Database Reference
In-Depth Information
• Tables of user data
• Metadata
• Indexes
• Stored procedures
• Triggers
• Security data
• Backup/recovery data
Discussed in
Chapters 7, 10, 10A, 10B, 10C
Discussed in
Chapters 9, 10, 10A, 10B, 10C
Figure 1-14
Database Elements
to save database data to backup devices as well as to recover the database data when needed.
You will learn more about security and backup and recovery data in Chapters 9, 10, 10A, 10B
and 10C.
We can divide database systems and DBMS products into two classes: personal database sys-
tems and enterprise-class database systems.
What Is Microsoft access?
We need to clear up a common misconception: Microsoft Access is
not
just a DBMS. Rather,
it is a
personal database system
: a DBMS
plus
an application generator. Although Microsoft
Access contains a DBMS engine that creates, processes, and administers the database, it also
contains form, report, and query components that are the Microsoft Access application gen-
erator. The components of Microsoft Access are shown in Figure 1-15, which illustrates that
the Microsoft Access form, report, and query applications create SQL statements and then
pass them to the DBMS for processing.
Microsoft Access is a low-end product intended for individuals and small workgroups.
As such, Microsoft has done all that it can to hide the underlying database technology from
the user. Users interact with the application through data entry forms like the one shown in
Figure 1-9. They also request reports and perform queries against the database data. Microsoft
Access then processes the forms, produces the reports, and runs the queries. Internally, the
Figure 1-15
Components of a
Microsoft access
Database System
Microsoft Access
Form-Processing
Application
Data Entry Forms
S
Q
L
Report-Generator
Application
Database
DBMS
Reports
Users
Queries
Query-Processing
Application
The DBMS can be the
native Microsoft Access
Access Database Engine
(ADE) or Microsoft SQL Server.
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