A database management system, or DBMS, is defined as a software system that
helps users define, create and/or maintain a database, as well as manage
control access to related data. DBMS software includes a number of programs
to help the primary user control the database, while allowing other users to
define, create, edit, store, or retrieve information from the database
within the DBMS environment.
Database Management System (DBMS) has several significant advantages as
compared to the previous data management approaches. With such advantages,
DBMS effectively overcomes the problems of existing traditional file
processing systems.
In this article, we discuss some of the major advantages of DBMS (Database
Management System). These advantages will certainly help people or
organizations to understand why they should upgrade to a database management
system from a traditional file system or other data management approach.
What are the advantages of DBMS?
Advantages of DBMS refer to all such activities, actions, or benefits that
make DBMS more useful and helpful as compared to the traditional file-based
system or its predecessors. Due to many benefits,
applications of DBMS
can be seen in almost all major industries or sectors like banking,
education, finance, medicine, defense, telecommunication, etc.
Let us discuss some of the most common advantages of a database management
system in detail:
Simplicity
Although it sounds complicated, a database management system is somewhat
easy to learn. It presents a simple, clean and straightforward conceptual or
logical view of the data. With some effort, users can easily learn how to
implement or perform basic operations such as inserting, creating, or
deleting data or files in a database.
Better Data Integration
Data integration refers to the process of combining data residing at
different locations and then presenting it to the user with a unified view.
With DBMS, we usually get access to well-managed, organized, and
synchronized data. Extensive access to well-managed data promotes an
integrated view of the organization's operations, making it easy to
understand. Apart from this, it also helps in keeping track of how one
segment of the company affects other segments.
Data Migration Support
Data migration refers to the process of moving or transferring data from one
storage system to another when changing/upgrading storage, database, or
application. DBMS allows users to take advantage of database migration
services and migrate their data from other file-based systems or databases
to database management systems.
Once the migration is complete, the data in the source location remains the
same, although a copy is made or even structured in the target DBMS database
as well.
Faster Data Access
With a DBMS, searching and accessing data is much easier and faster. Unlike
traditional file approaches, we don't need to write an individual program
for each specific search. Instead, DBMS enables us to write some small
queries and search the database for related information without wasting much
time.
Database management systems typically provide quick answers to such queries
(or queries) and make access to data very fast and exceptionally accurate.
This is one of the biggest benefits as we can quickly search and retrieve
any specific information that may be needed in an emergency.
For example, end-users may use queries such as the following:
• What is the profit of the previous month?
• What is the increase in sales in the last month?
• How many customers have a credit score above 790?
Better Decision Making
With DBMS, the management of data as well as access to the data has been
greatly improved. This can help in extracting better quality information in
no time, which can further help in taking necessary or quality decisions.
Quality decision-making can definitely lead any organization towards success
or growth.
Backup and Recovery
The database management system is designed in such a way that it can handle
backup and recovery automatically. DBMS takes care of the data and creates
backup copies from time to time. If there is any uncertainty or system
failure, the DBMS restores the most recent backup copy to keep the DBMS
running.
Apart from this, users can also take a backup of the database and keep a
copy of the database at a completely different location or an alternate
location where it remains safe in the event of a worst-case failure or a
crash of the original database.
Improved Data Sharing
Sharing data is one of the main advantages of a database management system.
With a DBMS, users with access control can share desired data between other
applications and users. DBMS is centralized and usually stores data with
multiple levels of access authorization across one or more servers on the
network. Data can be shared only if it meets certain authorization protocols
specified by the administrator.
DBMS also allows users to access data remotely and also gives the ability to
share the data among others.
Better Data Integrity
Data integrity refers to the accuracy and consistency of the data in the
database. Data integrity is an important factor in DBMS as there can be
multiple databases with data accessible for multiple users. The DBMS ensures
that the data remains accurate and consistent across all databases for all
users accessing data from the database. DBMS uses multiple integrity
constraints to maintain data integrity.
Improved Data Security
With more users accessing data and sharing it among others, there is a
greater risk of data security. Organizations primarily invest time, effort,
and money to ensure that their data remains secure in any scenario. DBMS
helps them to accomplish data security as it provides a framework to ensure
data security along with following strong security policies.
Since data security is a major concern, DBMS allows only authorized users to
access the database. To authenticate identity or grant access privileges,
the DBMS uses various mechanisms, such as usernames and passwords. It
restricts unauthorized users to access the database and keeps the data
secure under any circumstances.
Improved Data Privacy
Even though only authorized users can access the database using the DBMS, it
also ensures that each user only accesses the data according to the
specified privacy constraints. A DBMS has multiple levels of database
access, allowing users to access only data that is allowed for a particular
user. Not every user can access all the data in the database by using
limited access privileges.
For example, in social media sites, users have access to their specific
accounts and information because the access constraints differ from one
account to another. When shared publicly, the information becomes visible to
all users. Thus, data privacy is feasible with the DBMS.
Balanced Data Concurrency
Since a DBMS stores data in one or more servers on the network, multiple
users can access and modify the data in the database. DBMS uses different
software locking mechanisms to restrict multiple users to modify the same
set of data at the same time. This allows balanced data concurrency,
allowing one user to make changes at a time.
Minimized Data Redundancy
Data redundancy appears when the same data is stored unnecessarily multiple
times in different locations. Data redundancy is quite common in traditional
file-based systems. With file-based systems, data is usually stored multiple
times in different locations in a system or sometimes even across multiple
systems. However, it has been minimized or almost removed in DBMS.
With a DBMS, all data is stored in a single database in one centralized
location, even though the data is managed by multiple users and for multiple
applications. Any changes made to the data are reflected immediately in the
same data or file in the same database. Because of this, there are no
duplicates of data or any possibility of encountering duplicate data.
Minimized Data Inconsistency
In the traditional file system, changes made by one user to one application
do not get updated in another application, even though both have the same
set of details. In this way, the data may vary from user to user depending
on the application.
For example, suppose we have the address of a person in multiple tables.
When we change it in only one table, it is not updated in other tables,
causing a data inconsistency problem.
Data redundancy leads to data inconsistency. Since there is no data
redundancy in DBMS, data consistency is minimized or almost removed with
DBMS. DBMS uses a single repository of data, which is defined only once and
is accessed by multiple users, thereby ensuring data consistency.
Low Maintenance
Although setting up an entire DBMS environment can be somewhat costly at
times, its maintenance cost is comparatively very less. Maintenance includes
all such routine work that is done with the intention of improving the
database and its functioning. This usually includes performance checks,
checking for data errors, finding hardware faults, freeing up disk space,
installing updates, etc.
Multi-Access Support
Multi-access or multi-user support is a huge advantage of using a DBMS. It
allows multiple users from different locations to access a particular data
from the database simultaneously. With multi-access support, information is
available to each authorized person across the organization in different
departments.
Increased End-User Productivity
The availability of data in the database, with the support of multiple
specialized tools, helps in extracting useful information whenever the users
require it. It somehow enables the end-users to make quick, informative, and
better decisions, which can make a significant difference between the
success and failure of any organization.
Summary
This article discusses more than 15 advantages of DBMS (Database Management
System). Due to the significant advantages, DBMS has become one of the main
needs of many organizations these days to perform data management-based
tasks.
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