Database management is the method for managing information that supports the company’s business operations. It involves storing and distributing data it to users and applications and editing it as required and monitoring changes to the data and protecting against data corruption due to unexpected failure. It is one component of a company’s informational infrastructure that aids in decision-making and growth for the business as well as compliance with laws such as the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act.

In the 1960s, Charles Bachman and IBM among others came up with the first database systems. They developed into information management systems (IMS), which allowed large amounts data to be stored and retrieved for a range of reasons. From calculating inventory to supporting complicated financial accounting functions, and human resource functions.

A database is a set of tables that are organized according to a particular scheme, such as one-to-many relationships. It makes use of primary keys to identify records and permit cross-references between tables. Each table is comprised of a set of attributes, or fields, that contain information about data entities. The most popular type of database today is a relational model created by E. F. “Ted” Codd at IBM in the 1970s. This design is based upon normalizing data to make it more user-friendly. It distinctionafrica.com is also easier to update data because it doesn’t require the modification of many sections of the databases.

The majority of DBMSs support a variety of databases and offer different internal and external levels of organization. The internal level is concerned with cost, scalability and other operational concerns such as the design of the database’s physical storage. The external level is how the database is represented in user interfaces and other applications. It may include a mix of different external views (based on different data models) and could also include virtual tables that are created from data that is generic to enhance performance.