Learn about the fundamental concepts of databases, why, how, and when they're used.

Fundamentals of Web Programming

Databases are universal - they underlie the technology you use every day. They're a crucial component of everything from telecommunications systems, banking systems, and video games to just about any other software system that maintains some amount of persistent data.

In this module, you'll learn about the fundamental concepts of databases, why and when they're used, what relational databases are, and entity-relationship diagrams. You will also be exposed to techniques like normalization that help to increase the efficiency of databases.

Database Fundamentals

Which of the following is NOT a record-based logical data model?

Which of the following is NOT a record-based logical data model?

A modification or alteration to the schema is known as?

A modification or alteration to the schema is known as?

An instance is the complete design of a database, while a schema is the information collected in a database at some specific moment in time.

The schema is not changed frequently, while the instance of the database changes very often.

The instance is not changed frequently, while the schema of the database changes very often.

What is the difference between database schema and instance?

What is the difference between database schema and instance?

Which of the following levels of a schema is closest to the physical storage device?

Which of the following levels of a schema is closest to the physical storage device?

An external schema describes the part of the database which specific user is interested in and hides the unrelated details of the database from the user. 

The conceptual schema describes the database structure of the whole database for the community of users.

The internal schema describes the physical storage structure of the database.

Which statement is true about the three-schema architecture?

Which statement is true about the three-schema architecture?

We cannot classify database management systems based on

We cannot classify database management systems based on

Homogeneous distributed systems use the same DBMS software from multiple sites, while heterogeneous systems use different DBMS software at different sites.

Homogeneous distributed systems use different DBMS software at different sites, while heterogeneous systems use the same DBMS software at multiple sites.

Homogeneous and heterogeneous systems are both classified as centralized systems.

Homogeneous systems are classified as centralized systems, while heterogeneous systems are classified as distributed  systems.

Which of the following statements is true regarding database distribution?

Which of the following statements is true regarding database distribution?

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We have reached the end of this chapter. Good Job! At this point, we should be familiar with the first step in database design: schemas. You also learned to classify databases by their different attributes.

In the next chapter, we will learn all there is to know about the entity-relationship data model.

This quiz will test your knowledge of data models.

Before We Begin

Fundamental Concepts

Data Modeling

Entity-Relationship Data Model

The Relational Data Model

Functional Depedencies

Normalization

Types of Databases

Conclusion

Quiz!