Database management is the system for managing data that supports an organization’s business operations. It includes data storage and distribution to users and applications, modifying it as necessary and monitoring the changes in the data and preventing the data from becoming corrupted by unexpected failures. It is an integral part of the entire informational infrastructure of a company that supports decision making in corporate growth, as well as compliance with laws such as the GDPR and California Consumer Privacy Act.

The first database systems were developed in the 1960s by Charles Bachman, IBM and others. They evolved into information management systems (IMS) that enabled the storage and retrieve massive amounts of information medical-outlet.com for a range of applications, from the calculation of inventory to supporting complex financial accounting and human resources functions.

A database is tables that organize data in accordance with a specific arrangement, like one-to-many relationships. It makes use of primary keys to identify records and allow cross-references among tables. Each table is comprised of a set of fields, referred to as attributes, that contain information about data entities. The most well-known type of database that is currently in use is a relational model developed by E. F. “Ted” Codd at IBM in the 1970s. This model is based on normalizing the data, making it more easy to use. It also makes it easier to update data by avoiding the necessity of changing many sections of the database.

Most DBMSs support multiple types of databases, offering internal and external levels of organization. The internal level focuses on cost, scalability and other operational concerns including the layout of the physical storage. The external level is the way the database appears in user interfaces and other applications. It could comprise a combination of various external views (based on different data models) and may also include virtual tables which are generated from data that is generic to enhance performance.