0. General Terminology Flashcards
A database is a…
collection of related data
A database system is a…
database and database software together.
A database management system (DBMS) is a…
computerized system that enables users to create and maintain a database.
What is in an information system?
A set of components (hardware and/or software) for collecting, creating, storing, processing, and distributing information.
Database design involves….
the organisation of data according to a database model.
A data model refers to…
a collection of concepts that can be used to describe the structure of a database.
A schema is…
A description of a database, including the attribute names for each table.
When is a schema normally made or changed?
It is specified during database design and is not expected to change frequently after that.
What is an instance?
Each table of information stored on the database at any one time is an instance.
The set of instances (aka occurrences) forms a snapshot.
The data in the database at a particular moment in time is called a
database state or snapshot.
NB: It is also called the current set of occurrences or instances in the database.
