Database Concepts

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental database concepts, types of databases, file system critiques, and database system components based on Topic 1 lecture materials.

Data

Raw facts that have not yet been processed to reveal their meaning; the building blocks of information.

Information

Processed data; the result of processing raw data to reveal its meaning and enable knowledge creation.

Metadata

Data about data, through which the end-user data are integrated and managed; it describes data characteristics and relationships.

Database

A shared and integrated computer structure that stores a collection of end-user data and metadata.

Database Management System (DBMS)

A collection of programs that manages the database structure and controls access to the data stored in the database.

Data Management

A discipline that focuses on the proper generation, storage, and retrieval of data.

Single-user database

A database that supports only one user at a time, allowing only one connection to the database at a given moment.

Desktop database

A single-user database that runs on a personal computer (PC) locally.

Multiuser database

A database that supports multiple users at the same time, including workgroup and enterprise databases.

Workgroup database

A multiuser database that supports a small number of users or a specific department.

Enterprise database

A multiuser database that supports a large number of users across an entire organization.

Centralized database

A database where data is located at a single physical site.

Distributed database

A database where data is distributed across several different sites; also known as a decentralized database.

Cloud database

A database that is created and maintained using cloud data services.

General-purpose database

A database containing a wide variety of data used in multiple disciplines, such as LexisNexis or ProQuest.

Discipline-specific database

A database containing data focused on specific subject areas, such as financial, geographic information system (GIS), or medical databases.

Operational database

A database that supports a company’s day-to-day operations; also called online transaction processing (OLTP), transactional, or production database.

Analytical database

A database that stores historical data used for tactical or strategic decision making, comprising data warehouses and online analytical processing (OLAP).

Structured data

Data that is identifiable because it is organized in a structure applied based on the type of processing to be performed.

Semi-structured data

Data that has been processed to some extent but not enough to qualify as structured (e.g., a webpage).

Unstructured data

Data that exists in its original raw state with no identifiable structure, such as bitmap images or text objects.

Field

A character or group of characters (alphabetic or numeric) that has a specific meaning, used to define and store data.

Record

A logically connected set of one or more fields that describes a person, place, or thing.

File

A collection of related records, such as student enrollment files.

Structural dependence

A condition where access to a file is dependent on its own structure; changing the structure requires modifying all programs that use the file.

Structural independence

A condition where a file structure can be changed without affecting the application’s ability to access the data.

Data dependence

A condition where data access changes when data storage characteristics (such as data type) change.

Data independence

A condition where data storage characteristics are changed without affecting the program’s ability to access the data.

Islands of information

A term for data that is scattered in many different locations, increasing the probability of different versions of the same data.

Data redundancy

The condition of unnecessarily storing the same data in different places.

Data inconsistency

A condition that exists when different and conflicting versions of the same data appear in different places.

Data anomalies

Abnormalities that occur in poorly planned databases when not all required changes are made successfully in redundant data; includes update, insertion, and deletion types.

Update anomaly

An abnormality that exists when one or more instances of duplicated data is updated but not all are changed.

Insertion anomaly

An abnormality that occurs when certain attributes cannot be inserted into the database without the presence of other attributes.

Deletion anomaly

An abnormality that exists when certain attributes are lost because of the deletion of other attributes.

Data integrity

The condition in which all data in the database are accurate, verifiable, and consistent with real-world events.

Hardware

All of the system's physical devices, such as servers, workstations, storage devices, and network devices.

Software

The tools required in a database system environment, including the operating system, DBMS software, and application programs.

Procedures

Instructions and rules that govern the design and use of the database system, enforcing standards and auditing activities.

Data Dictionary

A DBMS function that stores definitions of the data elements and their relationships (metadata) to remove structural and data dependency.

Performance tuning

A DBMS function that ensures efficient performance of the database in terms of storage and access speed.

Structured Query Language (SQL)

The de facto query language and data access standard supported by the majority of DBMS vendors.