Database management is a system for managing the data that supports a business’s operations. It involves storing data, distributing it to applications and users and then modifying it if necessary and monitoring changes to the data and preventing it from getting corrupted due to unexpected failure. It is part of the overall informational infrastructure of a business that aids in decision-making in corporate growth, as well as compliance with laws such as the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act.
In the 1960s, Charles Bachman and IBM along with others created the first database systems. They developed into information management systems (IMS), which allowed large amounts data to be stored and retrieved for a range of purposes. From calculating inventory, to aiding complex financial accounting functions as well as human resource functions.
A database is a collection of tables that organizes data according to a certain scheme, like one-to many relationships. It utilizes primary keys to identify records and allow cross-references between tables. Each table has a set of fields, referred to as attributes, that represent facts about the entities that comprise the data. Relational models, invented by E. F. “TedCodd Codd in the 1970s at IBM and IBM, are among the most well-known database type today. This design is based on normalizing data to make it more user-friendly. It also makes it easier to update data since it eliminates the need to update many sections of the database.
The majority of DBMSs are able to support different types of databases by offering different levels of internal and external organization. The internal level is concerned with cost, scalability and other operational concerns including the design of the database’s physical storage. The external level is the representation of the database on user interfaces and applications dotmandalasforfun.com. It may include a mix of various external views based on different data models. It also may also include virtual tables that are computed using generic data to improve the performance.