Chapter 5: Database Processing

Chapter 5: Database Processing

Kevin Perry
Southern New Hampshire University

Module 7 Assignment V

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Q1: What Is the purpose of a database?

Q2: What is a database?

Q3: What is a database management system (DBMS)?

Q4: How do database applications make databases more useful?

Q5: How are data models used for database development?

Q6: How is a data model transformed into a database design?

Q7: What is the users' role in the development of databases?

Q8: 2024

Conclusion

Works Cited

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Introduction

Databases are used by almost all business today. They allow organizations to store, keep track,
organize, and display their data. This data can be anything from simple customer contact information
to large tables of suppliers, their rating, their preferences, their past orders and potential future ones.
Databases have become a key component of everyday business and tend to form the back bone of most
organizations Information Technology infrastructure. Organizations use applications like Microsoft
Access and database management systems (DBMS).
Q1: What Is the purpose of a database?
The purpose of a database is to keep track of things(Kroenke, 2014). Professionals can use
lists and spreadsheets to do this but once the structure becomes too complex, a database is the only way
to go. Lists of data involving a single theme can be stored in a spreadsheet; lists that involve data with
multiple themes require a database(Kroenke, 2014). Within organizations, databases keep track of all
the data that the organization finds important, is needed, or wants to keep safe.
Q2: What is a database?
A database is a self-describing collection of integrated records(Kroenke, 2014). This means,
bytes; characters of data; are grouped into columns or fields. These are then grouped into rows or
records. Lastly, the rows or records are grouped into a table or a file. While it can be said that a
database is therefore just a group of tables or files, this doesn't completely describe a database. More
specifically, a database is a collection of tables plus relationships among the rows in those tables, plus
special data (metadata) that describes the structure of the database(Kroenke, 2014). Keys are used to
identify a unique row in a table so every table must have a key. Sometimes, a key can consist of
multiple columns. Metadata is data used to describe other data( Ramakrishnan, 2003). It is used
make a database self-describing, like a card catalog within a library. It makes databases more useful by
keeping users from guessing, remembering, or recording what is in them.

Module 7 Assignment V

Q3: What is a database management system (DBMS)?

A database management system, or DBMS, is software designed to assist in maintaining and
utilizing large collections of data( Ramakrishnan, 2003). Developers use DBMS to dreate tables,
relationships, and other structures in the database(Kroenke, 2014). By altering the metadata, the
developer changes the database. DBMS also process the database. They provide four operations, to
read, insert, modify, or delete data. Lastly, DBMS also provide administrative tools for databases.
These include security features, back up functions, way to improve performance and others.
Q4: How do database applications make databases more useful?
The data in database tables can be made more useful, or more available for the conception of
information, when it is placed into forms or other formats (Kroenke, 2014). This is done through
database applications. A database application is a collection of forms, reports, queries, and application
programs that serves as an intermediary between users and database data(Kroenke, 2014). They make
database tables more informative ad easier to update. Also, they add security, handle special cases, and
maintain data consistency. They first came into use in the 1990s based on technology of the time but
today they employ new things like browsers, the Web and others. Most databases are shared between
multiple users and the application resides on a server with the users connected through a network. The
exception to this being the single user databases like Microsoft Access. Newer browser-based
applications can support traditional formats as well as graphical ones. They also have more stringent
security over older applications since higher security is needed with web-based applications.
Q5: How are data models used for database development?
Database structures can be complex. Before building the database the developers construct a
logical representation of database data called a data model. It describes the data and relationships that
will be stored in the database.(Kroenke, 2014) The entity-relationship (E-R) data model is a tool for
constructing data models(Kroenke, 2014). It describes the content by defining things and the

Chapter 5: Database Processing

relationships among them. A less popular tool to use in the unified modeling language (UML). An
entity is something a user wants to track. They have attributes, which describe characteristics of the
entity. Entities also have identifiers, these are unique attributes that are only associated with one entity.
Relationships are created between entities in order to manage data. Relationships can be in the form of
one-to-many(1:N) or many-to-many(N:M).
Q6: How is a data model transformed into a database design?
Database design is the process of converting a data model into tables, relationships, and data
constraints(Kroenke, 2014). Normalization is the process of converting a poorly constructed table into
two or more well-structured tables(Kroenke, 2014). Data integrity problems can arise within tables and
through the process of normalization these issues are resolved. Its main purpose is to construct tables
so that they only have a single topic or theme. A relational database represents the relationships
between data points.
Q7: What is the users' role in the development of databases?
A database is a model of how the users view their business world. They are the final judges as
to what data the database should contain and how the records in that database should be related to one
another.(Kroenke, 2014).
Q8: 2024
Databases have grown leaps and bounds since their inception. In the future their need will only
increase as more and more data is being stored, tracked, and utilized by organizations. "If you're
interested in seeing the future of how data-oriented architectures are likely to evolve, the future is
already here just unevenly distributed," Eifrem said."What that means is if you look at some of the
big web services the Googles and the Amazons of the world they are already today dealing with
the volume and shape of data that everyone else will be working on in five years from now."(Wolpe,
2015)

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Conclusion

Databases are a fundamental necessity in today's business environment. More and more
organizations are using them to track, secure, and use data in a useful and meaningful way. They allow
organizations quick and easy access to important information needed to maintain market share.
Without them organizations would be hard pressed to keep up with the fast paced, ever changing
business world.

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Works Cited

Kroenke, D. (2014). Using MIS 2014. S.l.: Prentice Hall.

Ramakrishnan, R., & Gehrke, J. (2003). Database management systems (3rd ed.). Boston:
McGraw-Hill.
Wolpe, T. (2014, November 3). Look at what Google and Amazon are doing with databases:
That's your future | ZDNet. Retrieved May 6, 2015, from
http://www.zdnet.com/article/look-at-what-google-and-amazon-are-doing-withdatabases-thats-your-future/