CAPE Information Technology Unit 2 Module 1 Specific Objective 1

Differentiate among terms used in Information Management; For example, fields, records, tables, files, database and database management system.

FIELDS

A field is a named unit of information in a database representing a specific attribute such as 'favourite color' or 'Parish'.

RECORDS

Records are rows or tuples in a database table that represent single, structured data items with related fields.

TABLES

Tables are organized collections of related records arranged logically to represent datasets like personal information.

FILES

Files in flat databases contain records that themselves include multiple fields of different data types.

DATABASE

A database is a structured collection of data managed to facilitate storage, retrieval, and manipulation efficiently.

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (DBMS)

A DBMS is a software system controlling the organization, storage, retrieval, and management of database data.

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Information Management involves collecting, organizing, retrieving, and distributing accurate and timely data within an enterprise.

HIERARCHICAL MODEL

The hierarchical database model organizes data in an inverted tree structure with parent and child records representing one-to-many relationships.

NETWORK MODEL

The network database model allows records to have multiple parent records enabling many

RELATIONAL MODEL

The relational model represents data in tables with rows and columns using keys to establish relationships between tables.

PRIMARY KEY

A primary key is a column or set of columns in a table that uniquely identifies each record within that table.

FLAT DATABASE

A flat database consists of files containing records, each made up of several fields storing individual data pieces.

ACID PROPERTIES

ACID properties guarantee that database transactions are atomic, consistent, isolated, and durable to ensure integrity.

DATA SECURITY

Data security prevents unauthorized access or alteration by enforcing stringent access controls and authentication mechanisms.

DATABASE SERVER

A database server is a specialized computer system dedicated to hosting databases and efficiently processing requests.

DATA ADMINISTRATORS

Data administrators are responsible for overall database system design, policy setting, and ensuring data quality and security.

DATABASE ADMINISTRATORS

Database administrators manage the detailed design, maintenance, tuning, and backup of database systems to ensure performance.

QUERY

A query is a structured request made to a database to retrieve or manipulate data based on specific criteria.

FORMS

Forms provide user-friendly interfaces for data entry, updating, or displaying information stored within a database.

REPORTS

Reports are formatted documents generated from database data summarizing or presenting information of interest to users.

TRANSACTIONAL INTEGRITY

Transactional integrity ensures that incomplete or partial database transactions do not corrupt the stored data.

REFERENTIAL INTEGRITY

Referential integrity guarantees that relationships between tables remain consistent, preventing orphaned or invalid records.

INDEXES

Indexes are structures that speed up record retrieval by creating fast lookup paths on key fields within databases.

RELATIONAL DBMS ADVANTAGES

Relational DBMS are widely used because they offer extensive support, security features, and compatibility with many tools.

RELATIONAL DBMS DISADVANTAGES

Some relational DBMS can be resource-intensive with limitations such as fixed field lengths and inefficient browsing.

NAVIGATIONAL PROGRAMMING

Navigational programming involves accessing network databases by traversing related records using specific commands.

SETS

In network databases, sets define named relationships associating an owner record with multiple member records to model complex data.

RECORDS IN HIERARCHICAL MODEL

Records, or nodes in hierarchical models, are arranged in a tree-like structure with parent records linked to child records.

PARENT RECORD

A parent record in a hierarchical database model is one that has associated subsidiary or child records linked beneath it.

CHILD RECORD

In a hierarchical model, a child record is a subsidiary directly connected to a parent record, representing a subset of data.

DATA MODEL

A data model defines the logical structure and organization of data, such as hierarchical, network, relational, or object-oriented models.

DATA STRUCTURES

Data structures in databases organize fields, records, files, and objects to efficiently manage and access large volumes of information.

MODELING LANGUAGE

A modeling language allows defining the schema and structure of database contents within a DBMS environment.

OPEN DATABASE CONNECTIVITY (ODBC)

ODBC is a standard API enabling applications to access diverse DBMSs in a uniform manner.

TRANSACTION MECHANISM

A transaction mechanism in a DBMS ensures the ACID properties during concurrent data access and system faults.

FLAT DATABASE VS RELATIONAL DATABASE

Flat databases store data in simple files with records and fields while relational databases use linked tables for complex relationships.

ENTERPRISE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Enterprise Information Management focuses on delivering the right data to the right people at the right time effectively.

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

Business intelligence involves analyzing data with software tools to support strategic and operational decision-making.

DATABASES EXAMPLES

Popular database systems include MS Access, dBase, FoxPro, Paradox, Approach, Oracle, and Open Office Base.

ADVANTAGES OF NETWORK MODEL

The network model provides fast, efficient data access through pointer-based navigations in complex relationships.

DISADVANTAGES OF NETWORK MODEL

The network model is rigid, technically outdated, and can be difficult to maintain as complexity grows.

HIERARCHICAL MODEL ADVANTAGE

Hierarchical models are well suited to representing naturally hierarchical data such as organizational charts.

HIERARCHICAL MODEL DISADVANTAGE

This model lacks flexibility to adapt easily to changing and dynamic organizational data requirements.

RELATIONAL DATABASE RULES

Relational databases disallow identical rows, treat column order as irrelevant, and require atomic values in each field.

KEYS

Keys in relational databases uniquely identify records and establish relationships between different tables.

DATABASE MANAGEMENT PURPOSE

The purpose of database management is to organize, sort, display, and efficiently handle large datasets.

PASSWORD PROTECTION

Password protection in DBMS restricts database access to authorized users, enhancing data security and privacy.