Chapter 1

Introduction: Databases and

Database Users

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Types of Databases and Database

Outline Applications
 Types of Databases and Database Applications  Traditional Applications:
 Numeric and Textual Databases
 Basic Definitions
 More Recent Applications:
 Typical DBMS Functionality  Multimedia Databases
 Example of a Database (UNIVERSITY)  Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
 Main Characteristics of the Database Approach  Data Warehouses
 Real-time and Active Databases
 Database Users
 Many other applications
 Advantages of Using the Database Approach  First part of book focuses on traditional applications
 When Not to Use Databases  A number of recent applications are described later in the
book (for example, Chapters 24,26,28,29,30)

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Basic Definitions Simplified database system environment

 Database:
 A collection of related data.

 Data:
 Known facts that can be recorded and have an implicit meaning.

 Mini-world:
 Some part of the real world about which data is stored in a

database. For example, student grades and transcripts at a

university.
 Database Management System (DBMS):
 A software package/ system to facilitate the creation and
maintenance of a computerized database.
 Database System:
 The DBMS software together with the data itself. Sometimes, the

applications are also included.

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Typical DBMS Functionality Typical DBMS Functionality
 Define a particular database in terms of its data types,  Other features:
structures, and constraints
 Protection or Security measures to prevent
 Construct or Load the initial database contents on a unauthorized access
secondary storage medium
 “Active” processing to take internal actions on data
 Manipulating the database:
 Retrieval: Querying, generating reports
 Presentation and Visualization of data
 Modification: Insertions, deletions and updates to its content  Maintaining the database and associated
 Accessing the database through Web applications programs over the lifetime of the database
 Processing and Sharing by a set of concurrent users and application
application programs – yet, keeping all data valid and  Called database, software, and system
consistent maintenance

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Example of a Database Example of a Database

(with a Conceptual Data Model) (with a Conceptual Data Model)
 Mini-world for the example:  Some mini-world relationships:
 Part of a UNIVERSITY environment.  SECTIONs are of specific COURSEs
 STUDENTs take SECTIONs
 Some mini-world entities:  COURSEs have prerequisite COURSEs
 STUDENTs  INSTRUCTORs teach SECTIONs
 COURSEs  COURSEs are offered by DEPARTMENTs
 SECTIONs (of COURSEs)  STUDENTs major in DEPARTMENTs
 (academic) DEPARTMENTs
 INSTRUCTORs  Note: The above entities and relationships are typically
expressed in a conceptual data model, such as the
ENTITY-RELATIONSHIP data model (see Chapters 3, 4)

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Main Characteristics of the Database

Example of a simple database Approach
 Self-describing nature of a database system:
 A DBMS catalog stores the description of a particular
database (e.g. data structures, types, and constraints)
 The description is called meta-data.
 This allows the DBMS software to work with different
database applications.
 Insulation between programs and data:
 Called program-data independence.
 Allows changing data structures and storage organization
without having to change the DBMS access programs.

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 Main Characteristics of the Database
Example of a simplified database catalog Approach (continued)
 Data Abstraction:
 A data model is used to hide storage details and
present the users with a conceptual view of the
database.
 Programs refer to the data model constructs rather
than data storage details
 Support of multiple views of the data:
 Each user may see a different view of the
database, which describes only the data of
interest to that user.

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Main Characteristics of the Database

Approach (continued) Database Users
 Sharing of data and multi-user transaction  Users may be divided into
processing:
 Those who actually use and control the database
 Allowing a set of concurrent users to retrieve from and to
content, and those who design, develop and
update the database.
maintain database applications (called “Actors on
 Concurrency control within the DBMS guarantees that each
transaction is correctly executed or aborted the Scene”), and
 Recovery subsystem ensures each completed transaction  Those who design and develop the DBMS
has its effect permanently recorded in the database software and related tools, and the computer
 OLTP (Online Transaction Processing) is a major part of systems operators (called “Workers Behind the
database applications. This allows hundreds of concurrent Scene”).
transactions to execute per second.

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Database Users Categories of End-users

 Actors on the scene  Actors on the scene (continued)
 Database administrators:  End-users: They use the data for queries, reports
and some of them update the database content.
 Responsible for authorizing access to the database,
End-users can be categorized into:
for coordinating and monitoring its use, acquiring
software and hardware resources, controlling its use  Casual: access database occasionally when
needed
and monitoring efficiency of operations.
 Naïve or Parametric: they make up a large section
 Database Designers: of the end-user population.
 Responsible to define the content, the structure, the  They use previously well-defined functions in the form of
constraints, and functions or transactions against “canned transactions” against the database.
the database. They must communicate with the  Examples are bank-tellers or reservation clerks who do
this activity for an entire shift of operations.
end-users and understand their needs.

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 Advantages of Using the Database
Categories of End-users (continued) Approach
 Sophisticated:  Controlling redundancy in data storage and in
 These include business analysts, scientists, engineers, development and maintenance efforts.
others thoroughly familiar with the system capabilities.
 Many use tools in the form of software packages that work  Sharing of data among multiple users.
closely with the stored database.  Restricting unauthorized access to data.
 Stand-alone:
 Mostly maintain personal databases using ready-to-use
 Providing persistent storage for program Objects
packaged applications.  In Object-oriented DBMSs – see Chapters 20-22
An example is a tax program user that creates its own


internal database.
 Providing Storage Structures (e.g. indexes) for
 Another example is a user that maintains an address book efficient Query Processing

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Advantages of Using the Database Additional Implications of Using the

Approach (continued) Database Approach
 Providing backup and recovery services.  Potential for enforcing standards:
 Providing multiple interfaces to different classes  This is very crucial for the success of database
of users. applications in large organizations. Standards
refer to data item names, display formats, screens,
 Representing complex relationships among data.
report structures, meta-data (description of data),
 Enforcing integrity constraints on the database. Web page layouts, etc.
 Drawing inferences and actions from the stored  Reduced application development time:
data using deductive and active rules  Incremental time to add each new application is
reduced.

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Additional Implications of Using the Historical Development of Database

Database Approach (continued) Technology
 Flexibility to change data structures:  Early Database Applications:
 Database structure may evolve as new  The Hierarchical and Network Models were introduced in
mid 1960s and dominated during the seventies.
requirements are defined.
 A bulk of the worldwide database processing still occurs
 Availability of current information: using these models, particularly, the hierarchical model.
 Extremely important for on-line transaction  Relational Model based Systems:
systems such as airline, hotel, car reservations.  Relational model was originally introduced in 1970, was
heavily researched and experimented within IBM Research
 Economies of scale: and several universities.
 Wasteful overlap of resources and personnel can  Relational DBMS Products emerged in the early 1980s.
be avoided by consolidating data and applications
across departments.

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Historical Development of Database Historical Development of Database
Technology (continued) Technology (continued)
 Object-oriented and emerging applications:  Data on the Web and E-commerce Applications:
 Object-Oriented Database Management Systems  Web contains data in HTML (Hypertext markup
(OODBMSs) were introduced in late 1980s and early 1990s language) with links among pages.
to cater to the need of complex data processing in CAD and
other applications.
 This has given rise to a new set of applications
and E-commerce is using new standards like XML
 Their use has not taken off much.
(eXtended Markup Language). (see Ch. 27).
 Many relational DBMSs have incorporated object database
concepts, leading to a new category called object-relational  Script programming languages such as PHP and
DBMSs (ORDBMSs) JavaScript allow generation of dynamic Web
 Extended relational systems add further capabilities (e.g. for
pages that are partially generated from a database
multimedia data, XML, and other data types) (see Ch. 26).
 Also allow database updates through Web pages

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Extending Database Capabilities When not to use a DBMS

 New functionality is being added to DBMSs in the following areas:  Main inhibitors (costs) of using a DBMS:
 Scientific Applications
 High initial investment and possible need for additional
 XML (eXtensible Markup Language)
hardware.
 Image Storage and Management

 Audio and Video Data Management

 Overhead for providing generality, security, concurrency
 Data Warehousing and Data Mining
control, recovery, and integrity functions.
 Spatial Data Management  When a DBMS may be unnecessary:
 Time Series and Historical Data Management  If the database and applications are simple, well defined,
and not expected to change.
 The above gives rise to new research and development in  If there are stringent real-time requirements that may not be
incorporating new data types, complex data structures, new
operations and storage and indexing schemes in database systems. met because of DBMS overhead.
 If access to data by multiple users is not required.

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When not to use a DBMS Summary

 When no DBMS may suffice:  Types of Databases and Database Applications
 If the database system is not able to handle the  Basic Definitions
complexity of data because of modeling limitations  Typical DBMS Functionality
 If the database users need special operations not
 Example of a Database (UNIVERSITY)
supported by the DBMS.
 Main Characteristics of the Database Approach
 Database Users
 Advantages of Using the Database Approach
 When Not to Use Databases

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