Relational Database Fundamentals
- Database – maintains information about various types of objects (inventory), events (transactions), people (employees), and places (warehouses)
- Database models include:
- Hierarchical database model – information is organized into a tree-like structure (using parent/child relationships) in such a way that it cannot have too many relationships
- Network database model – a flexible way of representing objects and their relationships
- Relational database model – stores information in the form of logically related two-dimensional tables
- Entity – a person, place, thing, transaction, or event about which information is stored
- The rows in each table contain the entities
- In Figure 7.1 CUSTOMER includes Dave’s Sub Shop and Pizza Palace entities
- Attributes (fields & columns) - characteristics or properties of an entity class
- The columns in each table contain the attributes
- In Figure 7.1 attributes for CUSTOMER include Customer ID, Customer Name, Contact Name
- Primary keys and foreign keys identify the various entity classes (tables) in the database
- Foreign key – a primary key of one table that appears an attribute in another table and acts to provide a logical relationship among the two tables
- Primary key – a field (or group of fields) that uniquely identifies a given entity in a table
Potential Relational Database for Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Egypt
- Increased flexibility
- Increased scalability and performance
- Reduced information redundancy
- Increased information integrity (quality)
- Increased information security
Database Management Systems (DBMS)
- Database management systems (DBMS) – software through which users and application programs interact with a database
- Data-driven Web sites – an interactive Web site kept constantly updated and relevant to the needs of its customers through the use of a database
- Data Driven Web Site Advantages
- Development
- Content Management
- Future Expandability
- Minimizing Human Error
- Cutting Production and Update Costs
- More Efficient
- Improved Stability
- Data-Driven Business Intelligence
Integrating Information among Multiple Devices
- Integration – allows separate systems to communicate directly with each other
- Forward integration – takes information entered into a given system and sends it automatically to all downstream systems and processes
- Backward integration – takes information entered into a given system and sends it automatically to all upstream systems and processes
- Building a central repository specifically for integrated information
