Introduction to Database Management System (DBMS)
DBMS stands for Database Management System. We can break it like this DBMS = Database +
Management System.
Database is a collection of related data and Management System is a set of programs to store
and retrieve those data. Based on this we can define DBMS like this: DBMS is a collection of
inter-related data and set of programs to store & access those data in an easy and effective
manner.
Why do we need DBMS?
Database systems are basically developed for large amount of data. When dealing with huge
amount of data, we want to Store that data and retrieve the data as quickly as possible.
Database Applications – DBMS
Applications where we use Database Management Systems are:
Telecom: There is a database to keeps track of the information regarding calls made,
network usage, customer details etc. Without the database systems it is hard to maintain
that huge amount of data that keeps updating every millisecond.
Manufacturing Industry: Where it is a manufacturing unit, warehouse or distribution
center, each one needs a database to keep the records of ins and outs. For example
distribution center should keep a track of the product units that supplied into the centre
as well as the products that got delivered out from the distribution centre on each day;
this is where DBMS comes into picture.
Banking Systems: For storing customer info, tracking day to day credit and debit
transactions, generating bank statements etc. All this work has been done with the help
of Database management systems.
Education sector: Database systems are frequently used in schools and colleges to store
and retrieve the data regarding student details, staff details, course details, exam details,
payroll data, attendance details, fees details etc. There is a hell lot amount of inter-related
data that needs to be stored and retrieved in an efficient manner.
Online shopping: You must be aware of the online shopping websites such as Amazon,
Flipkart etc. These sites store the product information, your addresses and preferences,
credit details and provide you the relevant list of products based on your query. All this
involves a Database management system.
Advantage of Database Management System (DBMS)
There are several advantages of Database management system over traditional file system. Few
of them are as follows:
a. It provides easy access to data
b. Easy recovery of data since the data is backed up
c. Ensures Privacy – limited access to the data
d. Data is secured since each user has a different set of access
e. It provides consistency and integrity of data
Disadvantages of DBMS:
The following are some of the disadvantages of the DBMS
a. Requires large size of memory
b. Time consuming
c. Requires a high speed processor computers
d. It’s very expensive to run and maintain
e. Higher impact of a failure (if any component can bring the operation to a halt).
USERS
A typical DBMS has users with different rights and permissions who use it for different
purposes.
Some users retrieve data and some back it up. The users of a DBMS can be broadly categorized
as
follows −
1. Administrators − Administrators maintain the DBMS and are responsible for
administrating the database. They are responsible to look after its usage and by whom it
should be used. They create access profiles (accounts) for users and apply limitations to
maintain isolation and force security. Administrators also look after DBMS resources like
system license, required tools, and other software and hardware related maintenance.
2. Designers − Designers are the group of people who actually work on the designing part
of the database. They keep a close watch on what data should be kept and in what format.
They identify and design the whole set of entities, relations, constraints, and views.
3. End Users − End users are those who actually reap the benefits of having a DBMS. End
users can range from simple viewers who pay attention to the logs or market rates to
sophisticated users such as business analysts.
EXAMPLES OF DBMS
Given below is the list of most popular database management systems that are used-
- Microsoft Access
- MySQL
- Oracle Database
- PhpMyAdmin
- MariaDB
- Mango DB
- SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer
- Oracle RDBMS
- IBM DB2
- Altibase
- Microsoft SQL Server
- SAP Sybase ASE
