Information Management Flashcards
What is a database?
An organized collection of logically related data.
What does data represent?
Stored representations of objects and events with meaning and importance.
How is information defined?
Data that has been processed to increase knowledge.
What is metadata?
Data that describes the properties or characteristics of end-user data.
What is a traditional file processing system?
A system where each application has its own private files, leading to data redundancy and limited sharing.
What is the database approach?
A centralized approach to managing data, overcoming the limitations of traditional file processing.
What is a Database Management System (DBMS)?
Software that enables the use of a database approach.
What is an entity in a database context?
A person, place, object, event, or concept in the business environment for which information must be recorded.
What is an attribute?
A data item describing an entity.
What defines a relationship in a database?
The connection between entities.
What is a relational database?
A database that establishes relationships between entities using common fields in a relation.
What is data independence?
The separation of data descriptions from the application programs.
What does data consistency ensure?
That data is accurate and consistent across the database.
What is data sharing?
The ability to share data among multiple applications.
What is a user view?
A logical description of a portion of the database required by a user.
What is a constraint in a database?
A rule that cannot be violated by database users to maintain data integrity.
What is a legacy system?
Older applications based on file processing or older database technology.
What is an enterprise application database?
A database designed to support organization-wide operations.
What is one advantage of the database approach?
Program-data independence.
How does the database approach improve data consistency?
By ensuring that data is accurate and consistent across the database.
What is one benefit of improved data sharing?
Increased productivity of application development.
What does enforcement of standards in a database approach lead to?
Improved data quality.
What are some advantages of the database approach?
Improved data accessibility and responsiveness, reduced program maintenance, and improved decision support.
What are some costs and risks associated with the database approach?
New and specialized personnel, installation and management costs, conversion costs, need for explicit backup and recovery, and organizational conflict.
What are the components of a database environment?
Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools, repository, Database Management System (DBMS), database, application programs, user interface, data and database administrators, system developers, and end users.
What types of databases are included in the range of database applications?
Personal databases, two-tier client/server databases, multitier client/server databases, and enterprise applications.
What is a key limitation of conventional file processing systems?
They lack the advantages provided by database systems, such as improved data accessibility and decision support.
What is the role of data and database administrators?
To manage and maintain the database environment and ensure data integrity and security.
What is the significance of explicit backup and recovery in database management?
To protect data from loss and ensure data availability in case of failures.
What are the differences between external, conceptual, and internal schemas?
External schema defines how users view data, conceptual schema defines the logical structure of the entire database, and internal schema defines how data is physically stored.
What are Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems?
Comprehensive business management software that integrates various functions of an organization.
What functions do ERP systems integrate?
Manufacturing, sales, finance, marketing, inventory, accounting, and human resources.
What is the purpose of data warehouses?
To collect data from different operational databases and analyze historical data for decision-making.
What are personal databases used for?
To manage personal information such as contacts, calendars, and finances.
What distinguishes two-tier client/server databases?
They have a simple architecture with a client and a server.
What is a key feature of multitier client/server databases?
They have a complex architecture with multiple layers (e.g., presentation, application, data).
What is the hierarchical database model?
A model where data is organized in a tree-like structure with parent-child relationships.
What does the relational database model represent?
Data as tables with rows and columns, using relationships between tables.
Who introduced the relational database model?
E.F. Codd in the 1970s.
What is the object-oriented database model suitable for?
Storing complex data types such as multimedia.
What is the purpose of multidimensional database models?
Designed for data analysis, often used in data warehousing and business intelligence applications.
What database model emerged in the late 1980s to handle complex data like multimedia files?
Object-Oriented Database Model.
What is the purpose of the Multidimensional Database Model?
Designed for data analysis and visualization, often used in data warehousing and business intelligence applications.
What structured approach does database development typically follow?
Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
What is the first phase of the SDLC in database development?
Planning.
What activity is involved in the Planning phase of the SDLC?
Enterprise Modeling and Conceptual Data Modeling.
What is created during the Analysis phase of the SDLC?
A detailed data model, including entities, attributes, and relationships.
What does the Design phase of the SDLC involve?
Logical Database Design and Physical Database Design and Definition.
What is the focus of the Implementation phase in database development?
Writing, testing, and installing database programs and scripts.
What is the purpose of the Maintenance phase in database development?
To modify the database structure to accommodate changing business needs.
What is Rapid Application Development (RAD)?
An iterative process with rapid analysis, design, and implementation cycles.
What is the goal of Prototyping in database development?
To create a working prototype and refine it through user feedback.
What does Agile Software Development emphasize?
Flexibility, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
What are the three components of the Three-Schema Architecture?
External Schema, Conceptual Schema, and Internal Schema.
What does the External Schema represent in the Three-Schema Architecture?
User views of the data.
What does the Conceptual Schema provide in the Three-Schema Architecture?
A comprehensive definition of the enterprise’s data.
What does the Internal Schema represent in the Three-Schema Architecture?
The logical and physical representation of the data.
Who are the key professionals involved in a database development project?
Business analysts, systems analysts, database analysts, users, programmers, database architects, data administrators, project managers, and other technical experts.
What is a major risk related to data quality in database development?
Inaccurate, incomplete, or inconsistent data.
What performance problem can occur during database development?
Slow query execution or system crashes.
What type of risk involves unauthorized access to sensitive data?
Security breaches.
What can lead to cost overruns in a database development project?
Exceeding the budgeted costs.
What is a common issue that can cause schedule delays in database projects?
Not meeting project deadlines.
What can lead to user dissatisfaction in database development?
Failure to meet user requirements.
What are technical challenges in database development?
Difficulties with hardware, software, or database technologies.
What is a risk management strategy that involves identifying potential risks?
Conducting a risk assessment.
What should be done to reduce the likelihood or impact of identified risks?
Develop risk mitigation plans.
Why is user involvement crucial in information systems success?
For understanding requirements and ensuring satisfaction.
What is essential for successful development in a project?
Effective teamwork and communication among project team members.
What role does leadership play in project development?
Strong leadership from project managers and key stakeholders is necessary to guide the project and make critical decisions.
What should team members possess to carry out their roles effectively?
Necessary skills and expertise.
How does motivation affect project outcomes?
A motivated and committed team is more likely to achieve project goals.
What type of organizational culture facilitates successful projects?
A supportive organizational culture that values innovation and collaboration.
What is needed to address the impact of new systems on employees?
Effective change management strategies.
What is an information system?
A collection of people, data, processes, interfaces, and technology that work together to produce information supporting workflows and decision making.
Why is understanding information systems important in information management?
It helps in effectively managing data and processes within an organization.
What are the major components of an information system?
People, data, processes, interfaces, and technology.
How do information technology and telecommunication technology differ?
They are both major components of an information system but serve different functions.
What are the main components of an information system?
People, processes, data, interfaces, and technology.
What does ‘data’ refer to in an information system?
Facts and statistics collected for reference or analysis.
What role do ‘processes’ play in an information system?
They are the actions performed on data by the information system.
What is the function of ‘interfaces’ in an information system?
Software that enables users to interact with the system.
Who are considered ‘people’ in the context of an information system?
The users of the information system.
What does ‘technology’ encompass in an information system?
The hardware, software, and telecommunications components that make up the system.
What is information technology (IT)?
The combination of hardware, software, telecommunications, and data management facilities that enable information systems.
What are the physical components of an information system referred to as?
Hardware.
What is the role of software in an information system?
Programs that control the hardware and perform specific tasks.
What does telecommunications refer to in an information system?
The technology used to transmit data over networks.
What is the pioneering relational database system known for reliability, performance, and security?
Oracle Database.
Which database is dominant for Windows servers and offers strong integration with Microsoft products?
Microsoft SQL Server.
What is IBM DB2 known for?
A powerful database for various platforms, competing directly with Oracle at a lower cost.
Which database is seeing a resurgence in next-generation transaction processing?
SAP Sybase ASE.
What type of database is PostgreSQL?
An open-source object-relational database management system (ORDBMS).
What is MariaDB Enterprise a fork of?
MySQL.
How did MySQL evolve in the database market?
From a niche database to a major contender powering commercial websites and internal enterprise applications.
What is Teradata known for?
Being a pioneer in data warehousing solutions.
What does Informix offer?
A range of database options catering to various needs from entry-level to enterprise.
What is Ingres known for in the context of enterprise databases?
Being an open-source project that focuses on choice and lowering total cost of ownership.
What does Amazon SimpleDB highlight in the database landscape?
The growing role of cloud-based database solutions.
What factors should be considered when selecting an enterprise database?
Scalability, security, platform compatibility, and cost.
What is the significance of data modeling in system development?
It is crucial for defining data structures and relationships, ensuring effective data management.
What are business rules?
Policies, procedures, events, functions, and other objects that define constraints on an organization.
Why is data modeling considered the most important part of the systems development process?
It helps in understanding data requirements and relationships, which is essential for effective system design.
What types of relationships can be identified in data modeling?
Unary, binary, and ternary relationships.
What is the purpose of converting many-to-many relationships in data modeling?
To create associative entity relationships for better data organization.
What is the role of time stamps in data modeling?
They are used to create diagrams for time-dependent data and relationships.
Why are data characteristics crucial for system design?
The data captured during data modeling influences the design of databases, programs, and other system components.
What aspect of information systems presents the greatest challenges?
Data, rather than processes.
How does data stability compare to processes?
Data tends to be more consistent and less subject to change than business processes.
What is an Entity-Relationship (E-R) model?
A detailed, logical representation of an organization’s data consisting of entities, relationships, and attributes.
What does an E-R diagram represent?
A graphical representation of an E-R model.
What is an entity in the context of an E-R model?
A person, place, object, event, or concept about which the organization wants to maintain data.
What is the difference between an entity type and an entity instance?
An entity type is a collection of entities with common properties, while an entity instance is a single occurrence of an entity type.
What are required vs. optional attributes?
Required attributes must be present for each entity instance, while optional attributes may or may not have a value.
What is the difference between simple and composite attributes?
Simple attributes cannot be broken down into smaller components, while composite attributes have meaningful component parts.
What distinguishes single-valued attributes from multivalued attributes?
Single-valued attributes have only one value per entity instance, while multivalued attributes can have multiple values.
What is the difference between stored and derived attributes?
Stored attributes are directly stored in the database, while derived attributes are calculated from other attributes.
What is an identifier attribute?
An attribute that uniquely identifies each instance of an entity type.
What is a composite identifier?
An identifier composed of multiple attributes.
What is a relationship in an E-R model?
An association between entities.
What is a relationship type?
A category of relationship between entity types.
What is a relationship instance?
An association between specific entity instances.
Can attributes be associated with relationships?
Yes, attributes can be associated with relationships to capture additional information.
What is an associative entity?
An entity type that associates instances of other entity types and contains attributes specific to the relationship.
What does the degree of a relationship refer to?
The number of entity types involved in a relationship (unary, binary, ternary).
What are cardinality constraints?
They specify the minimum and maximum number of instances of one entity that can be associated with an instance of another entity.
What is a time stamp in data modeling?
A time value associated with a data value to capture its history.
How can time-dependent relationships be modeled?
Using time stamps and additional entities.
Why might organizations have multiple relationships between the same entity types?
To represent different types of interactions or associations.
What are the characteristics of meaningful data names?
They should be meaningful, unique, readable, repeatable, and follow a standard syntax.
What should entity names be like?
Singular nouns, specific to the organization, concise, and consistent across diagrams.
What are the requirements for attribute names?
They should be singular nouns or noun phrases, unique, and follow a standard format.
What should relationship names consist of?
Verb phrases that are descriptive and avoid vague terms.
What should be clearly defined for attributes?
Their data types, whether they are required or optional, and any constraints or relationships with other attributes.
