DB2 Overview (Module 2)

DBMS vs. RDBMS

Objectives Welcome to Database Management Systems (DBMSs) versus Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMSs). In this topic, you'll learn about relational theory. You'll become more familiar with an RDBMS and how it organizes data. You'll also see an example of an RDBMS and the platforms it runs in. Are you ready? Let's roll! Relational Theory Before we examine relational databases, let's take a look at another well-known database structure. A DBMS can be a hierarchical database. It contains a hierarchy of dependent data. Think of the DBMS as having a parent/child design. Relationships are built into each related record through pointers. You can see this illustrated in the visual. There's a file containing company records. A record in the company file may have one or more related records in the division file. The data relationships are established with child pointers, which are embedded in every record in the database.

To find a specific child record in the division file for a specific parent record in the company file, find the parent record and follow its pointer to the division record. You can access and view application data in a hierarchical manner. However, most novices to data processing don't think in hierarchical terms. Learning to program for and administer a hierarchical DBMS is a complex process and requires many months of training. You have to tell a hierarchical database how to navigate through its structure. In other words, you have to tell it where to start and what pointers to follow. Developing a DBMS can be slow. However, hierarchical DBMSs can be very fast. As a result of their tremendous processing speed, they continue to be major players in the data processing world. Ease of working with an RDBMS You saw in the last topic how convenient a DBMS is. It solves a lot of concurrency issues as well as handles data integrity and recovery. Now let's discuss a relational database management system (RDBMS). An RDBMS has many features similar to a DBMS. But an RDBMS is a specific type of DBMS. The theory behind an RDBMS is founded on mathematical set theory. Operations are done on sets or tables of data. These tables are referred to as relations. A relation is a table--in other words, a set of records. The relational theory was founded on 12 rules. The number one rule is that the data must be in a table format. Any database product that follows these 12 principles can be called a relational database. IBM's implementation of these 12 rules is the DB2 product. Therefore, an RDBMS is a table database management system. You can see this illustrated in the visual. Notice that the data is organized into columns and rows. Also, notice how two different users are accessing the exact same set of data.

IBM offers DB2 on four platforms. Let's take a closer look. Mainframe On the mainframe, there are two operating systems: OS/390 and VM/VSE. On the OS/390 system, the current DB2 product is DB2 Universal Database (UDB) for OS/390. On the VM/VSE system, the current DB2 product is DB2 for VM/VSE. Midrange On the midrange platform, the RDBMS is an integral part of the operating system. An AS/400 is a good example of a midrange that has DB2 integrated with its operating system. The current DB2 product for the AS/400 is DB2 Universal Database (UDB) for AS/400. UNIX On the UNIX or AIX platform, the current DB2 product is DB2 Universal Database (UDB) for UNIX, Windows, and OS/2. There are different flavors of the UNIX DB2 UDB for various operating systems. Some examples include HP-UX, Solaris, SINIX, and LINUX. Intel On the desktop computers using OS/2 or Windows operating systems such as Windows NT, the current DB2 product is DB2 Universal Database (UDB) for UNIX, Windows, and OS/2.

Ease of working with an RDBMS (continued) The first of the 12 relational principles is that data is in a table format. A very common example of table data is the phonebook. You might not realize you're using a table, but you are. The phonebook has columns that never change, for example, LAST NAME, FIRST NAME, ADDRESS, and PHONE NUMBER. Every listing in the phone book makes a row in the table. RDBMSs understand a common language known as Structured Query Language (SQL). You must have a language to access and maintain tables. There are strict rules associated with SQL-- hence, the word, "structured." You'll see this discussed in more detail in the next topic. You're making great progress! You've almost finished this stage. Before you get to the end, though, there are three checkpoint questions to answer. These questions simply assess what you've learned about DBMS vs. RDBMS. You'll have two tries to answer each question correctly. Are you ready? Let's get going! Which of the following is not true about relational theory? You can access and view RDBMS application data in a hierarchical manner. You don't have to put data in a table format. You have to tell a hierarchical database how to navigate through its structure.

What is an RDBMS? A database that stores data in a table format A database that is not concurrent A database that always has the same columns and rows of data Which of the following is not an example of a platform DB2 uses? UNIX Midranges Internet

Congratulations! You've finished this stage of the course. Well done! In this topic, you've learned about hierarchical DBMSs and how they manage files. You've become more familiar with an RDBMS and how it organizes data. You've also seen the many platforms that DB2 can run in. Now you're ready to learn about the language that makes DB2 work. Let's shift gears and move to the next leg of the course.