Database management is a method for managing the data that is used to support a company’s business operations. It includes data storage and distribution to users and application programs and modifying it as needed and monitoring changes to the data and preventing it from being corrupted due to unexpected failure. It is a part of an organization’s overall informational infrastructure which aids in decision making and growth of the company as well as compliance with laws like 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 data to be stored and retrieved for a range of reasons. From calculating inventory to aiding complex financial accounting functions and human resource functions.
A database is a set of tables that are organized according to a certain arrangement, like one-to-many relationships. It makes use of primary keys to identify records and allow cross-references between tables. Each table has a set of attributes, or fields, that provide information about data entities. Relational models, created by E. F. “TedCodd Codd in the liefurology.com 1970s at IBM as a database, are the most widely used type of database in the present. This model is based on normalizing the data, making it easier to use. It is also simpler to update data because it doesn’t require changing many sections of the databases.
Most DBMSs are able to support different types of databases, offering internal and external levels of organization. The internal level is concerned with costs, scalability and other operational issues, including the physical layout of the database. The external level is the representation of the database in user interfaces and applications. It may include a mix of different external views (based on different data models) and could also include virtual tables which are generated from data that is generic to enhance performance.