Database Management System (DBMS) Concepts

A set of vocabulary flashcards defining core terms, components, user roles, database software examples, relational models, and entity-relationship constructs from Module VI.

Data Item

The smallest unit of named data consisting of bits or bytes, often referred to as a field or data element.

Data Aggregate

The collection of data items within a record that is given a name and referred to as a whole.

System Software

A category of software that includes operating systems, programming languages, and system packages used to execute and manipulate hardware.

Application Software

A category of software that includes programs such as payroll, electricity billing, hospital management, and hostel administration.

Repository

A component of a database environment that stores definitions of data called METADATA, screen and report formats, menu definitions, and other structural definitions.

METADATA

Definitions of data stored inside a repository.

Deductive Database Systems

Database systems that provide capabilities for defining deduction rules to infer new information from stored database facts.

CASE Tools

Computer-aided Software Engineering tools used as a component in a database system.

Database Administrator (DBA)

The person responsible for the installation, configuration, upgrade, administration, monitoring, maintenance, security, and performance of databases in an organization.

Systems Analyst

The liaison between vendors and information technology professionals who researches problems, plans solutions, recommends software and systems, and coordinates development.

DBMS Developers

Skilled systems programmers who design and build the DBMS product and are the only ones who touch its code.

Application's End-Users

People (such as accountants, insurance people, or medical doctors) who know the application and its end-user interfaces but do not need to know or understand the underlying DBMS.

Server Database Systems

Database systems designed to run on a central server so that multiple users can access the same data simultaneously through an application.

ORACLE RDBMS

An object-relational database management software whose version 12c incorporates cloud computing.

IBM DB2

A database software developed in 1983 with release 11.1, written in Assembly Language, C, and C++, supporting Windows, UNIX, and Linux.

MICROSOFT SQL SERVER

A database software developed in 1989 with a 2016 update, written in Assembly, C, Linux, and C++, which works on Linux and Windows operating systems.

Relational Database Management System (RDBMS)

A subset of DBMS designed specifically for relational databases that store data in a structured format using rows and columns.

Tuple

A row or record in a relational database table that forms the unordered set of characteristics describing a particular entity.

Attribute

A column or field in a table representing individual characteristics that describe an entity.

Primary Key

A key field, also called a major key, that serves as the unique identifier of a specific tuple in a relation.

Domain

A pool of legal values permitted for a given attribute in a relation.

Foreign Key

A field in one table whose values are constrained to be values of the primary key in another table.

Entity-Relationship (ER) Model

A database model based on the notion of real-world entities and relationships among them, consisting of entity sets, relationship sets, general attributes, and constraints.

Entity

A real-world physical or conceptual object about which data are to be collected and stored.

One to One Relationship

A relationship type marked as $1:1$ where only one instance of an entity is associated with the relationship.

One to Many Relationship

A relationship type marked as $1:N$ where one instance of an entity on the left is associated with more than one instance of an entity on the right.

Many to One Relationship

A relationship type marked as $N:1$ where more than one instance of an entity on the left is associated with only one instance of an entity on the right.