1.1: Introduction and Background

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How were things managed before technology became a major influence in our lives? Tracking information was difficult before the employment of databases. There was plenty of room for error with the pen and paper method. It was not until the 1960s when databases were used from a computer-based format. However, most computerized databases still use the principles and methods developed in the previous age.

Databases now are used everywhere to store information. Whether it be in a customer management system or tracking bank information, databases are utilized to store the necessary data for later use. Data is structured in rows and columns featuring different fields for queries and stored in multiple tables to showcase the relationship between them. According to Oracle.com, “Databases have evolved dramatically since their inception in the early 1960s” (Oracle). In the beginning, only navigational databases, such as the hierarchical and network database, were employed. As time went on, new types of databases were created based on the needs of organizations and the management of their data.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Database Management. (Copyright; https://www.smartsheet.com/database-management)

In the image shown above, a database is used in a database management system (DBMS) for short, is a form of software that allows an organization to access and manipulate data that will be showcased in a form that is unable to be changed by other applications and users.