Chapter 11 - Databases Flashcards
Alphabetic check
In a database, confirms that only textual characters are entered in a field
Artificial intelligence (AI)
The branch of computer science that deals with the attempt to create computers that think like humans
Batch processing
The accumulation of transaction data until a certain point is reached, at which time several transactions are processed at once
Binary large object (BLOB)
Audio clips, video clips, pictures and extremely large documents
Business intelligence (BI)
Systems used to analyze and interpret data in order to enable managers to make informed decisions about how best to run a business
Business intelligence system
Systems used to analyze and interpret data in order to enable managers o make informed decisions about how to best run a business
Caption
A property in a database that enables the field name to display in a more meaningful or readable manner
Clickstream data
Software used on company websites to capture information about each click that users make as they navigate through the site
Completeness check
In a database, ensures that all required fields have been completed
Consistency check
In a database, compares the values of data in two or more fields to see if those values are reasonable
Database
A digital collection of related data that can be stored, sorted, organized and queried
Database administrator
An information technology professional responsible for designing, constructing and maintaining databases
Database management system (DBMS)
A specially designed application software used to create and manage databases
Data centralization
When data is maintained in only one file
Data dictionary
A map of a database that defines the features of the fields in the database
Data inconsistency
Data for a record being different in two different lists
Data integrity
When the data in a database is accurate and reliable
Data mart
Small slices of a data warehouse grouped together and separated from the main body of data in the data warehouse so that related sets of data can be analyzed
Data mining
The process by which great amounts of data are analyzed and investigated with the objective of spotting significant patterns or trends within the data
Data redundancy
Duplicated data in a list
Data staging
The act of formatting data from source databases before fitting it into a data warehouse, consists of three steps: extraction, transformation and storage
Data type
Indicates what type of data can be stored in a field and prevents the wrong type of data from being entered into the field
Data warehouse
A large collection of data that contains and organizes in one place all the data from an organization’s multiple databases
Decision support system (DSS)
A type of business intelligence system designed to help managers develop solutions for specific problems
Default value
The value a database automatically uses for a field unless the user enters another value
Detail report
A report generated by a management information system that provides a list of the transactions that occurred during a certain time period
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system
A business intelligence system that accumulates in a central location all information relevant to running a business and makes it readily available to whoever needs it to make decisions
Exception report
A report generated by a management information system that shows conditions that are unusual or that need attention by system users
Expert system
A system that tries to replicate the decision-making processes of human experts in order to solve specific problems
Field
The component of a database in which the database stores each category of information