Databases for an Information Rich, Connected World — Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture notes on databases, architectures, data management, and related concepts.

Database

A structured collection of data stored and managed by a DBMS to support storage, retrieval, and manipulation.

DBMS

Database Management System; software that defines, stores, retrieves, updates, and enforces security and integrity for data in a database.

Schema

The structure and organization of a database, including tables, fields, data types, and relationships.

Attribute

A relevant piece of information about the things of interest (e.g., name, address, age).

Relationship

A connection between entities in a database that captures how data items about different entities are associated (e.g., purchases, payments).

Mainframe Architecture

A database architecture where the DBMS runs on a mainframe computer; users access results via terminals.

Desktop Architecture

A database architecture where the DBMS and data run on a single desktop computer.

File Server Architecture

An architecture where the DBMS and data reside on a separate file server shared across a network.

Client-Server Architecture

An architecture with a database server hosting the DBMS and data, served to client applications over a network.

Web Architecture

An architecture where the DBMS is on a server and accessed via web browsers through a web server over the Internet.

TPS (Transaction Processing System)

A system that captures and processes day-to-day transactions and provides detailed data to users; primary source for MIS.

MIS (Management Information System)

A system that uses data from TPS to provide management reports, monitor efficiency, and support forecasting.

DSS (Decision Support System)

A system that supports strategic decision making using internal and external data, plus modeling tools.

OLTP

Online Transaction Processing; optimized for fast, real-time inserts/updates of day-to-day transactions; data is structured/normalized.

OLAP

Online Analytical Processing; optimized for complex queries and analysis on large historical data; often denormalized (star/snowflake).

Data Warehouse

A centralized repository designed for analyzing, querying, and reporting; often composed of data marts.

Data Mart

A smaller, subject-specific data store derived from a data warehouse for focused analysis.

ETL

Extract, Transform, Load; process of moving data from source systems into a data warehouse, including formatting it for the warehouse.

Data Mining

Techniques used to analyze large databases to discover patterns, trends, and insights.

Data Portability

The ability to back up, transfer, and restore data across systems.

Data Recovery

Measures to protect data from loss due to hardware or software failure.

Provenance

Logging/audit trails that record data changes to provide an history of data origins and edits.

Data Integrity

Ensuring stored data is well-formed, accurate, and consistent.

Data Security

Policies and mechanisms enforcing who can access data and what they can do with it.

Data Definition

DBMS capability to define and build the database structure (schemas, tables, types).

Data Manipulation

Functions to insert, update, delete, and query data within the database.

Query Execution

The process of running queries to retrieve data and answer questions from the database.

Performance

Techniques to tune and optimize database operation for speed and efficiency.

Multiuser Concurrency

Support for many users interacting with the database at the same time without conflicts.

Automatic Processing

Automated execution of business logic via stored procedures and triggers.

Unseen Services

The invisible components that provide login, security, data access, and maintenance; noticed mainly during outages or breaches.

Ubiquitous Information Provider

A pervasive, database-backed source of information used for everyday tasks like shopping and planning.

Annotated Human Genome Data

A public database containing annotated genetic sequence information linking genes, variants, and functions.

Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED)

Public economic data series maintained by the Federal Reserve for economic analysis.

US Labor, Economic, and Census Data

Public datasets covering labor statistics, economic indicators, and census information in the United States.

Freebase Dataset

A large public knowledge base of structured facts, formerly hosted by Freebase.

Historical Weather Datasets

Public datasets containing past weather observations and climate data.

Twitter Archive at the Library of Congress

A public archive of Twitter messages preserved by the Library of Congress for research and history.