Database Management System: Components, Types, Architecture, & More
Data is overflowing at an exponential rate. Data management systems help organizations and businesses organize their data into meaningful databases. As such, DBMS was introduced in the early 1960s. The first DBMS was Bachmen’s Integrated Data Store (IDS). From the development of simple navigation systems DBMS to relational SQL and object-oriented databases to cloud DBMS, it shows how database management has improved over the years.
This blog will comprehensively cover database management systems, their functions, types, components, advantages, and architecture.
What is a Database Management System?
A database management system (DBMS) is software installed on a system or network of computers to create and manage databases. It is one of the most common data management platforms which allows users to build, modify, manipulate, and delete databases according to their needs.
The DBMS maintains the database’s organization, accessibility, and overall data integrity. In a nutshell, the primary function of a DBMS is to provide a user interface for manipulating data from the database.
What Functions Does the DBMS Perform?
Let’s briefly discuss the functions of the DBMS.
- The main responsibility of a DBMS is to manage databases.
- It has a database engine that enables the storing, accessing, locking, and altering of data.
- It has a database schema that describes and sets the logical structure of the database.
- It also performs database administration tasks like backup and recovery of databases, data security, data modification management, and more.
- It enables the centralized viewing of data by users in multiple locations.
- It can control data accessibility to ensure data integrity and protection by limiting what data end users can access and view.
- It offers data independence in logical and physical forms, preventing users and applications from needing knowledge about storage locations or alterations in the data structure.
- It offers application programming interfaces (APIs) for programmers to maintain compatibility with their software, avoiding adjustments to database changes. These interfaces act as a bridge, ensuring programs remain compatible despite evolving database structures. For example, SQL is an API for a relational database management system.
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Components of DBMS
A database management system has several components that manage the environment for storing, creating, modifying, and deleting data from a database. These components include:
Hardware
It is the physical infrastructure required to operate on a DBMS and support the visibility of the database. It includes monitors, scanners, printers, storage devices, etc. The DBMS utilizes hardware to store, access, and update databases, allowing users to share large amounts of data.
The database can be run on various systems, from microcomputers to mainframe computers, and provides an interface between the real world and the database.
Software
Software is the primary component of a database management system (DBMS), consisting of programs and procedures that instruct a computer about its operation and performance. It includes the network and operating systems, as well as database software that accesses and executes databases.
Database software can understand the database access language, convert it to real commands, and execute the database. It is the basis for the physical database, providing an easy user interface to store, update, and delete data. Examples of DBMS software include MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server, Microsoft Access, etc.
Data
Data refers to the collection of raw facts stored in a database that generates meaningful information. The database can store various forms of data, including structural, non-structural, and logical data.
The database is the structure of the database management system (DBMS), which allows for creation, construction, access, and updating. Data is the most important part of a DBMS, as it contains actual data and metadata, which refers to data about data. Metadata includes information about the data, such as its size, name, and user-related information.
Procedures
Procedures are general instructions for using a DBMS, including setting up, installing, logging in and out, managing, taking backups of data, and generating reports. They help validate data, control access, and reduce traffic between servers and clients.
The main purpose of a procedure is to guide users during database management and operation. Database procedures are similar to database functions, but the main difference is that the database function acts as the SQL statement, while the database procedure is invoked using the CALL statement of the DBMS.
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Database Access Language
It is a simple language that enables users to write commands to access, insert, and delete data stored in a database. It allows users to create new databases and tables, insert data into them, and delete data from them.
Examples of database languages include SQL, My Access, and Oracle. Each database language is made up of two languages containing commands: Data Manipulation Language (DML) and Data Definition Language (DDL).
Optimization Engine and Query Processor
An optimization engine interprets query-based commands in the database access language. This engine converts them into executable instructions for the manipulation and retrieval of data. Once a query is optimized (executable), the query processor runs the query and returns results.
Lock and Log Managers
A lock manager manages simultaneous access to the same database to ensure that multiple users are not modifying the same database. On the other hand, a log manager’s job is to record all the modifications made to the data of a DBMS. Both of them ensure the integrity of the database.
DBMS Architecture
The DBMS design relies on its architecture, which includes client/server architecture for large networks and personal computers (PCs), web servers, and database servers. The DBMS architecture depends on how users connect to the database to perform requests. There are three types of database management system architecture:
- 1-Tier Architecture
It allows users to directly access and use the database on the DBMS. This architecture is used for local application development, allowing programmers to communicate with the database for quick responses.
- 2-Tier Architecture
It is similar to the basic client-server model. The server is the database system, and the client is the application and end-users. This architecture allows applications on the client end to directly communicate with the database on the server side using APIs.
The client-side runs user interfaces and application programs, while the server provides functionalities like query processing and transaction management. The client-side application establishes a connection with the server side to communicate with the DBMS.
- 3-Tier Architecture
It is a layer between the client and server, allowing for indirect communication between the client and server. The application on the client- side interacts with an application server, which communicates with the database system. The end user is unaware of the database’s existence beyond the application server and other users. This architecture is suitable for large web applications.
Types of DBMS
Some of the most popular types of database management systems are:
Relational Database Management System (RDBMS)
A Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) is a type of DBMS that stores data in tables made up of rows and columns. It is used for managing data in a structured way with relationships between different tables.
It is popular for its scalability and ease of use. RDBMS supports Structured Query Language (SQL) for querying and manipulating data. Examples of RDBMS include Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, and IBM Db2.
Explore our blog on the difference between DBMS and RDBMS to get a better understanding.
NoSQL DBMS
It is a dynamic database system as it stores a wide range of datasets. It not only stores tabular records but also handles unstructured and semi-structured databases. It was created when the demand for the development of modern applications increased. In response to this demand, NoSQL introduced a wide range of database technologies.
Cloud DBMS
It is a database system that stores data in a virtual environment and executes on a cloud computing platform. This system provides cloud computing services to users, such as SaaS to access the database. Popular options include AWS, Microsoft Azure, PhonixNAP, ScienceSoft, and Google Cloud SQL.
NewSQL DBMS
It is a modern database system that offers scalability and high performance while maintaining relational database features such as ACID (atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability) compliance and SQL support.
It combines the advantages of relational databases with the scalability of NoSQL databases, making it a powerful tool for data-driven applications. Examples of NewSQL DBMS include Amazon Aurora, Google Cloud Spanner, CockroachDB, and VoltDB.
Object-Oriented Database
This database management system uses an object-based data model approach to store data as objects. This is similar to storing data in object-oriented programming languages.
Hierarchical DBMS
In this type of DBMS, a one-to-many relationship system organizes data elements like a tree and its branches. This hierarchy starts at the root node and connects all child nodes to the parent node. Examples of hierarchical DBMS are IBM (IMS) and Microsoft (Windows registry).
Network Database
It is a type of DBMS where data elements are organized in a graph-like structure. It allows for multiple hierarchies and relationships between data elements. It offers complex data models and more efficient data retrieval. Examples of network database systems include Oracle Database and Microsoft Access.
Also the important Applications of DBMS in 2024.
ACID Property of DBMS
A transaction is any operation performed on the database with the help of a DBMS. Each of these transactions follows ACID property to maintain the integrity of a database. The acronym ACID stands for A: Atomicity, C: Consistency, I: Isolation, and D: Durability.
- Atomicity: This term means that multiple operations can be grouped together into a single logical entity. For example, in an online ticket system, the two operations of paying for a ticket and reserving a seat must happen simultaneously. Atomicity ensures this simultaneous operation.
- Consistency: Consistency ensures that the data remains consistent even after the transaction is finished.
- Isolation: This property guarantees the separation of all transactions from each other, ensuring that each transaction remains distinct and free from any influence or interference from other transactions.
- Durability: The durability property assures that once a transaction is successfully completed, the data becomes permanent within the database, irrespective of system failure or crash.
Advantages of DBMS
The following are some advantages of database management systems.
- Data Integrity: The DBMS ensures consistent and accurate data across multiple databases, keeping it accessible to multiple users.
- Data Security: The DBMS ensures that only authorized users can access the database. It is done by authenticating their identities through a username and password.
- Data Consistency: Data inconsistency occurs when different versions of the same data appear in different locations. DBMS avoids this by immediately reflecting database changes made by users.
- Data Access: A database management system allows faster access to data through efficient servers. It also processes queries efficiently and accurately to produce quick results.
Conclusion
From writing information on a piece of paper to documenting it in files, we now use the internet to store data in a database. A database management system plays a crucial role in the development and maintenance of a database designed to store vast volumes of information. This blog has covered every essential concept needed to understand a DBMS’s fundamentals in great detail.
