Re: Database Management Systems (elements and purpose of)

mAsterdam <mAsterdam_at_vrijdag.org> wrote in message news:<425468a6$0$139$e4fe514c_at_news.xs4all.nl>...
> Thicky wrote:
> > I really am a thicky and I cannot seem to find any relevant or helpful
> > information that will let me answer this question.
> >
> > I am looking for some information or links to documents that will
> > describe the purpose of a database management system and the elements
> > within it.
> >
> > Any assistance is greatly apprieciated
>
> Hi Thicky, welcome :-)
>
> Excellent question. (Assignment? Good teacher!)
> Dan provided a (link to a) very adequate answer.
> I 'll put in some personal notes.
>
> Database. Base your operations on data. It is an idea, a way of
> looking at how to do things. Take care of your data (collection of
> -to your purpose- meaningful facts), take away, isolate the
> management of your data from applications, and your mission is in
> better health. You own your data, your applications only get to
> manipulate that part of them you allow them to manipulate.
> Another application? No problem - your data is properly managed by
> people who care about them - well, they need tools. Here's where
> DBMS comes in.
>
> So you need to categorize and (meta-)manage your data: a catalog.
> You need to limit which changes are possible to your data:
> referential integrity rules etc., constraints.
> You need to secure your operations from hardware failures and
> tsunamis: backup & restore, disaster recovery comes in.
>
> So you need to resolve ambiguities and contradictory
> interpretations of the data you (want to) have:
> methodologies (e.g. DSDM) come in.
>
> So you need to manage changes to your insights: Change management
> (google CM) comes in.
>
> Other elements which spring to mind are: some sophisticated query
> and reporting tools (to present your data in a neat way (Crystal
> reports, Business Objects)), but don't overdo that and fall into the
> trap which is sometimes called 'information warehouse' or OLAP. Ha!
>
> HTH
>
> P.S.
>
> Some things a DBMS is NOT:
>
> A persistence mechanism.
> A filestore.
> A physical thing.
>
> Hope this still helps :-)

Thanks for the help I am new to news groups, posting and etiquette and therefore the content of the question.

The question is for an assigment and I have very little experience with databases so it will have to be in very basic terms.

Thanks again Received on Thu Apr 07 2005 - 20:42:40 CEST