Chapter 11: Information and Data Management

Chapter 11: Information and Data Management

• Information and data are valuable assets to an organization
• A database is a collection of data organized to allow access, retrieval, and use of the data
• Data is a collection of unprocessed items (text, numbers, images, audio, video)
• Information is processed data that is organized, meaningful, and useful
• Database software, or DBMS, lets users create, modify, and remove data, organize, and create reports
• Data integrity reflects the quality of data. The more errors data contains, the lower its integrity
• Valuable information should be accurate, verifiable, timely, organized, accessible, useful, and cost-effective
• Data is organized in layers: files, records, fields, characters
• A character is one byte, which represents numbers, letters, spaces, punctuation marks, and other symbols
• A field is a combination of one or more related characters; it has a field name, field size, and data type
• Common data types include text, number, auto number, currency, date, memo, yes/no, hyperlink, object, and attachment
• A record is a group of related fields
• A primary key is a field that uniquely identifies each record
• A data file is a collection of related records
• File maintenance involves the procedures to keep data current (adding, modifying, and deleting records)
• Users add new records when new data is obtained, modify records to fix inaccurate data or update information, and delete records that are no longer needed
• Validation checks data against rules to determine correctness (alphabetic/numeric check, range check, consistency check, completeness check, and check digit)
• File processing systems use separate files for each department, which causes data redundancy and data isolation
• Database approaches share data across programs and users, reducing redundancy, improving integrity, providing easier access, and reducing development time
• A data model defines how users view data organization
• Relational databases organize data into tables with rows (tuples/records) and columns (attributes/fields). Each row has a primary key and each column has a unique name. Relationships are links within data
• An object-oriented database (OODB) stores data in objects
• Examples of applications appropriate for an object-oriented database are media databases, groupware databases, and CAD databases
• A multidimensional database can store data in more than two dimensions (hypercube)
• A data warehouse is a huge database that stores and manages data for historical analysis and current transactions
• Web databases offer information about jobs, travel, destinations, television programming, photos, movies, videos, local and national weather, sporting events, and legislative information
• Database analysts and administrators decide on field placement, data relationships, user access, create and maintain data dictionaries, manage database security, monitor performance, and check backups and recoveries
• An information system is a set of hardware, software, data, people, and procedures
• Information systems are used across functional units (human resources, engineering/product development, manufacturing, marketing, sales, and customer service)
• Enterprise resource planning (ERP) integrates MRP II with information flow to coordinate operations across functional areas, including product planning, manufacturing, distribution, accounting, finances, sales, human resources, and customer support
• A document management system (DMS) stores and manages documents, presentations, and spreadsheets
• A content management system (CMS) publishes, modifies, organizes, and provides access to various documents (including media)
• A transaction processing system (TPS) captures and processes daily business activities
• A management information system (MIS) generates information to help managers and users make decisions

Data Models:

• Relational: data organized into tables, rows (records), and columns (fields).
• Object-oriented OODB: stores data as objects
• Multidimensional: stores data in multiple dimensions, useful for analyzing trends and relationships

Database Management Systems:

• DBMS provides tools like query language, query by example (QBE), forms, and report writers to retrieve, store, update, and manage data.
• Includes features to ensure only authorized users access data (access privileges) and the principle of least privilege policy
• DBMS provides techniques for restoring the database in case of damage or destruction (backup, logs, recovery utilities, and continuous backup)

This quiz covers key concepts from Chapter 11, focusing on the importance of information and data management in organizations. Topics include the definition of data and information, database management systems (DBMS), and the significance of data integrity. Test your understanding of how data is structured and utilized within an organization.