Organizing Data and
Information
Chapter 3
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Learning Objectives
– Define general data management concepts
and terms, highlighting the advantages and
disadvantages of the database approach to
data management.
– Name three database models and outline their
basic features, advantages, and
disadvantages.
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Learning Objectives
– Identify the common functions performed by
all database management systems and
identify three popular end-user database
management systems.
– Identify and briefly discuss recent database
applications.
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The Hierarchy of Data
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Date entries, attributes, and keys
– Entity: Generalized class of people,
places, systems for which data is
collected. (Ex. Employees, customers)
– Attribute: Characteristic of an entity (Ex.
First name, last name)
– Key: A set of fields used to identify an
entity
– Primary Key: A key that uniquely
identified the entity
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Keys and Attributes
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The Traditional Approach To Data
Management
– Create new files
for each
application
– Data
redundancy
– Data integrity
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The Database Approach to Data
Management
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Advantages of the
Database Approach (1)
• Improved strategic use of corporate date
– Accurate information always available
• Reduced data redundancy
– Data is stored in one place
• Improved data integrity
– Changes are reflected throughout
• Easier modification and update
– No need to know where the data is
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Advantages of the
Database Approach (2)
• Data and program independence
– Accurate information always available
• Better access to data and information
– Simple instructions to access data
• Standardization of data access
– Each DBMS uses the same set of instructions
• Standardization for programmers
– Should only know how to access the DBMS
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Advantages of the
Database Approach (3)
• Better protection of data
– Require authorization on the data
• Shared data resources
– Setup the database once
– Several applications can use it
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Disadvantages of the
Database Approach
• Costly
– Specialized DBMS software
– Specialized DBMS administrators and
operators
• Increased vulnerability
– Single point of failure
– Targets for attacks
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Data Modeling
• Planned data redundancy
– To have it available in more than one place
– To improve system performance
• Data model
– A diagram of entities and their relationships
• Enterprise data modeling
– Done at the level of enterprise
• Entity-relationship diagrams
– Use graphs to show how data is organized and how it
is related
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Entity-Relationship Diagram for a
Customer Ordering Database
Entity
Relationship
(one-to-many)
Relationship
(many-to-one)
Relationship
(one-to-one)
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Database Models
• Hierarchical (tree)
– Data is organized top-down
• Network
– Owner-membership relationship
– A member can have many owners
• Relational
– Uses tabular format with 2-dimensional tables
(relations)
– Relations resemble files
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Hierarchical Database Model
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Network Database Model
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Relational Database Model
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Relational Models
Describe data using a standard tabular format with all
data elements placed in two-dimensional tables, called
relations, that are the logical equivalent of files.
– Rows represent data entity
– Columns represent attributes
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Relational Models
– Domain: Set of values an attribute can have
• Age: Between 0-100
• Gender: Male or female
– Selecting
• Pick rows based on certain criteria
• Select those whose gender is female
– Projecting
• Create a new table with a subset of attributes
– Joining
• Combine two or more tables
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Linking Database Tables
to Answer an Inquiry
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Building and Modifying a Relational
Database
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Database Management
Systems
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Providing a User View
• Schema - a description of the entire database
– First create a schema, then create the tables
• Subschema - a file that contains a description
of a subset of the database and identifies which
users can modify the data items in that subset
– A sales representative has to see the data for
her office, not the company stock data
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The Use of Schemas and Subschemas
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Creating and Modifying the Database
• Data definition language (DDL) - a collection of
instructions and commands used to define and
describe data and data relationships in a specific
database
• Used to define the schemas
• Data dictionary – detailed description of data in
a database
• Create a data dictionary when defining the
schemas
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Typical Uses of a Data Dictionary
• Provide a standard definition of terms and data elements
• Assist programmers in designing and writing programs
• Simplify database modification
• Reduce data redundancy
• Increase data reliability
• Speed program development
• Ease modification of data and information
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Storing and Retrieving Data
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Data Access
• Concurrency control: Lock the record so that
only one application can access it at a time
• Data manipulation language (DML)
• Structured Query Language (SQL)
• SELECT * FROM Project
WHERE Project_number=“155”
• UPDATE Project
SET Project_number=“156”
WHERE Project_number=“155”
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Structured Query Language
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Database Output
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Popular Database Management Systems
• Oracle
• MySQL
• Paradox database
• FileMaker Pro
• Microsoft Access
• Lotus 1-2-3 Spreadsheet
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Worldwide Database Market Share
(2001)
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Selecting a Database Management
System (1)
• Database size: Number of records in the
database
• Number of concurrent users: People or
applications that will access it at the same time
• Performance: How fast can the DBMS access or
update records?
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Selecting a Database Management
System (2)
• Integration: Which operating system can it run
under?
• Features: Which security procedures or privacy
policies are in place?
• Vendor: Size and reputation of the vendor
• Cost: Initial cost, maintenance costs, hardware
costs, personnel costs
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Database Applications
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Data Warehouses, Data Marts,
and Data Mining
• Data Warehouse - a database that collects business
information from many sources in the enterprise, covering
all aspects of the company’s processes, products, and
customers.
• Data Mart – a subset of a data warehouse.
– For small and medium size businesses
– Used mostly for decision support system
• Data Mining - an information analysis tool that involves
the automated discovery of patterns and relationships in a
data warehouse.
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Elements of a Data Warehouse
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Common Data Mining Applications
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Common Data Mining Applications (1)
• Branding and positioning of products
• Customer churn
– Which customers can switch to competitors?
• Direct marketing
– Who would respond to telemarketing?
• Fraud detection
– Predict transactions which are likely to be illegal
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Common Data Mining Applications (2)
• Market-based analysis
– Which products are bought at the same time (diaper,
beer, chips)
• Market segmentation
– Group users based on similarity of products that they
buy
• Trend analysis
– Analyze how variables change over time (e.g., sales)
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Business Intelligence
Gathering enough of the right information in a
timely manner and usable form.
– Competitive intelligence
• What others are doing
– Counterintelligence
• Define trade secret information
– Knowledge management
• Capture company’s collective expertise wherever it
resides
• Record knowledge and share it
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Others
– Distributed databases
• Data is spread over a few database
– On-line analytical processing (OLAP)
• Programs used to store and deliver data
• Used to analyze millions of customer records
– Open database connectivity (ODBC)
standards
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Comparison of OLAP and Data Mining
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Advantages of ODBC
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Object-Relational Database
Management System
• Stores the following types of data as objects:
– audio
– images
– unstructured
– text
– spatial data
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Spatial Technology
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Summary
• Data - one of the most valuable resources a firm
possesses.
• Entity - a generalized class of objects for which data is
collected, stored, and maintained.
• Attribute - a characteristic of an entity.
• DBMS - a group of programs used as an interface
between a database and application programs.
• Data mining - the automated discovery of patterns and
relationships in a data warehouse.
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