type of data base

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COMSATS INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND

TECHNOLOGY

Management Information System

Submitted To: Sir Omer Vikas

Submitted By: Muhammad Junaid Mughal

FA08-BBA-062

Date: 15th

April 2010



QUALITIES OF DATABASE

1. An ideal database will be able to track more than just members and their

money. Members are important, but it¶s not the only kind of relationship that an

effective organization needs to track in a database, and development staff aren¶t the

only people who need to use the database as an everyday part of their work .

Unfortunately, too many database products are too ³development-centric.´ Not only

in their features, but also in their pricing. Many commercial packages impose stiff

cost penalties for additional user licensees, and even some of the non-commercial

packages like ebase require steep File maker licensing costs to scale beyond a single

user .

2. An ideal database will be fast enough to keep open all the time for every

user. If people are going to use a database as an everyday tool to record data about

all of their key relationships, an ideal database must be fast to open and fast to use.

If it has a web interface, that interface must be extremely well engineered to

minimize roundtrips to the server .

3. An ideal database will expose different user interfaces to different types of

users. Too many databases assume that only one type of (expert) user will use them.

An ideal database will be usable by many different people in an organization, withmany different roles and needs. Program staff won¶t have access to detailed

development reports, but will have an incredibly easy screen that they can use to

take notes on a phone call or meeting with a key activist. Unskilled users will find it

easy to perform basic tasks, and the full power/complexity of the program will be

hidden from their day-to-day view.

4. An ideal database will be usable by people in remote offices. Distributed

networks and decentralized organizations are the wave of the future.

Too manydatabase applications are built with the client-server desktop software paradigm, and

assume that all users are in the same office. That¶s not reality any more.

5. An ideal database will be open-source software. ¶nuff said.



6. An ideal database will have a strong, well-supported community of

developers and consultants. Most open-source products aimed specifically at the

nonprofit sector have had a hard time pulling together the resources and focus to

support a strong developer/consultant community. It takes substantial resources, and

a very different kind of talent than the kind of talent it takes to write great code.

7. An ideal database will not be a ³hosted application.´ A bold statement,

perhaps. But I really think the ASP business model makes it hard to focus on

supporting a developer/consultant community. It also makes it hard to focus on

making the code easy to install and run for anyone other than the developers. Which

slows down the adoption, which diminishes the community, etc?

8. An ideal database will integrate with other tools via open standards and a

well-documented API. Integrating a database with a group¶s website, online

advocacy tools, email broadcasting tools, event registration tools, etc. is important.

The current ³best of breed´ tools tend to solve this problem by bundling all these

functions under one system, which of course makes them expensive and bloated.

Not to mention how hard it is for one shop to truly excel at all of these functions.

³Small pieces loosely joined´ ideas suggest that it¶s better to focus making tools that

play nicely with other tools via well documented, web-accessible APIs.

UPDATE: A few more great ideas culled from the comments below

9. An ideal database will have excellent documentation and user support

resources. A corollary to point #7 above, it¶s important to also note that an ideal

database must have excellent documentation, an active peer-to-peer user support

community, and a visible process for engaging the community in identifying both

³best practices´

and future needs of the tool.

10. An ideal database allows you to put your data to use. There must be a return

on time spent doing data entry. An ideal database will have rich built-in reporting

capabilities, along with the ability to customize, configure, and build new reports,



and easy-to-use and sensible export functions to get your data out into other

applications in the forms you need.

11. An ideal database makes it easy to communicate. It should allow you to

efficiently generate consistent outbound communications in multiple media. This

probably means a first-rate mail-merge system (whether built-in or a good, foolproof

interface to an external tool) and a way to effectively send email (again, either built-

in or external).

CHARACTERISTICS OF DATABASE:

There are a number of characteristics that distinguish the database approach with the file-

based approach. In this section, we describe in detail some of those important characteristics.

Self-Describing Nature of a Database System: Database System contains not only the

database itself but also the descriptions of data structure and constraints (meta-data). This

data is used by the DBMS software or database users if needed. This separation makes

database system totally different from traditional file-based system in which data definition is

a part of application programs

Insulation between Program and Data : In the filed base system, the structure of the data files

is defined in the application programs so if user want to change the structure of a file, all the

programs access to that files might need to be changed. On the other hand, in database

approach, data structure is stored in the system catalog not in the programs so such changes

might not occurs.

Support multiple views of data: A view is a subset of the database which is defined and

dedicated for particular users of the system. Multiple users in the system might have different

views of the system. Each view might contains only the interested data of an user or a group

of user.

Sharing of data and Multi-user system: A multi-user database system must allow multiple

users access the database at the same time. As the result, the multi-user DBMS must have

concurrency control strategies to ensure that several user try to access the same data item at

a time do so in the manner so that the data always be correct.

CHARACTERISTICS OF DATA

The main characteristic of data is that (by definition), it is unprocessed, unorganized and

discrete (in separate, unrelated chunks).

- data, like data, can be qualititative (opinion-based, subjective)or quantitative (measurement-based, objective). The opinions of 1000 people about a

government policy would be qualitative. Rainfall measurements would be quantitative.



- data can be detailed or sampled. Detailed data would facts about every occurrence of something (e.g. the weight of every packet of Twisties leaving the factory). Sampled data

would use typical measurements to represent the whole (e.g. weighing every 100th packetof Twisties)

- data can come in various forms: textual (e.g.

names, addresses), numeric (e.g.

heights,ages), graphical (e.g. pictures of faces), aural(e.g. Morse Code dots anddashes), visual (e.g. the individual frames of a movie are data that are processed by the

brain into moving picture data when the frames are shown at 24 frames per second;fingerprints).

QUALITIES OF DATA

Relevant

The data obtained and used should be needed for decision-making. it doesn't matter how

interesting it is. Businesses are often criticized for producing too much data simply because their data systems can \"do it\". A good way of ensuring relevance is to closely

define the objectives of any data reports. Another way to improve relevance is to producedata that focuses on \"exceptions\" - e.g. problems, high or low values, where limits have

been exceeded.

Up-to-date

Data needs to be timely if it is to be actioned. For example, the manager of a large retail

business needs daily data on how stores are performing, which products are selling well(or not) so that immediate action can be taken. To improve the speed with which data is

produced, businesses usually need to look at upgrading or replacing their data systems.

Accurate

As far as possible, data should be free from errors (e.g. the figures add up; data is

allocated to the correct categories). The users of data should be informed whenever assumptions or estimates have been used. Accurate data is usually a function of accurate

data collection. If data needs to be extremely accurate, then more time needs to beallocated for it to be checked. However, businesses need to guard against trying to

produce \"perfect\" data - it is often more important for the data to be up-to-date than

perfect.

Meet the needs of the User

Users of data have different needs. The managing director doesn't have time to trawlthrough thick printouts of each week's production or sales listings - he or she wants a

summary of the key facts. The quality control supervisor will want detailed data aboutquality testing results rather than a brief one-line summary of how things are going. It is a

good idea to encourage users to help develop the style and format of data reporting thatthey require.



Easy to use and understand

Data should be clearly presented (e.g. use summaries, charts) and not too long. It also

needs to be communicated using an appropriate medium (e.g. email, printed report, presentation. Businesses should also consider developing \"templates\" which are used

consistently throughout the organization - so that users get used to seeing data in a similar style.

Worth the cost

Often forgotten. Data costs money. Data is costly to collect, analyze and report. Datatakes time to read and assimilate. All users should question whether the data they

receive/have requested is worthwhile

Reliable

Data should come from authoritative sources. It is good practice to quote the source used

- whether it be internal or external sources. If estimates or assumptions have beenapplied, these should be clearly stated and explained.

ROLE OF DATABASE IN INFORMATION SYSTEM

Management and organizations facing constantly changing problems, diverse managerial

styles, and ever present information needs offer a challenging context for developing

computer based information systems. MIS uses computer technology to provide information

and decision support to managers, helping them becomes more effective. Developments in the

young computer industry are changing corporate management style.

Computer technology, including DBMS's, is the motivating and enabling basis for the rapidlyexpanding field of MIS. A management information system is an integrated, user machine

system for providing information to support operations, management, analysis, and decision

making functions in an organization. The system utilizes computer hardware and software,

manual procedures, models for analysis, planning, control and decision making and a data

base.

Managers at all levels use similar data. Operating managers require data which is timely,

precise, detailed, internal and historical. Upper level managers need data which is aggregated,

external as well as internal, future oriented as well as historical and covering a longer span

time. An effective MIS cannot be built without viable data management tools. Such tools were

not generally available previously. Moreover, most organizations did not effectively use DBMS

technology until two decades before. An important key to a successful MIS is the effective

management of an organization's data resources.

Role of the Database in an Organization:

An organization is traditionally viewed as a three level pyramid-operational activities at the

bottom, management planning and control activities in the middle and strategic planning and

policy making in top management. The corporate database contains data relating to the

organization, its operations, its plan and its environment.



State of Database Management In Organizations:

The needs of organizations and management are changeable, diverse and often ill-defined, yet

they must be met. Added to these are outside pressures from federal taxing authorities,

federal securities agencies and legislators making privacy laws. Both internal and external

forces demand that organizations exercise control over their data resources.

Decisions and actions in the organization are based upon the image contained in the corporate

database. Managerial decisions direct the actions at the operational level and produce plans

and expectations which are formally captured and stored in the corporate database.

Transactions record actual results of organizational activities and environmental changes and

update the database to maintain a current image.

People in the organization query the database for information to conduct the daily operations.

Middle management receives reports comparing actual results to previously recorded plans

and expectations. The corporate database provides data for modeling and forecasting which

support top management needs. The corporate database supports all levels of an organization

and is vital for operations, decision making and the management process.

While management seeks to control data resources, computer applications grow. When acorporation achieves comprehensive support of its operations, for instance, computer

applications begin to penetrate into higher management levels. With comprehensive database

support of operations, an MIS can mature as a tool for planning, control and decision making.

Earlier, in the development of an MIS, an organization must appoint a DBA to manage its data

resources.

While an organization's move toward the database approach can be hastened by the

acquisition of a DBMS, the latter is not necessary. Most commercially available DBMS's fall

substantially short of ideal capabilities, making their acquisition an interim measure - a move

to help the organization learn how to operate in a managed data environment. In seeking

DBMS capability, building one's own system is unrealistic except for large organizations with

special needs, such as a very large database or large volumes of known transactions requiring

rapid online response.

Data is a vital resource in an organization and must be managed. The organizational database

is an essential component in a management information system. Of the four components of a

data processing system, attention to data has lagged behind the development of machines

and programming technology. Taking a database approach requires an organization to focus

on data as a valued resource. Data is separate from programs and application systems which

use it.

Benef its of Database Management

Database management systems are programs that are written to store, update, and retrieve

information from a database. There are many databases available in the market. The most

popular are the Oracle and SQL Server. The Oracle database is from the Oracle Corporationand the SQL Server is from the Microsoft Corporation. There are freely available database like

MySQL. These are open source databases. Database Management Systems are available for

personal computers and for huge systems like mainframes. DB2 is a database from IBM for

Mainframe systems.



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