Database Reference
In-Depth Information
A
database management system
(DBMS) is a set of programs that allow for the
management of a database. Starting in chapter 2 and extending to subsequent chapters,
we will cover several of the critical functions of a DBMS. Some of the more obvious ones
are the following:
•
Data definition (relation, dependencies, integrity constraints,
views, etc.)
•
Data manipulation (adding, updating, deleting, retrieving,
reorganizing, and aggregating data)
•
Data security and integrity checks
•
Programming language support
Components of a DBS include:
•
Hardware and operating system
•
DBMS
•
Database
•
Related software systems and/or applications
•
End users
End users communicate with the software systems/applications, which in turn,
communicate (through the programming interface) with the DBMS. The DBMS
communicates with the operating system (which in turn communicates with the
hardware) to store data in and/or extract data from the database. Figure
1-1
illustrates.
Figure 1-1.
Simplified Representation of a DBS
