Brief History Of Databases :: essays research papers

Brief History Of DatabasesIn the 1960s, the use of main frame computers became far-flung in manycompanies. To access vast amounts of stored teaching, these companiesstarted to use computer programs like COBOL and FORTRAN. Data accessibility anddata sharing soon became an important feature because of the walloping amount ofinformation recquired by different departments within certain companies. Withthis system, each application owns its own data files. The problems thusassociated with this type of file processing was ungoverned redundancy,inconsistent data, inflexibility, poor enforcement of standards, and lowprogrammer maintenance.In 1964, MIS (Management Information Systems) was introduced. Thiswould prove to be very influential towards future designs of computer systemsand the methods they will use in manipulating data.In 1966, Philip Kotler had the first description of how managers couldbenefit from the powerful capabilities of the electronic computer as amanagement tool.In 19 69, Berson developed a marketing information system for marketingresearch. In 1970, the Montgomery urban model was developed stressing thequantitative aspect of management by highlighting a data bank, a model bank, anda measurement statistics bank. All of these factors will be influential onfuture models of storing data in a pool. According to Martine, in 1981, adatabase is a shared collection of interrelated data designed to meet the needsof multiple types of end users. The data is stored in one location so that theyare independent of the programs that use them, keeping in mind data integritywith respect to the approaches to adding new data, modifying data, andretrieving existing data. A database is shared and perceived other than bymultiple users. This leads to the arrival of Database Management Systems.These systems first appeared around the 1970=s as solutions to problemsassociated with mainframe computers. Originally, pre-database programs accessedtheir own data files. Conseque ntly, similar data had to be stored in otherareas where that certain piece of information was relevant. Simple things likeaddresses were stored in customer information files, accounts receivable records,and so on. This created redundancy and inefficiency. Updating files, likestoring files, was in any case a problem. When a customer=s address changed, all thefields where that customer=s address was stored had to be changed. If a fieldhappened to be missed, wherefore an inconsistency was created. When requests todevelop new ways to manipulate and summarize data arose, it only added to theproblem of having files attached to specific applications. New system designhad to be done, including new programs and new data file storage methods. Theclose connection between data files and programs sent the costs for storage and