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Thread: Could do with some help ...

  1. #1
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    Could do with some help ...

    HI,

    Right the problem i have got is i have an assignment due in on tue. I am really stuck on some questions which i understood at the time but have not got a clue now. I was just wondering if anybody on here had a clue to these?

    1. What is a relational DBMS is? - how it is structured and how such a system works. the report should mention of such areas as the 'three tier architure' of a database system.

    2. issues that are integral to database enviroments, such as the end user (e.g different views for different users), use across different platforms and compatibility (e.g if such person decides to proceed and have a system developed in MS access, he would have to ensure his operating system would support MS access.

    Any help would be great cause these are the only two points i am stuck on to complete this.

    Cheers
    RealM

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    Senior Member Kezzer's Avatar
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    So you're going to get the members of hexus to do your homework for you? Hmmz, methinks everyone in education should be able to do the work by themselves

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    I don't want anyone to do this by any means just a point in the right direction or some advice.. It's just hard because i work all day, i have a 4 month old girl, i do freelance graphic work and also college 2 nights a week plus assignments. So as you can imagine it's hard to remember everything that is learn't in college.

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    PMM
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    Relational Database Management Systems

    Takes me back 10-12 years that does when I studies things like that...
    Sadly most of it forgotten over time.

    Off the top of me head RDMS differ from not being flatfile type databases in the way that best described as separate data zone for each information type that can be linked to and formed together to get the information you require by use of a SQL criteria to request infomation.

    Data can be held in 1 or many files with the setup defining links between the differing files i.e. a relationship between the customer in file 1 acts as a pointer by linking to the same in file 2 but the infomation there on after file 2 is not repeated in any other file.

    ...Anyway been so so long ago I think you prob best having a read of this than me trying to explain it....>
    http://philip.greenspun.com/panda/databases-choosing


    Section 2.. in a fully formed RDMS you can set up forms as such tailored to the information you require and part of this will take on security aspects restricting or allowing users information to.

    Depending of the systems in use you could tailor views of all the users, each user getting there own menu system with the subsections they have access to and each screen also having parameter that can define different styles of view for the data being displayed.

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    Thanks a lot for that Really appreciate it, now i can have a read up on that site and see what i come up with.

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    Senior Member GAteKeeper's Avatar
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    Question

    Best faxsmilie I use for relational datebases is to say:

    Imagine that you are a business and you sell stuff. You have customers (derrr!) and orders.

    Now you could try and store all the data in one table so that would include for each item on the order the customers name & address, the order delivery details the actual part number cost description etc as well as the totals for the order.

    This makes no sense so why not store the data that doesnt change on every line in separate tables and just use a refernce.

    For example why not store the customers name and address in a separate table and just put the customers name/number in the orders table.

    This process is called 'Normalisation' and basically involves mathematically describing your data structure in its parts until you are only storing each peice of information once.

    That probably has no relevance for your report but I was bored (ever tried writing databases? it pays well but is soooo boring!)

    GAteKeeper
    Keeper of the Gates of Hell

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    Cheers for the replys guys. The first one is finally done after a lot of reading. I just can't seem to get my head around the second one. I understand that different uses get different output screens relaiant on the data and so on. Think i might just of hit a mental block

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    HEXUS.net Webmaster
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    Second question is just asking how do you select an RDBMS. There are several key factors in this

    - Environment (hardware, operating system, technical expertise of staff)
    - Performance of the database relevant to your needs e.g. Access is useless for large applications
    - Cost (Access is cheaper than Oracle)
    - Functionality of each RDBMS (Oracle has greater functionality in it's proprietary SQL functions than Access)
    - Views (can you have them or not)
    - Transactional or not ?

    Anyway, here are some links (in order of how useful I feel they may be to you)
    http://philip.greenspun.com/panda/databases-choosing
    http://faemalia.org/wiki/view/Technical/ChoosingAnRDBMS
    http://www.disc.com/ChoosingADatabase.htm
    http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-6265-1054291.html
    http://support.summersault.com/why_postgresql.html

    edit - I see someone already posted the first one but never mind

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    PMM
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    Well section2 you have to looks form the aspect of a user & the aspect of administration / IT implimentation.

    User's needs should be straight forward

    Administration / IT Implimentation... Not all company's will use the same type of hardware/software os's, many company's will use Microsoft os on a general PC achitecture others will use i.e. Unix on HP/SUN or other non x86 based achitecture
    or a mixture of both.

    That's where compatibility comes in from an administration side, can the software work on different OS's ? if not is that an issue or not ? if you have to use a different package on a different system can it still access the information and data on the main server for example ?

    Alot of systems the database is a system in itself that can be accessed by any software/system that has support for the database Oracal for example or mysql
    are database storage systems that can be running on a server for the purpose of
    storing / retreiving information, the software accessing the database be it server based or PC end user based only needs the ability to access the database to retrieve the info
    the information, the software they are using could be in any language on any form of hardware.

    However you could be limited as in the question if using MS Access.. does the system support MS Access ? If using a desktop PC & Microsoft software etc etc then yes but
    can joe bloggs use it on his Unix system? does Microsoft make a unix port of it? maybe maybe not... however it can be a case that you run a sever on MS/Intel setup but access the data via a unix system through the compatibility of the unix software to know how to get MS Access data.

    ..Lots of things to think about, I studied it from a Business Information Technology side had 2 year's dedicated to Database systems but as said that was 10-12 years ago and I've never had to put that info to use so its mostly forgotten about.

  10. #10
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    That's great people. That has all gone into my ear and stayed there thank god. Lets just hope it comes out on paper right. Cheers everyone

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