WEEK ONE
Introduction
This course provides you with an introduction to database architecture and relational databases. The introduction covers the basic concepts of database design and management, focusing on the steps that a database designer should follow when creating a database for use with an application, addressing the basic tasks encountered by a database administrator, and identifying and discussing some of the aspects of ongoing database management.
In Week One, you are introduced to a variety of different database architecture types, from data that is stored in flat files and XML, to legacy database architecture such as network and hierarchical structures. You also learn about the widely used relational database architecture and other less-used types including object-oriented and multidimensional architecture. With each architecture, you learn more about how the data is stored and how it is managed. The week concludes by focusing on the specific aspects of the relational database architecture.
This week in relationship to the course and the program
This first week prepares you for the remaining weeks of the course and introduces what a database is and the different kinds of databases available. This understanding helps you to see databases in the context in which they are used in the industry.
Hints for a reading strategy of the assigned materials
It is important for you to recognize the available database architecture. Some of these are not databases at all, in the formal sense. As you read this week’s readings, consider how data is stored and managed in your own organization or in one with which you are familiar. Further, consider the effectiveness of the different databases discussed in the readings. Consider how well data can be managed using the architecture. What are the advantages and disadvantages to data management for the architecture? Finally, when confronted with a