Database management is the process to manage information that is essential to the business operations of an organization. It involves storing and distributing data it to applications and users, editing it as needed as well as monitoring changes in data and preventing data corruption due to unexpected failure. It is an element of an organization’s overall informational infrastructure, which supports decision-making and growth for the business as well as compliance with laws such as the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act.
The first database systems were developed in the 1960s by Charles Bachman, IBM and others. They evolved into information management systems (IMS), which allowed large amounts of data to be stored and retrieved for a range of reasons. From calculating inventory to aiding complex financial accounting functions and human resource functions.
A database is a set of tables that organizes data in accordance with a specific pattern, such as one-to many relationships. It uses the primary key to identify records and allows cross-references between tables. Each table has a set of fields, referred to as attributes, which provide information about data entities. Relational models, invented by E. F. “TedCodd Codd in the 1970s at IBM as a database, are the most popular database type currently. This model is based upon normalizing the data, making it simpler to use. It also makes it easier to update data since it eliminates the necessity of changing different sections of the database.
The majority of DBMSs support a variety of databases and offer different internal and external levels of organization spma.net.au. The internal level is focused on cost, scalability, and other operational issues, like the physical layout of the database. The external level is the representation of the database on user interfaces and applications. It could include a mix of different external views (based on the different data models) and may also include virtual tables that are constructed from generic data to improve performance.
