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Database Management System

Written by  Piyush Bhartiya, MBA

Published on Mon, February 17, 2020 4:10 PM   Updated on Thu, February 20, 2020 7:42 AM   3 mins read

We, human beings have always felt the urge to store data right from the Stone Age, when we used hieroglyphics and cuneiform script to write. In modern times we use computers to store data.

 A Database is a structure that stores organized information. A system that is created for managing database is as the name suggests called as a Database Management System (DBMS). DBMS is basically software that provides us a systematic way to create, retrieve, update and manage data. It thus allows the user to perform tasks on it easily. Today’s era being the era of data overload, the importance of a good Database Management Software cannot be denied.

Uses:

Whenever we use any application to manage our data, we are essentially taking the services of a Database Management System. They are used in many sectors across many industries. For Example, a school uses DBMS to store data about its students’ personal details, his or her grades, health reports etc.

Banks store their customer data, their transaction records and other types of data as may be required with the help of a Database Management System.

Similarly, a telecom operator manages the data of its customer base, their calls, their data usage pattern etc. with the help of a DBMS.

Big retailers like Amazon also use the services of Database Management System software to manage the data of its customers, keep a stock of their orders, its partner merchants etc.

How do you think Facebook and Google show customized advertisements to you? Their Artificial Intelligence comes in handy only with an effective Database Management System.

DBMS Languages

A Database Management System language is used to store, read and update the data in a DBMS. They are of the following types:

  • Data Definition Language (DDL) – It is used to create tables, indices etc. and stores metadata information like number of tables and schemas, their names, indices etc.
  • Data Manipulation Language (DML) – It is used for accessing and manipulating data in a database.
  • Data Control Language (DCL) – It is used to retrieve the stored data.
  • Transaction Control Language (TCL) – It is used to run the changes made by DML.

Types of DBMS

Database Management Systems can be of two types. The first one is Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS). It is a structured database and quite popular in use. Here the data is stored in rows and columns in tables and each table is provided with a key to avoid duplication.

The other category is Non Structured Query Language (NoSQL). It provides a mechanism of storing data other than tabular forms. They are used in real-time web applications and Big Data, thus are gaining popularity now.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Today, when companies are spending huge amount of money to collect data about their customers, there are certain obvious advantages of DBMS. Their ability to store large amount of information and easy shareability, as also there contribution towards increasing a company’s productivity and its bottom line are just a few of the many advantages that makes an efficient Database Management System lifeline of today’s business. However, with every peak, there is a valley. Certain points should be borne in mind to maintain the usefulness and efficiency of DBMS.

It is important to keep in mind the aspect of data integrity. Certain Database Management Systems are pretty simple in coding. They however may compromise on data integrity. Others may have in-built integrity coded in them but may be difficult to replicate, hence difficult to back up.

About the Author & Expert

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Piyush Bhartiya

Author • MBA • 20 Years

Piyush values education and has studied from the top institutes of IIT Roorkee, IIM Bangalore, KTH Sweden and Tsinghua University in China. Post completing his MBA, he has worked with the world's # 1 consulting firm, The Boston Consulting Group and focused on building sales and marketing verticals for top MNCs and Indian business houses.

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