What is Database and Characteristics of data in Database?

What is Database and Characteristics of data in Database?

In this article we will study about What is Database and Characteristics of data in Database? In simple terms, a database is a well-organised library that holds critical information for an organisation. It acts as a data container, similar to a repository for a collection of data files. Consider a university database to be the central hub that handles and saves data on students, courses, and grades in an efficient and accurate manner.

What is Database?

A database is a structured collection of data that is electronically stored and organised in such a way that effective data retrieval and management is possible. Databases are vital components of modern information systems because they are used to store, manage, and retrieve information. Some of the key characteristics of data in a database are as follows:

Characteristics of Data in a Database:

Structured Data: In a database, data is organised into tables or collections that include specified data types and relationships. This structure makes data management and retrieval more efficient.

Persistent: Database data is long-lasting and designed to survive system reboots or failures. It is not intended to be transient in the same way that data in memory is.

Centralised: Databases centralise data storage, allowing various users and applications to access it at the same time. This centralised approach aids in the preservation of data integrity and consistency.

Relational: Many databases, particularly relational databases, organise data into tables with clearly defined relationships between them. This relational structure is well-suited to displaying complex data models.

Data Integrity: Databases enforce data integrity through constraints such as primary keys, foreign keys, and unique constraints to ensure that the data is valid and consistent.

Data Security: Databases include means for securing data, such as user authentication, access control, and encryption, to protect sensitive information from unauthorised access.

Data Independence: Databases provide data independence by separating physical storage details from the logical data model. This enables changes to the database structure to be made without disrupting programmes that rely on the data.

Query Language: Query languages (for example, SQL) are used in databases to allow users to retrieve, alter, and analyse data. These languages offer sophisticated data manipulation tools.

Scalability: To handle expanding data and user needs, databases can often be extended horizontally (adding more servers) or vertically (adding more resources to a server).

Backup and Recovery: Databases have backup and recovery procedures to protect against data loss caused by human mistake or hardware failure.

Indexing: Indexing is used in databases to improve data retrieval. Indexes allow you to quickly locate data without having to search the full collection.

ACID qualities: To ensure that database transactions are dependable and data integrity is maintained, data in transactional databases must adhere to ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) qualities.

Normalisation: Normalisation techniques are frequently used in relational databases to eliminate data redundancy and increase data integrity.

Redundancy Control: Databases strive to minimise data redundancy in order to save storage space and assure consistency. Data anomalies might occur as a result of redundancy.

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FAQs

What are the three characteristics of data in database?

Three Characteristics of Databases:Structure, Persistence and Centralization.

What are the 2 main types of databases ?

Two Main Types of Databases:

1. Relational Databases:
2. NoSQL Databases:

Provide Some examples of Relational Databases.

Examples of Relational Databases are MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Microsoft SQL Server.

Provide Some examples of NoSQL Databases.

Some examples of NoSQL Databases are MongoDB, Cassandra, Redis.

What is data in database?

Text, numbers, images, and other structured and organised information saved electronically for effective storage, retrieval, and management is data in database.

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