What is database management?

Before you understand about database management you have to be clear in the differences between a database and database management. A database is a collection of data that are related in some way or other and a database management is a way of managing this database using some of the best software tools available. Without a database management system it is very difficult to manage the data that is collected over time and without it there is no use of the data that has been collected.

With proper database management system you can query the data that is collected to get some useful information which might help you enhance your services and also serve your customers in a better way. There are many database management systems that vary in its size and performance.

 

There are systems that can be used in your PC and also in mainframes. However the functionality of these would vary depending on the system in which it is used. Based on how the information is organized internally the database management system might be relational, network, flat or hierarchical. In a database management system you can query the database to get the information you want. For example, you can query the database to find out the employees who come to your organization from Texas.

 

Similarly you can query the database to find out the products that are sold in the month of November 2008. For querying the database you will be using the query language like SQL which is called the Structured Query Language. Querying the database using the fourth generation languages (4GL) is also possible in the latest databases that are available in the market.

 

The results of the queries in a database management system can be presented in the form of reports. For this purpose there are report writers that are inbuilt in the database management systems. Third party report writers with more sophistication are also available.