Data Abstraction in DBMS
Data abstraction is the process of hiding unwanted and irrelevant details from the end user. It helps
to store information in such a way that the end user can access data which is necessary, the user
will not be able to see what data is stored or how it is stored in a database. Data abstraction helps
to keep data secure from unauthorized access and it hides all the implementation details.
When you go to purchase clothes from the shop, you go there and see the clothes, you look for the
color, size, material, and company that made those clothes. You are not concerned about where
these clothes are made or from where this material comes. So this is what abstraction of data is in
DBMS. You need only specified things, so abstraction helps to hide irrelevant details and it
provides the user with the necessary data only. So in this article, we are going to see data
abstraction in detail.
Levels of Abstraction in DBMS
There are three levels of data abstraction in DBMS that are mentioned below.
Data Abstraction levels in DBMS
• Physical or internal level
• logical or conceptual level
• view or external level
So lets see about each level in detail, first we will physical level.
Physical or Internal Level
It is the lowest level of data abstraction which defines how data is stored in database . It defines
data structures used to store data and methods to access data in database. It is very complex to
understand and hence kept hidden from user. Database administrator decides how and where to
store the data in database.
Physical level deals with actual storage details like data organization, disk space allocation and
data access methods.
Logical or Conceptual Level
It is intermediate level present next to physical level. It defines what data is present in database
and their relationships between them . It is less complex as compared to physical level.
Programmers generally work at this level and depending on data, structure of tables, relationships
and their constraints is decided at this level.
View or External Level
It is the highest level in abstraction. There are different levels of views and each view defines only
a part of whole data required to user. This level defines many views of same database for
sim0lication of view to user. This is the highest level and easiest to understand for user.
What is Data Independence in DBMS?
In the context of a database management system, data independence is the feature that allows the
schema of one layer of the database system to be changed without any impact on the schema of
the next higher level of the database system. ” Through data independence, we can build an
environment in which data is independent of all programs, and through the three schema
architectures, data independence will be more understandable. Data via two card stencils along
with centralized DBMS data is a form of transparency that has value for someone. It can be
summed up as a sort of immunity of user applications that adjusts correctly and does not change
addresses, imparting the class of data and their order. I want the separate applications not to be
forced to deal with data representation and storage specifics because this decreases quality and
flexibility. DBMS permits you to see data with such a generalized sight. It actually means that the
ability to change the structure of the lower-level schema without presenting the upper-level schema
Types of Data Independence
There are two types of data independence.
• logical data independence
• Physical data independence
Logical Data Independence
• Changing the logical schema (conceptual level) without changing the external schema
(view level) is called logical data independence.
• It is used to keep the external schema separate from the logical schema.
• If we make any changes at the conceptual level of data, it does not affect the view level.
• This happens at the user interface level.
• For example, it is possible to add or delete new entities, attributes to the conceptual
schema without making any changes to the external schema.
Physical Data Independence
• Making changes to the physical schema without changing the logical schema is called
physical data independence.
• If we change the storage size of the database system server, it will not affect the
conceptual structure of the database.
• It is used to keep the conceptual level separate from the internal level.
• This happens at the logical interface level.
• Example – Changing the location of the database from C drive to D drive.
Difference Between Physical and Logical Data Independence
Physical Data Independence Logical Data Independence
It mainly concerns how the data is stored in It mainly concerns about changes to the structure
the system. or data definition.
It is easier to achieve than logical It is difficult to achieve compared to physical
independence. independence.
To make changes at the physical level we
To make changes at the logical level, we need to
generally do not require changes at the
make changes at the application level.
application program level.
It tells about the internal schema. It tells about the conceptual schema.
There may or may not be a need for changes Whenever the logical structure of the database has
to be made at the internal level to improve to be changed, the changes made at the logical
the structure. level are important.
Example- change in compression
Example – adding/modifying or deleting a new
technology, hashing algorithm, storage
attribute.
device etc.
