Introduction to Databases and Data Concepts

Study Notes

A database is an organized collection of information that makes it easy to access, manage, and update.
Databases are accessed electronically and managed with a database management system (DBMS).

Data is the raw information or facts about a specific object.
It could include details like name, age, height, and other descriptive information.

Field: Contains the most detailed information about an event, person, object, or transaction.
Record: A group of related fields.
Table: A collection of related records with a unique name.
Database: A collection of related tables.

Businesses use both internal and external databases.
Internal databases: Used for the day-to-day operations of the business, such as accounting, sales, finance, and HR.
Data warehouses: Store data from various sources and are used for business intelligence purposes.

Hardware: Physical devices like computers and hard disks that connect computers to real-world systems.
Software: Programs that manage and control the database, including database software, operating systems, network software, and applications for accessing the data.
Data: Raw information and facts that need to be organized and processed for meaning.
Procedures: Instructions for using the database management system, including setup, login/logout, daily operations, backups, and report generation.
Database Access Language: A language used to write commands for accessing, updating, and deleting data in a database.

Enables users to access, manipulate, maintain, report, and relate data.
Primarily used to reduce data redundancy, control data sharing, and minimize data integrity issues.
Structured Query Language (SQL): The standard interface for relational databases, supported by all relational DBMS software.

Storage engine: Core component that interacts with the operating system's file system to store data.
Query language: Used to interact with the database, from creating databases to inserting or retrieving data.
Query processor: Interprets user's queries into actionable commands for the database.
Optimization engine: Provides insights on database performance and can optimize database and queries.
Metadata catalog: Centralized catalog of all objects in the database, storing metadata about each object.
Log manager: Keeps a record of all DBMS activities, such as user logins, database functions, backups, and restores.
Reporting & monitoring tools: Allow users to generate reports and monitor the database for resource consumption and user activity.