OVERVIEW OF MAJOR COMPONENTS - Database Design and Development: An Essential Guide for IT Professionals - page 38

Practitioners

Users

Application Interfaces

Procedures

Application
Software

Query/Reporting
Front-End Tools

Data
Repository

Data
Dictionary

DBMS

Systems
Software

Hardware

Figure 2-2 Database environment: overall architecture.

Systems software. Includes the operating system, network operating system, and
utility programs that are needed to support and work with the DBMS.

Hardware. Comprises the processors, storage devices, and network connections.
Hardware is part of the underlying infrastructure.

Application software. Suite of application programs to perform various business
processes of the organization by making use of the database. The application
programs provide users with interfaces to the database.

Front-end tools. These are query tools, report writers, and other front-end tools that
supplement the application programs for data access and usage.

Procedures. Relate to instructions and guidelines for use by database practitioners
and end users. These are needed to streamline the operations in the database
environment.

Application interfaces. These include hardware and software components at the
client workstation to connect to the database through application programs, query
tools, or report writers.

Practitioners. Nothing happens in the database environment until database
practitioners perform their various functions and responsibilities. Database
practitioners include data administrators, database administrators, analysts, and
programmers.