Chapter 8: Introduction to Database Management System

1. Define the terms

Answer:
 (a) Database – Database is a collection of tables which can store data items in an
organized manner, database can store any type of data including number, characters,
images, audio or video files.
 (b) Data redundancy – Databases have facilities to minimize the same data being
stored in multiple tables within a database it is known as data redundancy.
 (c) Report – Report is a feature of RDBMS where information can be displayed in
the database using a query and these reports are the formal and in proper layout.
2. Give one point of difference between
Answer:
(a) Data and Information – The difference between data and information is that data
is raw fact and it is unprocessed, while information we can receive after processing
the data.
(b) Form and Query – A form is used to insert data in the table using a user-friendly
method but query is used when we want to extract information from the table and this
information will be displayed in the form of a report.
(c) Network and hierarchical data model – A network data model is used to link
multiple records to the same master file. It is just like an inverted tree structure where
a master will be present on the bottom of the tree and the branches connected to the
master file. But in Hierarchical data model organized into a treelike structure. This
data is stored in the form of records.
3. Give any four advantages of a DBMS.
Answer: The four advantage of a DBMS are –
 Organized Storage – In database data can be stored in an organized manner, so, the
retrieval of the data will be faster.
 Data Analysis – A database helps to analyze the data based on certain criteria.
 Data Sharing – Databases have features to share data to other applications. Databases
also have features for sharing data to multiple users.
 Increase Efficiency – Database tables are properly organized which helps the user to
retrieve, save and search data efficiently.
4. Consider the table given below and answer the questions that follow

(a) Name the fields in the given table.

Answer: The fields name of the table is Book_Id, Book Name, Author Name, Price,
Publisher
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(b) Which field should be made the primary key?
Answer: Book_Id should be made the primary key because Book_Id uniquely identifies each
record.
(c) Is there any alternate key in the table?
Answer: The alternate key could uniquely identify records, but it is not chosen as primary
key, So, Book Name can be considered as alternate key if it uniquely identifies each book.
(d) How is the primary key different from foreign key? Explain with examples.
Answer: A primary key is a field in a table which uniquely identifies each record in the table.
It means that duplication and null will not be allowed in the table. For example, Book_Id can
be considered as a primary key.
Foreign key is a key of another table that refers to the primary key from the first table.
Foreign keys are helpful to create a relation between two tables. Example if in the first table
Book_Id field is defined as a primary key then in another table Book_Id should be foreign
key, now you can create the relation between one to many.
5. Give the advantages of a database.
Answer – Advantages of database are –
 Reduce Data Redundancy – When the same data set is stored in two or more
locations, this is referred to as data redundancy. As a result, this helps in the protection
of duplicate data in a database.
 Sharing of Data – Databases can share the data with multiple users at a time. There
are multiple levels of authorization to access the data, and as a result, the data can
only be shared with those who are permitted.
 Data Integrity – The term “data integrity” refers to the accuracy and consistency of
the data in the database. Data integrity also refers to data safety.
6. What different types of keys are available in RDBMS?
Answer – The different keys available in RDBMS are –
 Primary Key (PK) – A primary key is a unique value that identifies a row in a table.
If the primary key is defined for any table column, it means the duplication will not be
allowed.
 Candidate Key (CK) – All the field values that are eligible to be the primary key are
the candidate keys for that table. Such fields can neither be left blank nor can have
duplicate values.
 Alternate Key (AK) – In the table when one or two are made as primary keys. The
others are the alternate keys.
 Foreign Key (FK) – By default, columns are foreign keys; foreign keys point to the
primary key of another table.
 Data Security – You know that data is very important; databases give privileges to
authorized users and allow them to access the database using a username and
password.
 Privacy – A database’s privacy rule says that only authorized users are permitted to
access the database. For example, if you log in to your Gmail account, then you will
see your email only; you will not see any other account email.
 Backup and Recovery – Backup and recovery are handled automatically by the
database management system.
 Data Consistency – Data consistency ensures the modification in the data will be the
same for all the users who are accessing the database. For example, if you have a
registered recovery backup ticket from the IRCTC website, then whatever changes are
there, it will be the same for all the users who are trying to reserve the ticket.
7. How is data organized in a database?
Answer – There are two way to organized data in database –
 Flat File – It stores the data in a single table, and it is suitable for small amounts of
data.
 Relational – It stores the data in multiple tables, and all the tables are connected to
each other using a common field with the help of relationships.
8. What is a database management system?

Answer – A database management system (DBMS) is a software package which manages

and maintains data in a database. A DBMS enables several user application programs to
access the same database at the same time. It enables organizations to easily create databases
for a variety of purposes. A database is a comprehensive collection of data records, files, and
other items.
9. What is a difference between data and information?

Answer –
Data – The raw facts constitute data. The facts may be related to any person, place, activity,
or thing. It may be stored in the form of text, graphics, audio, or video.
Information – Information is the processed or organized form of data. If the data is not
correct or accurate, the information obtained by processing such data may not be correct. For
example, marks obtained by students and their roll numbers are the data, while the report
card/sheet is the information.
10. What is an object in a database?
Answer – An object in a database is a structure or a feature that is used to store, represent, or
retrieve data. In fact, a database is a collection of objects. Various objects in a database are –
 Table
 Form
 Queries
 Report