Development of Databases and Database Management
The development of databases and database management software is the foundation of modern methods of managing organizational data. The database management approach consolidates data records and objects into databases that can be accessed by different application programs. In addition, an important software package called a database management system (DBMS) serves as a software interface between users and databases. This helps users easily access the records in a database. Thus, database management involves the use of database management software to control how databases are created, interrogated, and maintained to provide information needed by end users and their organizations. Thus, the database management approach involves three basic activities.
1. Updating and maintaining common databases to reflect new business transactions and other events requiring changes to an organization’s record.
2. Providing information needed for each end user’s application by using application programs that share the data in common databases. This sharing of data is supported by the common software interface provided by a database management system package. Thus, end users and programmers do not have to know where or how data is physically stored.
3. Provide an inquiry/response and reporting capability through a DBMS package so that end users can easily interrogate databases, generate reports, and receive quick response to their unplanned requests for information.