Database management is a method of coordinating the information that a company needs to run its business operations. It includes data storage, distributing it to users and applications and modifying it as needed, monitoring changes in the data and preventing it from getting damaged by unexpected failure. It is a component of the entire informational infrastructure of a company that supports decision making, corporate growth, and compliance with laws such as the GDPR and California Consumer Privacy Act.

The first database systems were invented in the 1960s by Charles Bachman, IBM and others. They evolved into information management systems (IMS), which allowed large amounts data to be stored and retrieved for a variety of reasons. From calculating inventory to aiding complex financial accounting functions as well as human resource functions.

A database is a set of tables that store data according to a specific pattern, such as one-to many relationships. It makes use of primary keys to identify records and allows cross-references between tables. Each table has a variety of fields, known as attributes, that represent facts about the data entities. The most popular type of database that is currently in use is a relational model designed by E. F. “Ted” Codd at IBM in the 1970s. This design is based on normalizing data to make it simpler to use. It is also simpler to update data because it doesn’t require changing many sections of the databases. corpsecorral.com

The majority of DBMSs support a variety of databases by offering different internal and external levels of organization. The internal level is focused on the cost, scalability, and other operational issues, like the physical layout of the database. The external level is the representation of the database in user interfaces and applications. It could include a mix of different external views based on different data models. It also could include virtual tables that are computed using generic data to enhance the performance.