Database management systems (DBMS)

What is a database management system?

a program controlling the structure of a database and access to the data; creates, processes, and administers database

What are some advantages of a DBMS?

-reduced data redundancy

-improved data integrity

-more program independence

-increased user productivity

-increased security

What is DBMS used for?

to create tables and relationships in databases

What do applications use DBMS for?

to read, insert, modify, and delete data

What is a structured query language (SQL)?

SQL is an international standard language for manipulating relational databases

What do SQL queries consist of?

an action, database table name, set of parameters

What are SQL keywords?

they issue instructions

-create, delete, insert, etc.

What are boo lean operators?

AND, OR, NOT for searching

What are global updates?

based on some criteria

What are joining tables?

creating relationship

What are some things that go into selecting a DBMS?

database size

number of concurrent users

performance

integration

features

vendor

cost

What is a database structure?

an arrangement of the fields, tables, and relationships

.

.

What are some techniques for creating a data model?

entity relationship

data model

unified modeling language

Database content?

entities stored in database and relationship among those things

What is an entity?

item for which we want to store information

-tables

What is an attribute?

specific piece of data about an entry

-fields

What is an entity relationship diagram (ERD)?

picture of how data is related

Are entities something that users want tracked?

yes

Entities may be...

physical object

logical construct

transaction

Entities are always...

singular

Entities have..

attributes: describe characters

identifier: attribute whose value is associated with one and only on entity

What is a database design?

process of converting data model which transforms entities into tables and expresses relationships

What is metadata?

data that describes data

makes data more useful

makes data easier to use

What is the most complex relationship?

many-to-many

What is a relational database design?

designer creates table for every entity

entity identifier becomes primary key of table

attributes of entity become columns

tables normalize to single theme

represent relationships between table

What is access?

a relational database organized as a series of tables related through key fields

What is a key field?

field that is used to uniquely identify a record

a key field..

allows for easier retrieval, analysis and manipulation of records

What is a primary key?

field that uniquely identifies each record

What are objects?

a table, forms, report, or query that can be created and manipulated as a unit by the user.

What are tables in an access database?

different groups of information

-tables that are linked together to provide a related output

What is a record in an access database?

row in a table with information about one person, client, or other entity

What is a field in an access database?

smallest piece of information in a record, organized by a column

More tables =

more flexible

What is database planning?

an extremely important step in database creation process

How do you begin planning?

types of tables

number of tables

structure of tables

types of inputs

types of outputs