Essay on Databases

A database is an automated record keeping system. More completely, it is a system connecting data, the hardware that physically stores that data, the software that utilizes the hardware's file system in order to store the data and provide a standardized method for retrieving or changing the data, and finally, the users who turn the data into information.

Databases, another creature of the 60s, were created to solve the problems with file-oriented systems in that they were compact, fast, easy to use, current, accurate, allowed the easy sharing of data between multiple users, and were secure. A database might be as complex and demanding as an account tracking system used by a bank to manage the constantly changing accounts of thousands of bank customers, or it could be as simple as a collection of electronic business cards on your laptop. The important thing is that a database allows you to store data and get it or modify it when you need to easily and efficiently regardless of the amount of data being manipulated. What the data is and how demanding you will be when retrieving and modifying that data is simply a matter of scale.

Traditionally, databases ran on large, powerful mainframes for business applications. You will probably have heard of such packages as Oracle 8 or Sybase SQL Server for example. However with the advent of small, powerful personal computers, databases have become more readily usable by the average computer user. Microsoft's Access is a popular PC-based engine. Databases are used in many applications, spanning virtually the entire range of computer software. Databases are the preferred method of storage for large multi-user applications, where coordination between many users is needed. Even individual users find them convenient, though, and many electronic mail programs and personal organizers are based on standard database technology......................

ESSAYS ON TECHNOLOGY