Database management is a system to manage information that is essential to the business operations of an organization. It involves storing data and distribution to application programs and users making changes as needed, monitoring changes in the data and preventing the data from becoming damaged due to unexpected failures. It is an element of a company’s total informational infrastructure, which supports decision-making, corporate growth and compliance with laws such as the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act.
In the 1960s, Charles Bachman and IBM along with other companies developed the first database systems. They evolved into information management systems (IMS) which allowed large amounts of data to be stored and retrieved for a variety of reasons. From calculating inventory to aiding complex financial accounting functions and human resource functions.
A database is a set of tables which organize data according to a certain scheme, like one-to many relationships. It uses primary keys to identify records, and allow cross-references between tables. Each table contains a number of fields, referred to as attributes, that provide information about the entities that comprise the data. The most well-known type of database today is a relational model created by E. F. “Ted” Codd at IBM in the 1970s. This model is based on normalizing the data, making it easier to use. It is also simpler to update data since it doesn’t require the modification of certain sections of the database.
Most DBMSs support multiple types of databases by providing different internal and external levels of organization. The internal level is focused on costs, scalability and other operational issues like the physical layout of the database. The external level is the representation of the database on user interfaces and applications. It may include a mix of various external views (based on different data models) and may also include virtual tables which are generated from generic data to improve performance.
