Tag: Glossary Guide

The structure or format of a database, described in a formal language supported by the database management system. Schemas are generally stored in a data dictionary. Although a schema is defined in text database language, the term is often used to refer to a graphical depiction of the database structure. The following database models are… Continue reading Database Model/Schema

A collection of programs that enables information to be stored in, modified, and extracted from a database. There are many different types of DBMSs, ranging from small systems that run on personal computers to huge systems that run on mainframes. From a technical standpoint, the systems can differ widely. The terms relational, network, flat, and… Continue reading Database Management System/Software (DBMS)

A file that defines the basic organization of a database. A database dictionary contains a list of all files in the database, the number of records in each file, and the names and types of each data field. Most database management systems keep the data dictionary hidden from users to prevent them from accidentally destroying… Continue reading Database Dictionary

The person who has central control over data and programs accessing the data. Responsibilities of the database administrator include data structure definition, storage and access methods specification, schema and physical organization modification, granting of authorization for data access, and integrity constraint specification. In highway agencies, the database administrator usually belongs to the information systems division,… Continue reading Database Administrator (DBA)

A repository for information or data organized in such a way that a computer program can quickly select desired pieces of data. Databases are often indexed so they may be searched more efficiently. Traditional databases are organized by fields, records, and files. A field is a single piece of information; a record is one complete… Continue reading Database (electronic)

A collection of databases designed to support management decision-making. The term “data warehousing” generally refers to combining a wide variety of databases across an entire organization. Development of a data warehouse includes development of systems to extract data from operating systems plus installation of a warehouse database system that provides users flexible access to the… Continue reading Data Warehouse

A diagram type that is used to depict the structure of data elements in the data dictionary. The data structure diagram is a graphical alternative to the composition specifications within such data dictionary entries.

The process of filtering, merging, decoding, and translating source data to create validated data for the data warehouse (see definition).

A diagram that shows the types of data produced by one business process and used as input by another. It also refers to a representation of the flow of data into, out of, and between procedures, systems, or subsystems. Data flow diagrams show the actual flow of data between designed business activities and data stores,… Continue reading Data/Process Flow Diagram

The process of physically or logically dividing data into segments so it can be easily maintained or accessed. Existing relational database management systems provide this kind of distribution functionality.