[go: up one dir, main page]
Scribd
Upload
129 views17 pages

5 - Benefits of Database

This document discusses the characteristics and benefits of managing information using a database management system (DBMS). It notes that a DBMS allows information to be organized and accessible while avoiding accidental disorganization. It also provides benefits like processing power through sorting and linking data, supporting multiple views of data for different users, enforcing data integrity, and providing backup and recovery facilities to protect against data loss.

Uploaded by

Sabahat Khan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
129 views17 pages

5 - Benefits of Database

This document discusses the characteristics and benefits of managing information using a database management system (DBMS). It notes that a DBMS allows information to be organized and accessible while avoiding accidental disorganization. It also provides benefits like processing power through sorting and linking data, supporting multiple views of data for different users, enforcing data integrity, and providing backup and recovery facilities to protect against data loss.

Uploaded by

Sabahat Khan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 17

Characteristics and Benefits of a

Database

Khawar Iqbal Malik


Benefits of Managing Information

• Managing information means taking care of it so that it


works for us and is useful for the tasks we perform.
• By using a DBMS, the information we collect and add to
its database is no longer subject to accidental
disorganization.
• It becomes more accessible and integrated with the rest
of our work.
• Managing information using a database allows us to
become strategic users of the data we have.
Benefits of Managing Information

• Creating mailing lists


• Writing management reports
• Generating lists of selected news stories
• Identifying various client needs
Processing Power of a Database allows

• Sort
• Match
• Link
• Aggregate
• Skip fields
• Calculate
• Arrange
Database linked with Variety of Projects

• Because of the versatility of databases, we find them


powering all sorts of projects. A database can be linked
to:
– A website that is capturing registered users
– A client-tracking application for social service
organizations
– A medical record system for a health care facility
– Your personal address book in your email client
– A collection of word-processed documents
– A system that issues airline reservations
Characteristics and Benefits of a Database

1- Self-describing nature of a database system


A database system is referred to as self-
describing because it not only contains the database itself,
but also metadata which defines and describes the data
and relationships between tables in the database. This
information is used by the DBMS software or database
users if needed. This separation of data and information
about the data makes a database system totally different
from the traditional file-based system in which the data
definition is part of the application programs.
Characteristics and Benefits of a Database

2- Insulation between program and data


• In the file-based system, the structure of the data files is
defined in the application programs so if a user wants to
change the structure of a file, all the programs that
access that file might need to be changed as well.
• On the other hand, in the database approach, the data
structure is stored in the system catalogue and not in the
programs. Therefore, one change is all that is needed to
change the structure of a file. This insulation between the
programs and data is also called program-data
independence.
Characteristics and Benefits of a Database

3- Support for multiple views of data


• A database supports multiple views of data. A view is a
subset of the database, which is defined and dedicated for
particular users of the system. Multiple users in the system
might have different views of the system. Each view might
contain only the data of interest to a user or group of
users.
Characteristics and Benefits of a Database

4- Sharing of data and multiuser system


• Current database systems are designed for multiple users.
That is, they allow many users to access the same
database at the same time. This access is achieved
through features called concurrency control strategies.
These strategies ensure that the data accessed are
always correct and that data integrity is maintained.
• The design of modern multiuser database systems is a
great improvement from those in the past which restricted
usage to one person at a time.
Characteristics and Benefits of a Database

5- Control of data redundancy


• In the database approach, ideally, each data item is stored
in only one place in the database. In some cases, data
redundancy still exists to improve system performance, but
such redundancy is controlled by application
programming and kept to minimum by introducing as little
redundancy as possible when designing the database.
Characteristics and Benefits of a Database

6- Data sharing
• The integration of all the data, for an organization, within a
database system has many advantages. First, it allows for
data sharing among employees and others who have
access to the system. Second, it gives users the ability to
generate more information from a given amount of data
than would be possible without the integration..
Characteristics and Benefits of a Database
7- Enforcement of integrity constraints
• Database management systems must provide the ability
to define and enforce certain constraints to ensure that
users enter valid information and maintain data
integrity. A database constraint is a restriction or rule that
dictates what can be entered or edited in a table such as
a postal code using a certain format or adding a valid city
in the City field.
• There are many types of database constraints. Data type,
for example, determines the sort of data permitted in a
field, for example numbers only. Data uniqueness such
as the primary key ensures that no duplicates are
entered. Constraints can be simple (field based) or
complex (programming).
Characteristics and Benefits of a Database

8- Restriction of unauthorized access


• Not all users of a database system will have the same
accessing privileges. For example, one user might
have read-only access (i.e., the ability to read a file but not
make changes), while another might have read and write
privileges, which is the ability to both read and modify a
file. For this reason, a database management system
should provide a security subsystem to create and control
different types of user accounts and restrict unauthorized
access.
Characteristics and Benefits of a Database

9- Data independence
• Another advantage of a database management system is
how it allows for data independence. In other words, the
system data descriptions or data describing data
(metadata) are separated from the application programs.
This is possible because changes to the data structure
are handled by the database management system
and are not embedded in the program itself.
Characteristics and Benefits of a Database

10- Transaction processing


• A database management system must include
concurrency control subsystems. This feature ensures that
data remains consistent and valid during transaction
processing even if several users update the same
information.
Characteristics and Benefits of a Database

11- Provision for multiple views of data


• By its very nature, a DBMS permits many users to have
access to its database either individually or
simultaneously. It is not important for users to be aware of
how and where the data they access is stored
Characteristics and Benefits of a Database

12- Backup and recovery facilities


• Backup and recovery are methods that allow you to
protect your data from loss. The database system
provides a separate process, from that of a network
backup, for backing up and recovering data. If a hard drive
fails and the database stored on the hard drive is not
accessible, the only way to recover the database is from a
backup.
If a computer system fails in the middle of a complex
update process, the recovery subsystem is responsible for
making sure that the database is restored to its original
state. These are two more benefits of a database
management system.

You might also like