1.10 Chapter Summary
The purpose of this chapter was to introduce you to the importance of databases and database technology in today's world. Many of our daily activities require the use of databases to retrieve information. Such simple things as sending a text message, going grocery shopping, or even visiting our doctors are supported by database technology.
We also discovered that for almost all occasions where we need some information, we need to depend on a database. This is especially true when we use electronic devices such as computers, tablets, or smartphones. We frequently check out catalogs for purchases, libraries for information, or websites for opinions and news. Several very large public databases are listed. Many public databases provide information for free and contain helpful data series for those people doing research.
One of the most important skills of a database developer is being able to provide structure to raw information so that it can be organized and placed in a database. Even seemingly simple pieces of data often require sophisticated data structures to capture all relevant information. We saw an example of the data structure required for something as straightforward as a single industrial incident.
Different types of information systems require different types of databases and database structure. Information systems that must process transactions, such as a sale of an item, have different requirements than an information system that provides management or executive analytical reports. The design of any particular database depends on many factors, including the source of the raw data, the amount of detail required, the required speed for responses, and the intended use of the information.
Even though information is provided in many different forms and formats, the underlying storing and maintenance of data has many common elements. Database Management Systems (DBMS) are highly specialized computer systems that provide all of this underlying technology. A DBMS provides all the tools and functionality required to capture, store, maintain, configure, manipulate, and present raw data in many different forms and formats. DBMS are powerful computer programs with sophisticated capabilities.
One additional interesting use of the data that is stored in a database is data mining. As the name suggests, the purpose of data mining is to hunt through massive amounts of data looking for patterns and dependencies that can be used to explain or predict phenomena such as buying patterns, illnesses, economic forecasts, or political upheavals. As massive amounts of data are collected in data warehouses, more and more research is being done using data mining capabilities.
Finally, the chapter reviews various technology-based careers as well as general business career positions and each position's required database knowledge and skills. As is noted, almost any technical career in today's society requires substantial database knowledge.