Database management is the system for managing data that supports the company’s business operations. It involves storing data, disseminating it to users and applications, editing it as needed as well as monitoring changes in data and stopping data corruption due unexpected failure. It is one component of a company’s overall informational infrastructure that aids in decision-making and growth for the business as well as compliance with laws such as the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act.
In the 1960s, Charles Bachman and IBM along with others created the first database systems. They evolved into information management systems (IMS) which allowed large amounts data to be stored and retrieved for a range of reasons. From calculating inventory to aiding complicated financial accounting functions, and human resource functions.
A database consists of a set of tables that store data according to a certain arrangement, like one-to-many relationships. It uses primary key to identify records and allows cross-references among tables. Each table has a set of fields, called attributes, that contain information about the data entities. The most well-known type of database currently is a relational model designed by E. F. “Ted” Codd at IBM in the 1970s. The design is based on normalizing the data, making it easier to use. It also makes it easier to update data since it eliminates the need to update many sections of the database.
The majority of DBMSs support a variety of databases and offer different internal and external levels of organization. The internal level addresses cost, scalability and other operational issues including the layout of the physical storage. The external level is how the database is represented in user interfaces and other applications. It may include a mix of different external views (based on the different data models) and could also include virtual tables that are constructed from generic data in order to improve performance.