4/30/25, 12:13 AM WGU C175 - Data Management - Fundations
Unit 1: Introduction to dBs, inf ormation and data
Introduction to Dat abases, Information and Dat a
Data is
Is ubiquitous ((abundant , global, everywher e) and pervasive (unescapable, pr evalent,
persistent)
Consists of raw facts
Must be formatted for storage, processing and presen tation.
Foundation of informa tion, which is the bedr ock of knowledge.
Verifiable if the data alw ays yields consistent results.
Information is
The result of processing raw data to reveal its meaning.
Can be used as the fo undation for decision making.
To reveal meaning information requires context.
NOTE:
Data and information are not the same thing.
Raw data must be properly formatt ed for storage, processing and prese ntation.
Most data that can be encou ntered are best classified as semi-structured.
Knowledge
The body of information and facts about a specific subject. K nowledge implies f amiliarity,
awareness, and understanding of information as it applies to an en vironment. A key
characteristic is that new knowledge ca n be derived from old knowledge.
Application: Migh t be written by a pr ogrammer or it might be cr eated through a DBMS utility
program.
Key Points
Data constitutes the building blocks of inf ormation.
Information is produced by process ing data.
Information is used to r eveal the meaning of data.
Accurate, relevant, and timely information is the key to good decision making.
Good decision making is the k ey to organizational survival in a global en vironment.
File Structure
Format that data is arranged and stored in a file
Types of Files
Flat files: Files having no internal hierarchy
Heap files: Files containing an unsorted set o f records that are uniquely identified by a r ecord id
which allows them t o be inserted or dele ted using that id.
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, 4/30/25, 12:13 AM WGU C175 - Data Management - Fundations
Index files: Files that store a list of lookup field values from a data file – along with the location
(address) in the data file of the corresponding record. Because the lookup field is much smaller
than the entire record, the entire index will usually fit in main memory for quick look up. Once
the address of the record is obtained from the index, the entire record can then be directly
accessed from the data file instead of reading in the entire data file – record by record, in order
to locate the desired one.
Hashed files: Files which use a hash function to dec ide where a record should be placed on a
disk. This allows for faster data lookup without the use of an index file.
Data Management
A process that focuses on data collection, storage, and retrieval. Common data management
functions include addition, deletion, modific ation, and listing.
Database is
A shared, integrated computer structure that houses a collection of related data. A database
contains two types of data:
End-user data (raw facts)
Metadata, or data about data, characteristics and relationships
Make data persistent and shareable in a secure way
Database Management system (DBMS)
The collection of programs that manages the database structure and controls access to the data
stored in the database. The database structure in a DBMS is stored as a collection of files.
NOTE: DBMS respond to queries wit h a query result set.
Advantages of DBMS
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Unit 1: Introduction to dBs, inf ormation and data
Introduction to Dat abases, Information and Dat a
Data is
Is ubiquitous ((abundant , global, everywher e) and pervasive (unescapable, pr evalent,
persistent)
Consists of raw facts
Must be formatted for storage, processing and presen tation.
Foundation of informa tion, which is the bedr ock of knowledge.
Verifiable if the data alw ays yields consistent results.
Information is
The result of processing raw data to reveal its meaning.
Can be used as the fo undation for decision making.
To reveal meaning information requires context.
NOTE:
Data and information are not the same thing.
Raw data must be properly formatt ed for storage, processing and prese ntation.
Most data that can be encou ntered are best classified as semi-structured.
Knowledge
The body of information and facts about a specific subject. K nowledge implies f amiliarity,
awareness, and understanding of information as it applies to an en vironment. A key
characteristic is that new knowledge ca n be derived from old knowledge.
Application: Migh t be written by a pr ogrammer or it might be cr eated through a DBMS utility
program.
Key Points
Data constitutes the building blocks of inf ormation.
Information is produced by process ing data.
Information is used to r eveal the meaning of data.
Accurate, relevant, and timely information is the key to good decision making.
Good decision making is the k ey to organizational survival in a global en vironment.
File Structure
Format that data is arranged and stored in a file
Types of Files
Flat files: Files having no internal hierarchy
Heap files: Files containing an unsorted set o f records that are uniquely identified by a r ecord id
which allows them t o be inserted or dele ted using that id.
about:blank 1/10
, 4/30/25, 12:13 AM WGU C175 - Data Management - Fundations
Index files: Files that store a list of lookup field values from a data file – along with the location
(address) in the data file of the corresponding record. Because the lookup field is much smaller
than the entire record, the entire index will usually fit in main memory for quick look up. Once
the address of the record is obtained from the index, the entire record can then be directly
accessed from the data file instead of reading in the entire data file – record by record, in order
to locate the desired one.
Hashed files: Files which use a hash function to dec ide where a record should be placed on a
disk. This allows for faster data lookup without the use of an index file.
Data Management
A process that focuses on data collection, storage, and retrieval. Common data management
functions include addition, deletion, modific ation, and listing.
Database is
A shared, integrated computer structure that houses a collection of related data. A database
contains two types of data:
End-user data (raw facts)
Metadata, or data about data, characteristics and relationships
Make data persistent and shareable in a secure way
Database Management system (DBMS)
The collection of programs that manages the database structure and controls access to the data
stored in the database. The database structure in a DBMS is stored as a collection of files.
NOTE: DBMS respond to queries wit h a query result set.
Advantages of DBMS
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