Understanding Databases: Computer-readable Information vs Database, Levels of Abstraction, and Disad

What is a database?

Question 1 – Computer-readable information vs databaseHow do we use the word ‘database’? What ‘is’ a database (I)?

Question 2 – What ‘is’ a database (II)?A collection of computer-processable files vs a ‘database’.

(a)

(b) Three disadvantages of a file-based system includes:

1. duplication, where the same information is required of different applications, costing memory space and may cause inconsistency in data

2. separation and isolation, where due to the de-centralised approach of data storage, files belonging to different departments cannot be accessed or used together in order to create more complex data and analysis

3. program-data dependence, where due to each file belonging to its application program and thus differently defined accordingly, it usually leads to incompatible file formats between applications, making data sharing impossible across different departments.

(c) 1. Yes 2. No Question 3 – The 'Levels of Abstraction' of a database

(a) External

(b) Internal

(c) Conceptual, Internal

(d) Conceptual