Database management is the parroquias.archicompostela.es method for managing information that supports the organization’s business processes. It includes data storage and distribution to users and applications, modifying it as necessary and monitoring changes to the data and preventing it from being corrupted by unexpected failure. It is a component of the overall informational infrastructure of a company that supports decision making as well as corporate growth and compliance with laws like the GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act.

In the 1960s, Charles Bachman and IBM among others developed the first database systems. They developed into information management systems (IMS) which allowed the storage and retrieve massive amounts of data for a wide range of purposes, ranging from calculating inventory to supporting complex human resources and financial accounting functions.

A database consists of a set of tables that store data according to some scheme, such as one-to-many relationships. It uses the primary key to identify records and permits cross-references between tables. Each table contains a number of fields, called attributes, that represent facts about the data entities. The most widely used kind of database is a relational model created by E. F. “Ted” Codd at IBM in the 1970s. The concept is based on normalizing data to make it simpler to use. It is also easier to update data since it doesn’t require changing several databases.

Most DBMSs can support multiple types of databases and offer different internal and external levels of organization. The internal level addresses cost, scalability and other operational concerns such as the layout of the database’s physical storage. The external level is the representation of the database on user interfaces and applications. It may include a mix of various external views (based on the different data models) and can also include virtual tables that are constructed from data that is generic to enhance performance.