Database Systems: Lesson 1

Question 1

What is data?

Answer 1

Data is raw facts, it is unprocessed information.

Question 2

What is information?

Answer 2

It is the data processed to reveal meaning.

Question 3

What is the key to making good decisions?

Answer 3

Accurate and relevant information

Question 4

What is a database and what does it store?

Answer 4

It is a very large integrated computer structure that stores end-user data and metadata.

Question 5

What is meta data?

Answer 5

It is data about data

Question 6

What does DBMS stand for?

Answer 6

Database management system

Question 7

List 2 advantages of the DBMS

Answer 7

Users have access to more and better managed data.

Probability of data inconsistency is greatly reduced.

Question 8

List the 5 types of databases

Answer 8

1. single user
2. desktop
3. multi user
4. workgroup
5. enterprise

Question 9

What are the 2 databases that are classified by location?

Answer 9

Centralized and distributed

Question 10

What are the 2 types of databases that are classified by use?

Answer 10

Transactional(production) and data warehouse.

Question 11

List 2 reasons why database design is important

Answer 11

To avoid redundant data and a poorly designed database can cause errors that lead to bad decisions.

Question 12

When converting from manual to computer systems, who should you hire?

Answer 12

Data processing specialist

Question 13

What is structural dependence?

Answer 13

Access a file depends on its structure

Question 14

What is data dependence?

Answer 14

Changes in the data storage characteristics without affecting the application program’s ability to access the data

Question 15

What is logical data format?

Answer 15

How the human being views the data

Question 16

What is physical data format?

Answer 16

How the computer sees the data

Question 17

What is data redundancy?

Answer 17

It exist when the same data is stored unnecessarily at different places.

Question 18

Uncontrolled data redundancy sets a stage for what 3 things?

Answer 18

Data inconsistency, poor data security and data anomalies.

Question 19

What are the 3 different anomalies?

Answer 19

Update anomalies, insertion anomalies and deletion anomalies.

Question 20

A database system is composed out of 5 components, what are they?

Answer 20

Hardware, software, people, procedures and data

Question 21

What are the 5 types of users in a database system

Answer 21

System administrator, database administrator, database designer, system analyst and programmers, end users

Question 22

What are the 9 functions of the DBMS

Answer 22

• -Data dictionary management
• -data storage management
• -data transformation and presentation
• -security management
• -multi-user access control
• -backup and recovery management
• -data integrity management
• -database access languages and application programming interfaces
• -database communication interfaces