Database Management Series...3

Advantages of Databases

It will be helpful to reiterate our database definition here, that is, database is a shared collection of logically related data, designed to meet the information needs of multiple users in an organization. A typical database system environment is shown in the figure below:

The figure shows different subsystem or applications in an educational institution, like library system, examination system, and registration system. There are separate, different application programs for every application or subsystem. However, the data for all applications is stored at the same place in the database and all application programs, relevant data and users are being managed by the DBMS. This is a typical database system environment and it introduces the following advantages:

o Data Sharing

The data for different applications or subsystems is placed at the same place. This introduces the major benefit of data sharing. That is, data that is common among different applications need not to be stored repeatedly, as was the case in the file processing environment. For example, all three systems of an educational institution shown in this figure need to store the data about students. The example data can be seen from previous article figure. Now the data like registration number, name, address, father name that is common among different applications is being stored repeatedly in the file processing system environment, where as it is being stored just once in database system environment and is being shared by all applications. The interesting thing is that the individual applications do not know that the data is being shared and they do not need to. Each application gets the impression as if the data is being for stored for it. This brings the advantage of saving the storage along with others discussed later.

o Data Independence

Data and programs are independent of each other, so change is once has no or minimum effect on other. Data and its structure is stored in the database where as application programs manipulating this data are stored separately, the change in one does not unnecessarily effect other.

o Controlled Redundancy

Means that we do not need to duplicate data unnecessarily; we do duplicate data in the databases, however, this duplication is deliberate and controlled.

o Better Data Integrity

Very important feature; means the validity of the data being entered in the database. Since the data is being placed at a central place and being managed by the DBMS, so it provides a very conducive to check or ensure that the data being entered into the database is actually valid. Integrity of data is very important, since all the processing and the information produced in return are based on the data. Now if the data entered is not valid, how can we be sure that the processing in the database is correct and the results or the information produced is valid? The businesses make decisions on the basis of information produced from the database and the wrong information leads to wrong decisions, and business collapse. In the database system environment, DBMS provides many features to ensure the data integrity, hence provides more reliable data processing environment.