What is a Database Management System?
Database management systems are used for all kinds of reasons. Big Fortune 500 companies will use them to keep complex and accurate information on all their customers. Basically, a good database management system will process, organize, and store information into a system, and make retrieval simple and as easy as possible. Also, it will work to centralize all the information into one system, so you can easily have everything at your fingertips, and have it there quickly.
All databases have a certain organizational structure, which files away attributes of the information, which you can then search for and locate within the database. Let's use a common example to illustrate this. Let's say you have a database of the different kinds of shirts you have in your closet. One attribute of the shirts would be their size -- which can be expressed in small, medium, large and so on. Another attribute could be the color of the shirt -- red, blue, orange, etc.
If these were organized in a database, then you could type in a command to the database to get the information you seek. For example, let's say you wanted to know how many medium-sized blue shirts you have in your closet. You could give orders to the database to locate entries within the database that match both the attribute of being blue, and being a medium size. Any good database could give you back in instant answer to that question.
Of course, that's a very simple example. However, you might be the owner of a business and what to know which customers have spent over $10,000 with you in the last three years, who have three or more children in the household, and are 50 years or older. Imagine trying to figure that out manually by going through all your records that are in a file cabinet.
How to Choose the Best Database Management Software
Database managers have a lot of responsibilities. Financial, customer, and medical data are entrusted to them, and they have to keep these databases functional, accurate, and private. Additionally, they have to keep up with the latest software, testing to make sure it's functional. They have to be ready for disaster recovery, know how to configure hardware, maintain repair and installation records, and troubleshoot database problems.
Whether you work in manufacturing, government, or health care, you have a lot of responsibilities if you're in charge of maintaining databases. And you need the best software available for managing your database files.
Having the right advanced data management solution is a necessity for database managers and database users. You need the features that are found in top-end software. Data structure modification, data editing, data conversion, and convenient search / replace capabilities are all necessities for database managers.
Another task that often falls to DB managers is index rebuilds and instant re-indexing in open database files. You also need to be able to open, modify, and view the index files themselves. Knowing the structure of your database files can be very valuable to database managers, and software like DBF File Manager gives programmers and managers these tools.
Ideally, a database manager should be able to interface with multiple documents and to configure the way in which they interface with the documents to exactly suit their needs. An intuitive user interface, like that of DBF Viewer, is necessary so that you can start using your database management software right away rather than having to undergo extensive training first.
Also, the ideal database management software should let you work with equal ease whether your DBF format files were created using dBase, FoxPro, Visual Foxpro, or Clipper. In the course of a workday, you may have to add fields, rename them, or delete fields in your files, and with the proper software, like DBF Editor, you can easily modify your table structure while interacting with an intuitive interface that makes things easy whether you're new to database management, or whether you've been doing it for decades.
Should you need to open index files (which have extensions.cdx,.mdx,.ntx, and.ndx) after opening the associated dbf file, then you need software that gives you that capability. These files contain the pointers to records in the database file and sometimes you need to access them using your database program's Index Manager dialog box.
For increased file safety during operations, you need database management software that allows you to filter records so that you only modify data you need to. Temporary filter functions can be very helpful for keeping your data safe while you're working on database files.
Finally, when you look for database management software, look for software that gives you a built-in visual report designer with layout and design controls. That way you can create great looking, perfectly formatted reports that can be easily exported to formats such as PDFs and Excel worksheet files. If your database management software can import and export in popular file formats on top of all this, then you know you have a winner.
Advantages of Online Database Management
online database management is growing evermore convenient. Online databases allow for the convenience of being able to access valued information from anywhere around the world. This allows for people to work together from different, and in some cases remote, locations. With the access to information at the push of a button, many businesses have reported increased productivity and profit. Online databases management has allowed for people to work from the office, from home, from the field office, and even from a hotel room. Workers can access and prepare reports and other data analysis at a click of a button which may have otherwise taken hours or days to produce. Many professionals now carry laptops and blackberries so that they can literally work from anywhere in the world.
In most cases a server and an online host is required for online database management systems. There are several companies that offer this service for as little as $20 per month. These companies also usually offer technical support and security features as well.
Security of online database management systems is often a concern. Valuable information must be secured in order to ensure that confidential information does not get passed into the wrong hands. Security is commonly controlled by limiting access to the database management system itself. This is usually done by requiring a user to provide a login and a password to access the online database management system. Additional security measures may include having auditing logs in order to keep a record of what changes have been made and who has made the changes. Many commercial online databases have chosen to include encryption as an added security feature as well. Online database management systems today provide businesses with valuable information that is secure at the click of a mouse.
For the growth of any business, there must be some driving forces that enable it to be so. One of these drivers of business success is database management. Database management is an easy way of getting and storing relevant information about a business. It involves the gathering and processing of data regarding employees, sales, raw materials, finished goods etc. Database information can be limitless however; it can be tailored down to the specific need of an organization.
The organization and utilization of database of any firm determines to what extent the organization will go in achieving its profitability aims. This is because the proper management of inherent data ensures smooth and accountable business management. To manage data accurately, the database manager will have the following qualities:
a. Careful and pays attention to minute details: the meticulous nature of a database analyst makes it possible for information to be captured despite how small it may be. When this is done, the organization will be able to progress because all issues relating to its operation are known hence the ease of determining shortfalls when they exist.
b. Tolerant: if the data will be absolutely managed at any time in the life cycle of any business, the tolerance of the database administrator cannot be overemphasized. This is because the data that will be stored must be in a specific format before storage. If there will be a good flow of information between the originator of the data and the personnel storing the data, there must be patient in the life of the database management officer. This will make the officer to tolerate the originating departments in data submission delays, uncoordinated data, improper data presentation and clumsy formats.
c. Integrity: If the officer in-charge of database management is lacking integrity in any form, the organization will be betrayed. This will give room to the falsification of information and subsequently the defrauding of the organization. It should be noted that auditors of any organization depends on the information supplied to them for determining the account status hence when integrity is lacking in a database administrator, an organization will not be able to establish the true financial position at anytime.
If the a database administrator with the enumerated key qualities above is in place in any establishment, the main task of the management of the business is to get a high quality database management software that will have the following characteristics:
a. Not too complex to operate: complex database management software give the operators tough time to handle. This sometimes gives room for some unwholesome manipulations that may affect the stored data in the software program.
b. Must be upgradeable: the software should be upgradeable to newer versions
c. It should have varying degree of access authority: This access authority (password) will expire within short time intervals and other authority granted. This will help to control the access to the database.
d. The software need to be compatible with windows, Linux and other popular operating systems
e. The database software should better work in a network even if at least with two computers. This gives room for better control of data.
f. Data retrieval should be fast and easy. Report generation should be in basic formats that will be understood by all and sundry especially the management team of the company.
g. The software should be robust. This will enable it to contain most of the viable data which is necessary for measuring the performance indexes of the company.
If an organization is having very high productivity with very poor database management strategies, the organization is bound to have low profitability because many grey areas in the organization's financial transactions will be hidden to management. It pays to have good database management principles in order to allow a realizable profit.