Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Decision-
Support
Databases
Mass
Deployment
Databases
Production
Databases
•Support business functions
•Online transaction
processing
•Used for analysis, querying,
and reporting
•Generally read-only
•Features include query tools
and custom applications
•Intended for single user
environments
•Workstation versions of
database products
•Usage includes CRUD
activities
•Ease of use important
•Features include report and
application generation
capabilities
•Features include
concurrency, security,
transaction processing,
security
•Data warehouse and OLAP
systems
Figure 1-7
How databases are used.
completed must be 975 units. How can this be a problem? See what can happen in
the execution of the transaction. First, the transaction may not be able to perform
all its tasks because of some malfunction preventing its completion. Second, numer-
ous transactions from different order entry clerks may be simultaneously looking
for inventory of the same product. Database technology enables a transaction to
complete a task in its entirety or back out intermediary data updates in case of mal-
functions preventing completion.
How Databases Are Used
You now realize the use of databases for supporting the core business of an orga-
nization and enabling day-to-day operations. These are production databases that
support the operational systems of an enterprise. More recently, with increasing
demand for information, databases fulfill another important function. Databases
provide support for strategic decision making in an organization. Such decision-
support databases are designed and implemented separately and differently. Pro-
duction databases and decision-support databases are large-scale databases for the
several users within organizations.
Individuals and single departments may also use private databases. For example,
a specialty department may want to send targeted mailings to specific customers
and to keep these customers in a separate database. Individual business analysts
may keep data and research results in a separate database just for their use. These
are mass deployment individual databases.
Figure 1-7 shows the separation of databases by their uses and describes some
of the features.
OVERVIEW OF DATA MODELS
A data model represents the data requirements of an organization. You can
diagrammatically show a data model with symbols and figures. Data for an
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