Characteristics and Advantages of Database Management System

Info regarding Characteristics and advantages of database approach

1. CHARACTERISTICS OF DATABASE
APPROACH & ADVANTAGES OF
USING DBMS
By: Chartha
Gaglani

2. CONTENTS
•Characteristicsofdatabaseapproach
•AdvantagesofDBMS
•DrawbacksofDBMS

3. WHAT IS DATABASE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM?
•DatabaseManagementSystem(DBMS)isacollectionof
programswhichenablesitsuserstoaccessdatabase,
manipulatedata,reporting/representationofdata.
•Italsohelpstocontrolaccesstothedatabase.
•DatabaseManagementSystemsisnotanewconceptandas
suchhadbeenfirstimplementedin1960s.
•Withtimedatabasetechnologiesevolvedalotwhileusageand
expectedfunctionalitiesofdatabaseshavebeenincreased
immensely.

5. CHARACTERISTICS OF DATABASE
APPROACH
•Self-DescribingNatureofaDatabaseSystem-Afundamental
characteristicsofdatabaseapproachisthatthedatabasesystemcontainsnot
onlythedatabaseitselfbutalsoacompletedefinitionordescriptionofthe
databasestructureandconstraints.
•ThisdefinitionisstoredintheDBMScatalog.
•Theinformationstoredinthecatalogiscalledmeta-data,anditdescribes
thestructureoftheprimarydatabase.

9. •SupportofMultipleViewsoftheData-Adatabasetypicallyhasmany
users,eachofwhommayrequireadifferentperspectiveorviewofthe
database.Aviewmaybeasubsetofthedatabaseoritmaycontainvirtual
datathatisderivedfromthedatabasefilesbutisnotexplicitlystored.A
multiuserDBMSwhoseusershaveavarietyofdistinctapplicationsmust
providefacilitiesfordefiningmultipleviews.

11. •SharingofDataandMultiuserTransactionProcessing-A
multiuserDBMS,asitsnameimplies,mustallowmultipleusersto
accessthedatabaseatthesametime.Thisisessentialifdatafor
multipleapplicationsistobeintegratedandmaintainedinasingle
database.TheDBMSmustincludeconcurrencycontrolsoftwareto
ensurethatseveraluserstryingtoupdatethesamedatadosoina
controlledmannersothattheresultoftheupdatesiscorrect.

13. •RepresentSomeAspectsofrealworldapplications-Adatabase
representssomefeaturesofrealworldapplications.
•ManagesInformation-Adatabasealwaystakescareofitsinformation
becauseinformationisalwayshelpfulforwhateverworkwedo.Itmanages
alltheinformationthatisrequiredtous.
•EasyOperationimplementation-Alltheoperationslikeinsert,delete,
update,searchetc.arecarriedoutinaflexibleandeasyway.Database
makesitverysimpletoimplementtheseoperations.Auserwithlittle
knowledgecanperformtheseoperations.Thischaracteristicofdatabase
makesitmorepowerful.

14. •Dataforspecificpurpose-Adatabaseisdesignedfordataofspecific
purpose.Forexample,TheDrugBankdatabaseisauniquebioinformatics
andcheminformaticsresourcethatcombinesdetaileddrugdatawith
comprehensivedrugtargetinformation.
•IthasUsersofSpecificinterest-Adatabasealwayshassomeindented
groupofusersandapplicationsinwhichtheseusergroupsareinterested.

16. •DataPersistence:DatapersistencemeansthatinaDBMSalldata
ismaintainedaslongasitisnotdeletedexplicitly.
•Additionallydataoncestoredinadatabasemustnotbelost.
Changesofadatabasewhicharedonebyatransactionare
persistent.

18. •Controlofdataredundancy-Inthedatabaseapproach,ideally,eachdata
itemisstoredinonlyoneplaceinthedatabase.
•Insomecases,dataredundancystillexiststoimprovesystemperformance,
butsuchredundancyiscontrolledbyapplicationprogrammingandkeptto
minimumbyintroducingaslittleredudancyaspossiblewhendesigningthe
database.
•Restrictionofunauthorizedaccess-Notallusersofadatabasesystem
willhavethesameaccessingprivileges.Forexample,oneusermight
haveread-onlyaccess(i.e.,theabilitytoreadafilebutnotmakechanges),
whileanothermighthavereadandwriteprivileges,whichistheabilityto
bothreadandmodifyafile.
•Forthisreason,adatabasemanagementsystemshouldprovideasecurity
subsystemtocreateandcontroldifferenttypesofuseraccountsandrestrict
unauthorizedaccess.

21. ADVANTAGES OF DBMS
1.Improveddatasharing-Anadvantageofthedatabasemanagement
approachis,theDBMShelpstocreateanenvironmentinwhichendusers
havebetteraccesstomoreandbetter-manageddata.Suchaccessmakesit
possibleforenduserstorespondquicklytochangesintheirenvironment.
2.Improveddatasecurity-Themoreusersaccessthedata,thegreaterthe
risksofdatasecuritybreaches.ADBMSprovidesaframeworkforbetter
enforcementofdataprivacyandsecuritypolicies.
3.Betterdataintegration-Wideraccesstowell-manageddatapromotesan
integratedviewoftheorganization’soperationsandaclearerviewofthe
bigpicture.Itbecomesmucheasiertoseehowactionsinonesegmentof
thecompanyaffectothersegments.

22. 4.Minimizeddatainconsistency-Datainconsistencyexistswhendifferent
versionsofthesamedataappearindifferentplaces.Theprobabilityofdata
inconsistencyisgreatlyreducedinaproperlydesigneddatabase.
5.Improveddataaccess-TheDBMSmakesitpossibletoproducequickanswers
toadhocqueries.Fromadatabaseperspective,aqueryisaspecificrequest
issuedtotheDBMSfordatamanipulation—forexample,toreadorupdatethe
data.Simplyput,aqueryisaquestion,andanadhocqueryisaspur-of-the-
momentquestion.TheDBMSsendsbackananswer(calledthequeryresult
set)totheapplication.
6.Improveddecisionmaking-Better-manageddataandimproveddataaccess
makeitpossibletogeneratebetter-qualityinformation,onwhichbetter
decisionsarebased.Thequalityoftheinformationgenerateddependsonthe
qualityoftheunderlyingdata.Dataqualityisacomprehensiveapproachto
promotingtheaccuracy,validity,andtimelinessofthedata.WhiletheDBMS
doesnotguaranteedataquality,itprovidesaframeworktofacilitatedata
qualityinitiatives.

23. 6.Improveddecisionmaking-Better-manageddataandimproveddata
accessmakeitpossibletogeneratebetter-qualityinformation,onwhich
betterdecisionsarebased.Thequalityoftheinformationgenerated
dependsonthequalityoftheunderlyingdata.Dataqualityisa
comprehensiveapproachtopromotingtheaccuracy,validity,andtimeliness
ofthedata.WhiletheDBMSdoesnotguaranteedataquality,itprovidesa
frameworktofacilitatedataqualityinitiatives.
7.Increasedend-userproductivity-Theavailabilityofdata,combinedwith
thetoolsthattransformdataintousableinformation,empowersendusers
tomakequick,informeddecisionsthatcanmakethedifferencebetween
successandfailureintheglobaleconomy.

24. DISADVANTAGES OF DBMS
1.Increasedcosts:Databasesystemsrequiresophisticatedhardwareand
softwareandhighlyskilledpersonnel.Thecostofmaintainingthe
hardware,software,andpersonnelrequiredtooperateandmanagea
databasesystemcanbesubstantial.Training,licensing,andregulation
compliancecostsareoftenoverlookedwhendatabasesystemsare
implemented.
2.Managementcomplexity:Databasesystemsinterfacewithmany
differenttechnologiesandhaveasignificantimpactonacompany’s
resourcesandculture.Thechangesintroducedbytheadoptionofa
databasesystemmustbeproperlymanagedtoensurethattheyhelp
advancethecompany’sobjectives.Giventhefactthatdatabasesystems
holdcrucialcompanydatathatareaccessedfrommultiplesources,
securityissuesmustbeassessedconstantly.

25. 3.Maintainingcurrency:Tomaximizetheefficiencyofthedatabasesystem,
youmustkeepyoursystemcurrent.Therefore,youmustperformfrequent
updatesandapplythelatestpatchesandsecuritymeasurestoall
components.Becausedatabasetechnologyadvancesrapidly,personnel
trainingcoststendtobesignificant.Vendordependence.Giventheheavy
investmentintechnologyandpersonneltraining,companiesmightbe
reluctanttochangedatabasevendors.
4.Frequentupgrade/replacementcycles:DBMSvendorsfrequentlyupgrade
theirproductsbyaddingnewfunctionality.Suchnewfeaturesoftencome
bundledinnewupgradeversionsofthesoftware.Someoftheseversions
requirehardwareupgrades.Notonlydotheupgradesthemselvescost
money,butitalsocostsmoneytotraindatabaseusersandadministratorsto
properlyuseandmanagethenewfeatures.