a different customized view of the data.
¨ User’s interaction with the database should be
independent of storage considerations.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
¨ The Database Administrator (DBA) should be able to
change the database storage structures without affecting the
user’s views.

¨ The internal structure of the database should be

unaffected by changes to the physical aspects of storage, such
as the changeover to a new storage device.

¨ The DBA should be able to change the conceptual

structure of the database without affecting all users.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
Simplified Approach to DBMS
By Parteek Bhatia
External Level or View level

It is the users’ view of the database. This level describes that

part of the database that is relevant to each user. External level
is the one, which is closest to the end users. This level deals
with the way in which individual users view data. Individual
users are given different views according to the user’s
requirement.
External level is also known as the view level. In addition
different views may have different representations of the same
data. For example, one user may view dates in the form (day,
month, year), while another may view dates as (year, month,
day).
Simplified Approach to DBMS
By Parteek Bhatia
Conceptual Level or Logical level
It is the community view of the database. This level describes
what data is stored in the database and the relationships among
the data. The middle level in the three level architecture is the
conceptual level.
This level contains the logical structure of the entire database as
seen by the DBA. It is a complete view of the data requirements
of the organization that is independent of any storage
considerations. The conceptual level represents:
¨ All entities, their attributes, and their relationships;
¨ The constraints on the data;
¨ Security and integrity information.
Simplified Approach to DBMS
. By Parteek Bhatia
Internal Level or Storage level
It is the physical representation of the database on the
computer. This level describes how the data is stored in the
database. The internal level is the one that concerns the way the
data are physically stored on the hardware.
The internal level covers the physical implementation of the
database to achieve optimal runtime performance and storage
space utilization. It covers the data structures and file
organizations used to store data on storage devices. It interfaces
with the operating system access methods to place the data on
the storage devices, build the indexes, retrieve the data, and so
on.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
Schema
The overall description of the database is called the Database Schema.
There are three different types of schema in the database corresponding to
each data view of database. In other words, the data views at each of three
levels are described by schema.
A schema is defined as an outline or a plan that describes the records
and relationships existing at the particular level. The External view is
described by means of a schema called external schema that correspond to
different views of the data. Similarly the Conceptual view is defined by
conceptual schema, which describes all the entities, attributes, and
relationship together with integrity constraints. Internal View is defined by
internal schema, which is a complete description of the internal model,
containing definition of stored records, the methods of representation, the
data fields, and the indexes used.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

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Simplified Approach to DBMS
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Mapping between Views
External/Conceptual Mapping: Each external schema is related to the
conceptual schema by the external/conceptual mapping. A mapping between
the external and conceptual views gives the correspondence among the
records and the relationships of the external and conceptual views.. There is a
mapping from a particular logical record in the external view to one (or more)
conceptual record(s) in the conceptual view.
Names of the fields and records, for instance, may be different. A number of
conceptual fields can be combined into a single external field, for example,
Last_Name and First_Name at the conceptual level but Name at the external
level. A given external record could be derived from a number of conceptual
records.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
Conceptual/Internal Mapping: Conceptual schema is related to the internal
schema by the conceptual/internal mapping. This enables the DBMS to find the
actual record or combination of records in physical storage that constitute a
logical record in conceptual schema. Mapping between the conceptual and the
internal levels specifies the method of deriving the conceptual record from the
physical database.

Differences between Conceptual/Internal Views

¨ Representation of numeric values could be different in the two views.
¨ Representation of string data can be considered by the two views to be
coded differently.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
Data Independence-Achievement of Layered Architecture
of DBMS
There are two kinds of data independence:
¨ Logical data independence
¨ Physical data independence
Logical data independence
Logical data independence indicates that the conceptual
schema can be changed without affecting the existing external
schemas. The change would be absorbed by the mapping
between the external and conceptual levels.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
Physical data independence
Physical data independence indicates that the physical storage structures or
devices could be changed without affecting conceptual schema. The change
would be absorbed by the mapping between the conceptual and internal
levels. Physical data independence is achieved by the presence of the internal
level of the database and the mapping or transformation from the conceptual
level of the database to the internal level.
If there is a need to change the file organization or the type of physical device
used as a result of growth in the database or new technology, a change is
required in the conceptual/internal mapping between the conceptual and
internal levels.
The physical data independence criterion requires that the conceptual level
does not specify storage structures or the access methods (indexing, hashing
etc.) used to retrieve the data from the physical storage medium.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
The Logical data independence is difficult to achieve than
physical data independence as it requires the flexibility in the
design of database and programmer has to foresee the future
requirements or modifications in the design.

Simplified Approach to DBMS

By Parteek Bhatia
 References

Simplified Approach to DBMS

Kalyani Publishers
By
Parteek Bhatia