Chapter 4 - CS3 - Databases

Question 1

What is the difference between data, information, and knowledge?

Answer 1

Data is raw bits and pieces
If you add CONTEXT > data becomes information
If you aggregate and analyze the information > information becomes knowledge (can be used to make decisions)

Question 2

What are the characteristics of a relational database?

Answer 2

In a relational database, every table should have a field in common with at least one other table so that they’re all connected
Microsoft Access, MySQL, Oracle

Question 3

What is DBMS?

Answer 3

Database Management Systems (DBMS) = software application that you use to create a database, change a database’s structure, or simply do analysis.

Question 4

Describe what the term normalization means.

Answer 4

In simple terms, to normalize a database means to design it in a way that:

1) reduces duplication of data between tables and
2) gives the table as much flexibility as possible

Question 5

Why is it important to define the data type of a field when designing a relational database?

Answer 5

Data type dictates what functions can be performed on the data and determines the amount of storage space allocated to the data

Question 6

What is metadata?

Answer 6

Data about the data

For example, in a music file, the metadata would be length of the song, the artist name, file size, album art

Question 7

What is data mining?

Answer 7

Process of analyzing data to find trends to make decisions

Question 8

What’s the point of a data warehouse?

Answer 8

Extract data from an “active” company database & load it into the data warehouse to analyze it (so you don’t mess w/ the company’s operations)

Question 9

What is a primary key? Can you change a record’s primary key field?

Answer 9

The unique identifier for each report and it must be selected for each table
No - if the field changes for the record, you have to delete and re-insert the record

Question 10

What’s the point of a data warehouse?

Answer 10

Extract data from an “active” company database and load it into the data warehouse to analyze it (so you don’t mess w/ the company’s operations)

Question 11

What is business intelligence?

Answer 11

Collecting data (internally and sometimes external data from data brokers) and analyzing it to gain a competitive advantage