Lab Notes Database vs File System | DBMS Basics | HBO | 2026/27

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DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM LAB MANUAL




Database vs File System, DBMS Basics, and Creating Your First Database
1. Objective:
By the end of this lab, students will be able to:
 Understand the basic concept of a database.
 Understand what a Database Management System (DBMS) is.
 Differentiate between a file system and a database system.
 Understand the basic components of a database.
 Understand the purpose of MySQL.
 Explore the basic interface of MySQL Workbench.
 Connect to a MySQL server using MySQL Workbench.
 Create a database using SQL.
 Select and view a database in MySQL Workbench.
 Understand the basic relationship between a database, table, rows, and columns.


2. HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIRED:
Hardware
 PC or Laptop
 Minimum 4 GB RAM
 Keyboard and Mouse
 Internet connection
Software
 MySQL Server
 MySQL Workbench
 Windows / Linux / macOS operating system
 Web browser for accessing learning resources, if required
Other Requirements
 Access to LMS
 Student's assigned lab folder for saving screenshots
 Basic knowledge of computer operation



3. INTRODUCTION
 What is Data?
Data is a collection of raw facts and values that can be stored and processed.
Examples:
 Student name
 Student ID
 Course name
 Marks
 Phone number
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DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM LAB MANUAL
 Address
For example:
Muqadus
2026-CS-101
Database Systems
These individual values are examples of data.

 WHAT IS A DATABASE?
A database is an organized collection of related data that can be stored, accessed, and managed efficiently.
For example, a university may need to store information about:
 Students
 Teachers
 Courses
 Departments
 Marks
 Attendance
Instead of keeping this information in separate unorganized files, it can be stored in a structured database.




Example:
A student database may contain:

Student_ID Name Program Semester
101 Ali BSCS 5
102 Sara BSSE 6
103 Ahmed BECSE 4

Here, the information is organized in a structured form.

 WHAT IS A FILE SYSTEM?
A file system stores data in separate files and folders.
For example, a university might store:

Students.xlsx
Teachers.xlsx
Courses.xlsx
Attendance.xlsx
Marks.xlsx

Each file may contain related information.
A file system can be useful for simple data storage, but managing large amounts of related data can become
difficult.


 WHAT IS A DBMS?
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DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM LAB MANUAL
DBMS stands for:
Database Management System
A DBMS is software used to create, store, organize, retrieve, update, and manage data in databases.
Examples of DBMS include:
 MySQL
 Oracle Database
 Microsoft SQL Server
 PostgreSQL
 SQLite
A DBMS helps users to:
 Create databases
 Store data
 Retrieve data
 Update data
 Delete data
 Organize data
 Control access to data
 Manage large amounts of information

 WHAT IS MYSQL?
MySQL is a relational database management system that uses SQL (Structured Query Language) to work
with data.
In this course, we will use MySQL to:
 Create databases
 Create tables
 Insert data
 Retrieve data
 Update data
 Delete data
 Perform queries
 Work with relationships


WHAT IS SQL?
SQL stands for: Structured Query Language
SQL is used to communicate with a relational database.
For example:

CREATE DATABASE UniversityDB;
This SQL statement creates a new database named: UniversityDB
SQL commands are generally written in the SQL Editor of MySQL Workbench.

PRACTICAL ACTIVITY 1 — OPEN MYSQL WORKBENCH
Objective
To open MySQL Workbench and establish a connection with the MySQL Server.
Steps
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