The databases have always been an essential component of day-to-day life and with the rise of an electronic database, the presence of it has gradually increased. While conventional databases are considered to be as simple as a directory but, present-day databases are quite complex.
What is Data?
Data is a set of small pieces of information. It can be utilized in different forms such as text, numbers, media, bytes, etc. From a piece of paper to a hard disk, data can be stored.
The word ‘Data’ is derived from the word ‘datum’ which means ‘single piece of information’. It is the plural of the word datum.
In computing, Data is a piece of information that can be interpreted into a form for dynamic flow and processing. Data is interchangeable.
What is Database?
A database is just an organized set of facts or data, this may comprise of but not limited to texts, numbers, media files like audio, video, and images. The main purpose of it is to offer an effective and well-organized mechanism for storing, managing, and retrieving information.
Additionally, several dynamic websites across the globe are managed via databases. For instance, a model that checks for the availability of seats in a theatre. It is an example of a dynamic website that uses a database.
Nowadays, you can find several databases such as MySQL, Oracle, MongoDB, Sybase, Informix, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, etc.
Modern databases are managed by the database management system (DBMS).
Two Popular Types of Databases
MySQL: MySQL is the most extensively used open-source database which is comparatively simple to launch and used for numerous projects. It offers a wide set of users with a powerful and versatile tool. You can take maximum advantage of this tool to manage big and small projects.
Microsoft SQL: If you use a Windows server, this database will be useful and manageable. It is alike to MySQL and can handle projects of any size.
Why are Databases Essential?
Databases let businesses not only gather and store related and appropriate data but also well arrange the data in such a way that in-depth analysis can be done. For instance, businesses can create a list of items for sale and then arrange them by their type, price, demand, etc.
While businesses are accumulating more and more data from their clients and are collecting new kinds of data, the requirement to store and examine that data has too increased. This period of growth in data has been labeled as ‘Big Data’. Big Data has brought on current developments in technology that have massively extended the database capacity and processing power, which signifies that is capable of delivering even more informational tools and opportunities for businesses.
An ideal database is important to any organization or firm because the company’s relevant data like employee records, transactional records, salary details are stored in the company’s databases.
Now, let’s take a look at the reasons why we need a database:
Manages Huge Amounts of Data
Databases are efficient in storing and managing a huge amounts of data on regular basis. This likely be not possible for other tools like spreadsheet.
Accuracy
The databases are quite accurate as it consists of all kinds of build-in constraints, checks, etc. This indicates that the information available in a database is guaranteed to be precise in the majority of the cases.
Data Security
Databases offers several ways for the security of your data. One such way is that user logins are needed to access a database and various access specifiers. Only, authorized users will be allowed to access the database.
Easy Updation of Data
With a database, you can easily update data utilizing Data Manipulation Languages (DML) available. One such language is Structured Query Language (SQL).
Data Integrity
Data Integrity in databases ensures that the data is precise and consistent in a database.
Easy to Access and Research Data
It is quite simple to access and research data in a database. By using Data Query Languages (DQL) you will be able to search any data in the database and execute computations on that data.
Picking a database that is perfect for your business can be difficult. But, we at ByteNAP are happy to help you. We will not only help you make a decision but can also design and install, and configure the tailor-made solutions for your website requirements.