Database
DATABASE
A database is a collection of data organized to meet users’ needs.
Why This Matters
Without data and the ability to process it, an organization would not be able to successfully engage in business activities, nor would it be able to generate reports to support knowledgeable workers and decision makers which in turn help’s to achieve organizational goals; it would not be able to pay employees, send out bills, and order new inventory. Databases have made it possible to map the structure of DNA, and for scientists to share their research; without databases, the human genome project would not be possible. Without databases, there would be no Google, Amazon, eBay, or Facebook. Databases and the systems that manage them are at the foundation of all successful information services.
Consider This
In its Digital Universe study, market research firm IDC reports that the world’s total stored data and information in 2011 was 1.8 zettabytes. A zettabyte is equal to 1 billion terabytes. IDC predicts that the amount of information we store will grow 50 times over the next decade. This far outpaces our ability to manage the information. IDC believes that businesses and governments need to act now in order to build a workforce and the technologies necessary to manage the rapid growth in data and information.
As you read about databases, consider strategies to manage huge amounts of global data generated by transactions, human activity and communication, market research, scientific research, media production, interactions between people and things, and all types of human endeavors. What information is worth storing? What should be discarded? Who can be trusted to store and maintain your data? Where should it be stored? Should we trust automated systems to manage our data? What actions should be taken now, to help save the world from data overload?
Essential Information
Data consists of raw facts, such as sales or weather statistics, events, or song titles. For data
A database is a collection of data organized to meet users’ needs.
Why This Matters
Without data and the ability to process it, an organization would not be able to successfully engage in business activities, nor would it be able to generate reports to support knowledgeable workers and decision makers which in turn help’s to achieve organizational goals; it would not be able to pay employees, send out bills, and order new inventory. Databases have made it possible to map the structure of DNA, and for scientists to share their research; without databases, the human genome project would not be possible. Without databases, there would be no Google, Amazon, eBay, or Facebook. Databases and the systems that manage them are at the foundation of all successful information services.
Consider This
In its Digital Universe study, market research firm IDC reports that the world’s total stored data and information in 2011 was 1.8 zettabytes. A zettabyte is equal to 1 billion terabytes. IDC predicts that the amount of information we store will grow 50 times over the next decade. This far outpaces our ability to manage the information. IDC believes that businesses and governments need to act now in order to build a workforce and the technologies necessary to manage the rapid growth in data and information.
As you read about databases, consider strategies to manage huge amounts of global data generated by transactions, human activity and communication, market research, scientific research, media production, interactions between people and things, and all types of human endeavors. What information is worth storing? What should be discarded? Who can be trusted to store and maintain your data? Where should it be stored? Should we trust automated systems to manage our data? What actions should be taken now, to help save the world from data overload?
Essential Information
Data consists of raw facts, such as sales or weather statistics, events, or song titles. For data