Chapter 1

File Systems and Databases

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Prof. Sin-Min Lee
Dept. of Computer Science
 Introducing the Database
Major Database Concepts
 Data and information

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
Data - Raw facts
Information - Processed data

 Data management
 Database

 Metadata

 Database management system (DBMS)

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 Sales per Employee for Each of ROBCOR’S Two Divisions

Figure 1.1
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 Introducing the Database
 Importance of DBMS
 It helps make data management more efficient

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and effective.
 Its query language allows quick answers to ad
hoc queries.
 It provides end users better access to more and
better-managed data.
 It promotes an integrated view of organization’s
operations -- “big picture.”
 It reduces the probability of inconsistent data.
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 The DBMS Manages the Interaction
Between the End User and the Database

Figure 1.2
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 Introducing the Database
 Why Database Design Is Important?
 A well-designed database facilitates data

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management and becomes a valuable information
generator.
A poorly designed database is a breeding ground
for uncontrolled data redundancies.
 A poorly designed database generates errors that
lead to bad decisions.
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 Historical Roots
 Why Study File Systems?
 It provides historical perspective.

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
It teaches lessons to avoid pitfalls of data
management.
Its simple characteristics facilitate understanding
of the design complexity of a database.
 It provides useful knowledge for converting a file
system to a database system.
 Contents of the CUSTOMER File

Figure 1.3
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 Table 1.1 Basic File Terminology
Data “Raw” facts that have little meaning unless they have been
organized in some logical manner. The smallest piece of data
that can be “recognized” by the computer is a single
character, such as the letter A, the number 5, or some
symbol such as; ‘ ? > * +. A single character requires one

1 Field
byte of computer storage.
A character or group of characters (alphabetic or numeric)
that has a specific meaning. A field might define a telephone
numbers, a birth date, a customer name, a year-to-date
(YTD) sales value, and so on.
Record A logically connected set of one or more fields that describes
a person, place, or thing. For example, the fields that
comprise a record for a customer named J. D. Rudd might
consist of J. D. Rudd’s name, address, phone number, date
of birth, credit limit, unpaid balance, and so on.
File A collection of related records. For example, a file might
contain data about ROBCOR Company’s vendors; or, a file
might contain the records for the students currently enrolled
at Gigantic University.
 Contents of the AGENT File

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Figure 1.4
 A Simple File System

Figure 1.5
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 File System Critique
 File System Data Management
 File systems require extensive programming in a

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third-generation language (3GL).
As the number of files expands, system
administration becomes difficult.
 Making changes in existing file structures is
important and difficult.
 Security features to safeguard data are difficult to
program and usually omitted.
 Difficulty to pool data creates islands of
information.
 File System Critique
 Structural and Data Dependence
 Structural Dependence
A change in any file’s structure requires the

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modification of all programs using that file.
Data Dependence
A change in any file’s data characteristics requires
changes in all data access programs.
 Significance of data dependence is the difference
between the data logical format and the data
physical format.
 Data dependence makes file systems extremely
cumbersome from a programming and data
management point of view.
 File System Critique
 Field Definitions and Naming Conventions
 A good (flexible) record definition anticipates
reporting requirements by breaking up fields into

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 Example:
– Customer Name  Last Name, First Name, Initial
– Customer Address  Street Address, City, State
FIELD CONTENTS
CUS_LNAME Customer last name
CUS_FNAME Customer first name
CUS_INITIAL Customer initial
CUS_AREACODE Customer area code
CUS_PHONE Customer phone
CUS_ADDRESS Customer street address or box number
CUS_CITY Customer city
CUS_STATE Customer state
 File System Critique
 Field Definitions and Naming Conventions
 Selecting proper field names is very important.

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Names must be as descriptive as possible within
restrictions.
Naming must reflect designer’s documentation needs
and user’s reporting and processing requirements.
 File System Critique
 Data Redundancy:
Uncontrolled data redundancy sets the
stage for

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
Data Inconsistency (lack of data integrity)
Data anomalies
 Modification anomalies
 Insertion anomalies
 Deletion anomalies
 Figure 1.6

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 The Database System Environment

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Figure 1.7

Figure 1.7
 Database Systems
 The Database System Components
 Hardware

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


Computer
Peripherals

Software
 Operating systems software
 DBMS software
 Applications programs and utilities software
 Database Systems
 The Database System Components
 People
 Systems administrators

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Database administrators (DBAs)
Database designers
Systems analysts and programmers
End users

 Procedures
 Instructions and rules that govern the design and use of
the database system

 Data
 Collection of facts stored in the database
 Database Systems
 The Database System Components
 The complexity of database systems depends on
various organizational factors:

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Organization’s size
Organization’s function
Organization’s corporate culture
 Organizational activities and environment

 Database solutions must be cost effective AND

strategically effective.
 Database Systems
 Types of Database Systems
 Number of Users
 Single-user

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– Desktop database
Multiuser
– Workgroup database
– Enterprise database
 Scope
 Desktop
 Workgroup
 Enterprise
 Database Systems
 Types of Database Systems
 Location

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

Use
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Centralized
Distributed

Transactional (Production)
 Decision support
 Data warehouse
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