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"Databases
today are essential to every business. They are used to maintain
internal records, to present data to customers and clients on the
World-Wide-Web, and to support many other commercial processes.
Databases are likewise found at the core of many scientific
investigations. They represent the data gathered by astronomers, by
investigators of the human genome, and by biochemists exploring the
medicinal properties of proteins, along with many other scientists.
The
power of
databases comes from a body of knowledge and technology that has
developed over several decades and is embodied in specialized software
called a database management system, or DBMS, or more colloquially a
"database system". A DBMS is a powerful tool for creating and managing
large amounts of data efficiently and allowing it to persist over long
periods of time, safely. These systems are among the most complex types
of software available."
page
1, Database Systems: The Complete Book by Hector Garcia-Molina, Jeffrey
D. Ullman, Jennifer D. Widom, Prentice Hall 2001
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”Databases
are everywhere. They provide functionality for client-server
applications, for legacy organizational applications, and for both
business-to-customer and business-to-business e-commerce applications.
They are also used on millions of desktops. Because of this popularity,
database processing has become the most important topic in the
information systems curriculum. Knowledge of database design,
development, administration and access technology is critical for the
success of every information systems
graduate.
Unfortunately,
increased popularity has not meant increased competency. Many students
(as well as professionals) have been deceived by the simplicity of
creating small databases using products such as Microsoft access. With
this background, they believe they know sufficient database technology
to create databases that have more complicated structure and greater
processing complexity. The result is often a mess: databases are hard
to use, barely meet system requirements, and are difficult to redesign."
page
xi, Database Processing: Fundamentals, Design, and Implementation by
David Kroenke, Prentice Hall 2003
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