Fundamentals of Information
Systems, Sixth Edition
Chapter 3
Database Systems, Data Centers,
and Business Intelligence
Principles and Learning Objectives
Data management and modeling are key aspects
of organizing data and information
Define general data management concepts and
terms, highlighting the advantages of the database
approach to data management
Describe logical and physical database design
considerations, the function of data centers, and the
relational database model
Fundamentals of Information Systems, Sixth Edition
Principles and Learning Objectives
(continued)
A well-designed and well-managed database is an
extremely valuable tool in supporting decision
making
Identify the common functions performed by all
database management systems, and identify
popular database management systems
The number and types of database applications will
continue to evolve and yield real business benefits
Identify and briefly discuss business intelligence,
data mining, and other database applications
Fundamentals of Information Systems, Sixth Edition
Why Learn About Database Systems,
Data Centers, and Business
Intelligence?
Database:
Organized collection of data
Database management system (DBMS):
Group of programs that manipulate the database
Provide an interface between the database and its
users and other application programs
Database administrator (DBA):
Skilled IS professional who directs all activities
related to an organizations database
Fundamentals of Information Systems, Sixth Edition
Data Management
Without data and the ability to process the data:
An organization could not successfully complete
most business activities
Data consists of raw facts
To transform data into useful information:
It must first be organized in a meaningful way
Fundamentals of Information Systems, Sixth Edition
The Hierarchy of Data
Bit (a binary digit):
Circuit that is either on or off
Byte:
Typically made up of eight bits
Character:
Basic building block of information
Field:
Name, number, or combination of characters that
describes an aspect of a business object or activity
Fundamentals of Information Systems, Sixth Edition
The Hierarchy of Data (continued)
Record:
Collection of related data fields
File:
Collection of related records
Database:
Collection of integrated and related files
Hierarchy of data:
Bits, characters, fields, records, files, and databases
Fundamentals of Information Systems, Sixth Edition
Fundamentals of Information Systems, Sixth Edition
Data Entities, Attributes, and Keys
Entity:
General class of people, places, or things (objects)
for which data is collected, stored, and maintained
Attribute:
Characteristic of an entity
Data item:
Specific value of an attribute
Fundamentals of Information Systems, Sixth Edition
Data Entities, Attributes, and Keys
(continued)
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10
Data Entities, Attributes, and Keys
(continued)
Key:
Field or set of fields in a record that is used to
identify the record
Primary key:
Field or set of fields that uniquely identifies the
record
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11
The Database Approach
Traditional approach to data management:
Each distinct operational system used data files
dedicated to that system
Database approach to data management:
Pool of related data is shared by multiple application
programs
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12
The Database Approach (continued)
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14
The Database Approach (continued)
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15
Data Modeling and Database
Characteristics
When building a database, an organization must
consider:
Content: What data should be collected and at what
cost?
Access: What data should be provided to which
users and when?
Logical structure: How should data be arranged so
that it makes sense to a given user?
Physical organization: Where should data be
physically located?
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16
Data Center
Climate-controlled building or set of buildings that:
Houses database servers and the systems that
deliver mission-critical information and services
Traditional data centers:
Consist of warehouses filled with row upon row of
server racks and powerful cooling systems
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17
Data Modeling
Building a database requires two types of designs:
Logical design:
Abstract model of how data should be structured and
arranged to meet an organizations information needs
Physical design:
Starts from the logical database design and fine-tunes
it for performance and cost considerations
Planned data redundancy:
Done to improve system performance so that user
reports or queries can be created more quickly
Fundamentals of Information Systems, Sixth Edition
18
Data Modeling (continued)
Data model:
Diagram of data entities and their relationships
Enterprise data modeling:
Starts by investigating the general data and
information needs of the organization at the strategic
level
Entity-relationship (ER) diagrams:
Data models that use basic graphical symbols to
show the organization of and relationships between
data
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20
The Relational Database Model
Relational model:
Describes data using a standard tabular format
Each row of a table represents a data entity (record)
Columns of the table represent attributes (fields)
Domain:
Allowable values for data attributes
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Fundamentals of Information Systems, Sixth Edition
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The Relational Database Model
(continued)
Manipulating data:
Selecting:
Eliminates rows according to certain criteria
Projecting:
Eliminates columns in a table
Joining:
Combines two or more tables
Linking:
Manipulating two or more tables that share at least
one common data attribute
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The Relational Database Model
(continued)
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The Relational Database Model
(continued)
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25
Database Management Systems
Creating and implementing the right database
system:
Ensures that the database will support both business
activities and goals
Capabilities and types of database systems vary
considerably
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26
Overview of Database Types
Flat file:
Simple database program whose records have no
relationship to one another
Single user:
Only one person can use the database at a time
Examples: Access, FileMaker Pro, and InfoPath
Multiple users:
Allow dozens or hundreds of people to access the
same database system at the same time
Examples: Oracle, Sybase, and IBM
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27
Providing a User View
Schema:
Used to describe the entire database
Can be part of the database or a separate schema
file
DBMS:
Can reference a schema to find where to access the
requested data in relation to another piece of data
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Creating and Modifying the Database
Data definition language (DDL):
Collection of instructions and commands used to
define and describe data and relationships in a
specific database
Allows databases creator to describe data and
relationships that are to be contained in the schema
Data dictionary:
Detailed description of all the data used in the
database
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Creating and Modifying the Database
(continued)
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Creating and Modifying the Database
(continued)
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31
Storing and Retrieving Data
When an application program needs data:
It requests the data through the DBMS
Concurrency control:
Method of dealing with a situation in which two or
more users or applications need to access the same
record at the same time
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Storing and Retrieving Data
(continued)
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33
Manipulating Data and Generating
Reports
Data manipulation language (DML):
Commands that manipulate the data in a database
Structured Query Language (SQL):
Adopted by the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) as the standard query language for
relational databases
Once a database has been set up and loaded with
data:
It can produce reports, documents, and other
outputs
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34
Database Administration
DBA:
Works with users to decide the content of the
database
Works with programmers as they build applications
to ensure that their programs comply with database
management system standards and conventions
Data administrator:
Responsible for defining and implementing
consistent principles for a variety of data issues
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35
Popular Database Management
Systems
Popular DBMSs for end users:
Microsofts Access and FileMaker Pro
Database as a Service (DaaS):
Emerging database system
Database administration is provided by the service
provider
The database is stored on a service providers
servers and accessed by the client over a network
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36
Special-Purpose Database Systems
Some specialized database packages are used for
specific purposes or in specific industries
Rex-Book from Urbanspoon
Morphbank (www.morphbank.net):
Allows researchers to continually update and expand
a library of over 96,000 biological images
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Selecting a Database Management
System
Important characteristics of databases to consider:
Database size
Database cost
Concurrent users
Performance
Integration
Vendor
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Using Databases with Other Software
DBMSs can act as front-end or back-end
applications:
Front-end applications interact directly with people
Back-end applications interact with other programs
or applications
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Database Applications
Todays database applications manipulate the
content of a database to produce useful information
Common manipulations:
Searching, filtering, synthesizing, and assimilating
data contained in a database using a number of
database applications
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Linking Databases to the Internet
Semantic Web:
Developing a seamless integration of traditional
databases with the Internet
Provides metadata with all Web content using
technology called the Resource Description
Framework (RDF)
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41
Data Warehouses, Data Marts, and
Data Mining
Data warehouse:
Database that holds business information from many
sources in the enterprise
Data mart:
Subset of a data warehouse
Data mining:
Information-analysis tool that involves the automated
discovery of patterns and relationships in a data
warehouse
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Data Warehouses, Data Marts, and
Data Mining (continued)
Predictive analysis:
Form of data mining that combines historical data
with assumptions about future conditions to predict
outcomes of events
Used by retailers to upgrade occasional customers
into frequent purchasers
Software can be used to analyze a companys
customer list and a years worth of sales data to find
new market segments
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Data Warehouses, Data Marts, and
Data Mining (continued)
Fundamentals of Information Systems, Sixth Edition
45
Business Intelligence
Involves gathering enough of the right information:
In a timely manner and usable form and analyzing it
to have a positive impact on business strategy,
tactics, or operations
Competitive intelligence:
Limited to information about competitors and the
ways that knowledge affects strategy, tactics, and
operations
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46
Business Intelligence (continued)
Counterintelligence:
Steps organization takes to protect information
sought by hostile intelligence gatherers
Data loss prevention (DLP):
Refers to systems designed to lock down data within
an organization
Powerful tool for counterintelligence
A necessity in complying with government
regulations that require companies to safeguard
private customer data
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Distributed Databases
Distributed database:
Database in which the data may be spread across
several smaller databases connected via
telecommunications devices
Gives corporations more flexibility in how databases
are organized and used
Replicated database:
Holds a duplicate set of frequently used data
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Distributed Databases (continued)
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Online Analytical Processing (OLAP)
Software that allows users to explore data from a
number of different perspectives
Provides top-down, query-driven data analysis
Requires repetitive testing of user-originated
theories
Requires a great deal of human ingenuity and
interaction with the database to find information
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Online Analytical Processing (OLAP)
(continued)
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Object-Relational Database
Management Systems
Object-oriented database:
Stores both data and its processing instructions
Uses an object-oriented database management
system (OODBMS) to provide a user interface and
connections to other programs
Object-relational database management system
(ORDBMS):
Provides the ability for third parties to add new data
types and operations to the database
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Visual, Audio, and Other Database
Systems
Visual databases:
Can be stored in some object-relational databases
or special-purpose database systems
Virtual database systems:
Allow different databases to work together as a
unified database system
Spatial data technology:
Using database to store and access data according
to the locations it describes
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Summary
Data:
One of the most valuable resources that a firm
possesses
Entity:
Generalized class of objects for which data is
collected, stored, and maintained
Traditional file-oriented applications:
Often characterized by program-data dependence
Relational model:
Places data in two-dimensional tables
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Summary (continued)
DBMS:
Group of programs used as an interface between a
database and its users and other application
programs
Basic functions:
Providing user views
Creating and modifying the database
Storing and retrieving data
Manipulating data and generating reports
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Summary (continued)
Data warehouses:
Relational database management systems
specifically designed to support management
decision making
Data mining:
Automated discovery of patterns and relationships in
a data warehouse
Business intelligence:
Process of getting enough of the right information in
a timely manner and usable form
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