Data vs. Information
•Data are raw facts
•Information is the result of processing raw data to reveal meaning
•Information requires context to reveal meaning
•Raw data must be formatted for storage, processing, and presentation
•Data are the foundation of information, which is the bedrock of knowledge
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Database Systems, 10th Edition
Data vs. Information (cont’d.)
•Data: building blocks of information
•Information produced by processing data
•Information used to reveal meaning in data
•Accurate, relevant, timely information is the key to good decision making
•Good decision making is the key to organizational survival
•Data management: focuses on proper generation, storage, and retrieval of data
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Database Systems, 10th Edition
Introducing the Database
•Database: shared, integrated computer structure that stores a collection of:
–End-user data: raw facts of interest to end user
–Metadata: data about data
•Provides description of data characteristics and relationships in data
•Complements and expands value of data
•Database management system (DBMS): collection of programs
–Manages structure and controls access to data
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Database Systems, 10th Edition
Role and Advantages of the DBMS
•DBMS is the intermediary between the user and the database
–Database structure stored as file collection
–Can only access files through the DBMS
•DBMS enables data to be shared
•DBMS integrates many users’ views of the data
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Database Systems, 10th Edition