This task is an try to current a place paper concerning the pros and cons of a database management system (DBMS) for a new a newly established multi-campus Mpokeleshi College library in Muchinga province of Zambia. It additional offers sufficiently clear arguments to allow the vice-chancellor make an knowledgeable determination on the way in which ahead. The paper will first outline the key ideas underneath evaluate earlier than outlining the pros and cons of a database management system (DBMS) and lastly give sufficiently clear arguments to allow the vice-chancellor make an knowledgeable determination on the way in which ahead.
DEFINITIONS OF MAJOR CONCEPTS
To start with are the definitions of main ideas underneath evaluate and these are pros and cons, and database management system (DBMS). Based on the oxford college dictionary, pros and cons imply benefits and disadvantages or arguments for and towards one thing. A database management system (DBMS) however could be damaged down and be outlined as single ideas as follows: ‘knowledge’ are the uncooked info or figures that are processed to get the knowledge. A database is a assortment of knowledge saved in a standardized format, designed to be processed, shared by totally different customers and might have single or a number of tables organized in rows and columns.
Subsequently, a database management system (DBMS) could be outlined as “ a software program that defines a database, shops the info and helps a question language, produces reviews, and creates knowledge entry types”, (Laudon, 2000:221). Others have outlined a database management system as a complicated set of software program packages that controls the group, storage, management, and retrieval of knowledge in a database.
ADVANTAGES OF DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Database management system (DBMS) is a central system which supplies a widespread interface between the info and the assorted front-end packages within the utility. It additionally supplies a central location for the entire knowledge within the utility to reside. Database management system (DBMS) has a number of benefits and amongst them contains minimal knowledge redundancy: because the complete knowledge resides in a single central database, the assorted packages within the utility can entry knowledge in several knowledge recordsdata. Subsequently, knowledge current in a single file needn’t be duplicated in one other file thus lowering knowledge redundancy which in flip results in higher knowledge consistency (O’brien, 2003).
The different notable benefit of database management system (DBMS) is knowledge integration: since associated knowledge is saved in a single single database, imposing knowledge integrity is far simpler. Furthermore, the capabilities of the database management system (DBMS) can be utilized to implement the integrity guidelines with minimal programming within the utility packages. Information sharing is one other benefit of a database management system (DBMS): Associated knowledge could be shared throughout packages because the knowledge is saved in a centralized method. Even new functions could be developed to function towards the identical knowledge since a number of customers can entry and use the identical knowledge for totally different functions, supplied they’re licensed customers, as you could be conscious that databases are usually protected by passwords to keep away from unauthorized customers from accessing and or manipulating such database content material (Date, 2003:268-276).
Enforcement of requirements and higher controls are additionally achieved as a result of centralized nature of the system. Requirements within the group and construction of knowledge recordsdata is required, and can also be simple in a knowledge system since it’s one single set of packages which is at all times interacting with the info recordsdata. One other benefit which supplies database management system (DBMS) a plus is utility growth ease: the appliance programmer needn’t construct the capabilities for dealing with points like concurrent entry, safety, knowledge integrity to say however a few, the programmer as an alternative solely must implement the appliance enterprise guidelines.
This therefore brings in utility growth ease as a result of addition of further useful modules turns into simpler than in file-based techniques. Nijssen, (1976:158) outlines that knowledge independence is yet one more benefit of database management system (DBMS): He outlines that knowledge independence is isolating an higher degree from the adjustments within the group or construction of a decrease degree. For instance, if adjustments within the file group of a knowledge file don’t demand for adjustments within the capabilities within the database management system (DBMS) or within the utility packages, knowledge independence is achieved. He additional defines that knowledge as immunity of functions to vary in bodily illustration and entry methods.
The provision of knowledge independence is one of the key aims of database techniques as a result of architectural nature of a database management system (DBMS) which could be considered as a three degree system comprising the inner or bodily degree the place the info resides, the conceptual degree which the extent of the DBMS capabilities and final however not the least the exterior degree which is the extent of utility packages or the tip customers. As a result of centralized nature of a database management system (DBMS) upkeep price is diminished thus accounting for yet one more benefit of DBMS.
It’s usually acceptable that it prices a lot much less to create a system of smaller computer systems with the equal energy as a single giant and costly laptop. This makes it less expensive for company divisions and departments to acquire separate and cheaper computer systems. Additionally it is far more cost-effective so as to add workstations to a community than to replace a mainframe system. One other dimension of price discount is taking benefit of economies of scale. It’s usually argued that the fee of processing and upkeep of particular person and geographically distant techniques could also be costly versus processing and sustaining a centralized system which can be a lot economical as a result of the technical experience required for operating such a complicated system could be centralized or concentrated at one website therefore lowering the fee which might have been incurred for operating separate and geographically distant techniques (Conolly, 1997).
DISADVANTAGES OF DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Regardless of the assorted benefits of database management techniques (DBMS), it’s price mentioning that it has its personal shortcomings or disadvantages or quite challenges, and some of them embrace confidentiality, privateness and safety: It’s price noting that when data is centralized and is accessed by a large quantity of customers remotely, the likelihood of abuse are sometimes extra, versus a typical knowledge processing system, thereby compromising the degrees of confidentiality, privateness and safety. Subsequently, to cut back the possibility of unauthorized customers from accessing and abusing delicate data, it’s essential to take technical, administrative, and presumably authorized measures to curb such abuse if a database management system (DBMS) is to proceed to serve its supposed objective of informing, entertaining and certainly educating the lots (Laudon, 2004:223).
Equally, because the database is accessible to many customers remotely, satisfactory controls are wanted to manage unauthorized customers from updating knowledge on the database if knowledge high quality and knowledge integrity are to be maintained. Moreover, with the elevated quantity of customers accessing knowledge instantly, there are higher alternatives for the customers to wreck the database except there are appropriate controls put in place to make sure knowledge accessibility and high quality shouldn’t be compromised. Enterprise vulnerability is yet one more problem of a database management system (DBMS). It’s price noting that centralizing all the info of an enterprise in a single database might imply that such a database turns into an indispensable and a dependable useful resource.
Subsequently, the survival of the enterprise might rely upon dependable data being out there on its database on a regular basis. If the danger of potential injury is left unchecked by overlooking satisfactory upkeep and upgrading, the entire enterprise due to this fact turns into weak to larger influence of failure. Based on (Conolly, 1997:689), complexity and price account for one other demerit of a database management system (DBMS). It is not uncommon information that a complicated conceptual design course of wants a number of exterior properly certified workers with the mandatory technical experience, who’re in most situations scarce and presumably costly to rent.
The proven fact that a complicated system requires further and or new and software program for upkeep and or upgrading that are costly even worsens the prohibitive price of operating an efficient database management system (DBMS) for small enterprises as they usually battle with price justification for making such large investments within the infrastructure, or backup and restoration in instances of injury and or failure of the system.
JUSTIFICATION FOR A DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR A MULTI-CAMPUS UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
Regardless of the above outlined disadvantages of database management techniques (DBMS), it’s price noting that the benefits of DBMS outweigh the disadvantages and some of the weaknesses must be considered as mere challenges of database management techniques (DBMS) versus being disadvantages as a result of they are often mitigated. For instance, the challenges of price of operating a complicated database management system could be mitigated by reducing the relative price of knowledge transmission throughout the community by introducing native entry.
It could be far more economical to partition the appliance and carry out the processing domestically at every website or quite at every at every campus library of the multi-campus college. Moreover, the problem of prohibitive price of kick beginning and or operating a complicated database management system (DBMS) will also be minimized by the appliance of what is named the “Grosh’s regulation” of economics which argues that: computing energy is calculated based on the sq. of the price of the tools: 3 times the fee might present 9 occasions of energy, which is why it prices a lot much less to create a system of small computer systems with the equal energy of a single giant laptop.
This makes it less expensive for company divisions and departments to acquire small separate computer systems, which on this case could be equated to operating a small and cost-effective library networks at every website of the multi-campus college (Conolly, 1997:688). He goes on to argue that a distributed database management system (DDBMS) might be ideally suited for a multi-campus college library versus a centralized database management system (CDBMS) on account of improved availability and improved reliability.
On the one hand, improved availability is enhanced within the sense that not like in a centralized database management system (CDBMS) the place a laptop failure can terminate the operations of the database management system (DBMS), conversely, a failure at one website of a distributed database management system (DDBMS) or a failure of a communication hyperlink making similar websites inaccessible doesn’t render your entire system inoperable. It’s nonetheless spectacular to notice that on this kind of a system, if a single node fails, the system might be able to reroute the failed node’s request to a different website therefore bettering availability to numerous customers of a multi-campus college library.
Alternatively, improved reliability can also be achieved as a result of knowledge could also be replicated in order that it exists in multiple website, equally, the failure of a node or a communication hyperlink doesn’t essentially make the info inaccessible to numerous customers of a multi-campus college library. Final however not the least, in a multi-campus library setup, knowledge can bodily reside nearest to the place it’s most frequently accessed, thus offering customers with native management of the info that they work together with. This ends in native autonomy of the info permitting customers to implement domestically the insurance policies concerning entry to and or manipulation of their database management system (DBMS).
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, database management techniques (DBMS) have continued to make knowledge association, storage, entry and retrieval a lot simpler than it was within the olden days. With the emergency of the relational mannequin of database management techniques (which is a software program that’s used to create and use a relational database-which in flip is a database that conforms to the relational mannequin, and refers to a database’s knowledge and schema), a lot of the huge problem related to dealing with giant and complicated databases has been diminished. With the continued and advances in analysis, it’s extremely expectant that extra and superior database management merchandise will likely be availed in the marketplace to enhance on the present ones therefore additional minimizing the challenges of operating a complicated database management system.
