oNIT-1

CHAPTER 1.1 (DATABASE CONCEPTS)

Lecture-1.1

Database
A database intends to have a collection of data stored together to serve multiple applications
as possible. Hence a database is often conceived of as a repository of information needed for
running certain functions in a corporation or organization. Such a database would permit not
only the retrieval of data but also the continuous modification of data needed for control of
operations. It may be possible to search the database to obtain answers to queries or
information for planning purposes.

Data: It is a collection of information. The facts that can be recorded and which have implicit
meaning known as 'data'.

Example: Customer ----- 1.cname. 2.cno. 3.ccity.

Database: It is a collection of interrelated data . These can be stored in the form of tables. A
database can be of any size and varying complexity. A database may be generated and
manipulated manually or it may be computerized.

Example: Customer database consists the fields as cname, cno, and

ccityCnameCnoCcity

Database System: It is a computerized system, whose overall purpose is to maintain the

information and to make that information available on demand.

Database Management System (DBMS): It is a collection of programs that enables users to

create and maintain a database. In other words it is general-purpose software that provides the
users with the processes of defining, constructing and manipulating the database for various
applications.
Applications:
 Banking: all transactions
 Airlines: reservations, schedules
 Universities: registration, grades
 Sales: customers, products, purchases
 Online retailers: order tracking, customized recommendations
 Manufacturing: production, inventory, orders, supply chain
 Human resources: employee records, salaries, tax deductions People who deal with
databases

Many persons are involved in the design, use and maintenance of any database. These
persons can be classified into 2 types as below.

Actors on the scene: The people whose jobs involve the day-to-day use of a database are
called 'Actors on the scene', listed as below.

1.Database Administrators (DBA): The DBA is responsible for authorizing access to the
database, for Coordinating and monitoring its use and for acquiring software and hardware
resources as needed. These are the people who maintain and design the database daily. DBA
is responsible for the following issues.

● Design of the conceptual and physical schemas: The DBA is responsible for
interacting with the users of the system to understand what data is to be stored in the
DBMS and how it is likely to be used. The DBA creates the original schema by
writing a set of definitions and is Permanently stored in the 'Data Dictionary'.
● Security and Authorization: The DBA is responsible for ensuring unauthorized data
access is not permitted. The granting of different types of authorization allows the
DBA to regulate which parts of the database various users can access.
● Storage structure and Access method definition: The DBA creates appropriate
storage structures and access methods by writing a set of definitions, which are
translated by the DDL compiler.
● Data Availability and Recovery from Failures: The DBA must take steps to ensure
that if the system fails, users can continue to access as much of the uncorrupted data
as possible. The DBA also works to restore the data to a consistent state.
 ● Database Tuning: The DBA is responsible for modifying the database to ensure
adequate Performance as requirements change.
● Integrity Constraint Specification: The integrity constraints are kept in a special
system structure that is consulted by the DBA whenever an update takes place in the
system.

2.Database Designers: Database designers are responsible for identifying the data to be
stored in the database and for choosing appropriate structures to represent and store this data.

3. End Users: People who wish to store and use data in a database. End users are the people
whose jobs require access to the database for querying, updating and generating reports,
listed as below.

a. Casual End users: These people occasionally access the database, but they may
need different information each time.

b. Naive or Parametric End Users: Their job function revolves around constantly
querying and updating the database using standard types of queries and updates.

c. Sophisticated End Users: These include Engineers, Scientists, Business analyst

and others familiarized to implement their applications to meet their complex
requirements.

d. Stand alone End users: These people maintain personal databases by using ready-
made program packages that provide easy to use menu based interfaces.

4.System Analyst: These people determine the requirements of end users and develop
specifications for transactions.

5.Application Programmers (Software Engineers): These people can test, debug,

document and maintain the specified transactions.

Workers behind the scene:

1.Database Designers and Implementers: These people who design and implement the
DBMS modules and interfaces as a software package.
2.Tool Developers: Include persons who design and implement tools consisting of the
packages for design, performance monitoring, and prototyping and test data generation.

3.Operators and maintenance personnel: These are the system administration personnel
who are responsible for the actual running and maintenance of the hardware and software
environment for the database system.

Purpose of Database:

A database should be a repository of data needed for an organization's data processing. That
data should be accurate, private, and protected from damage. It should be accurate so that
diverse applications with different data requirements can employ the data. Different
application programmers and various end-users have different views upon data, which must
be derived from a common overall data structure. Their methods of searching and accessing
data will be different.

Advantages of Using Database

● Database minimizes data redundancy to a great extent.
● The database can control the inconsistency of data to a large extent.
● Sharing of data is also possible using the database.
● Databases enforce standards.
● The use of Databases can ensure data security.
● Integrity can be managed using the database.
Various Levels of Database Implementation

The database is implemented through three general levels. These levels are:
● Internal Level or Physical level
● Conceptual Level
● External Level or View Level
The Concept of Data Independence

As the database may be viewed through three levels of abstraction, any change at any level
can affect other levels' schemas. Since the database keeps on growing, then there may be
frequent changes at times. This should not lead to redesigning and re-implementation of the
database. The concepts of data independence prove beneficial in such types of contexts.
 ● Physical data independence
● Logical data independence

Basic Terminologies Related to Database and SQL

Relation: In general, a relation is a table, i.e., data is arranged in rows and columns. A
relation has the following properties:

● In any given column of a table, all the items are of the same kind, whereas items in
different columns may not be of the same kind.
● For a row, each column must have an atomic value, and also for a row, a column
cannot have more than one value.
● All rows of a relation are distinct.
● The ordering of rows in a relationship is immaterial.
● The columns of a relation are assigned distinct names, and the ordering of these
columns is immaterial.

Tuple: The rows of tables in a relationship are generally termed as Tuples.

Attributes: The columns or fields of a table are termed as Attributes.

Degree: The number of attributes in a relation determines the degree of relation. A relation
having three attributes is said to have a relation of degree 3.

Cardinality: The number of tuples or rows in a relation is termed as cardinality.

OTHER REFRENCES

 DBMSI-III.pdf (jbiet.edu.in)

 Database Concepts (w3schools.in)

 Database Concepts - Contents (oracle.com)

SUGGESTED BOOK REFERENCES

Korth, H. F. and Silverschatz, A., Database System Concepts, Tata McGraw Hill (2010).