Managing Data

Assessment of the expected benefits of database management systems (DBMS) revealed a partial realization of its goals and several problems. The database approach advertises benefits in the following areas: 1. support of multiple views of data, 2. minimum data redundancy, 3. data integration, 4. data language and device independence, 5. flexibility in application programs, and 6. control over data security and integrity. Technical problems, such as limitations of DBMS software, system performance, and incompatibility among software tools, as well as organizational barriers, including data ownership and lack of database design skills, have hindered the fulfillment of DBMS promises. Three major benefits of DBMS on which future successful development can be founded are: 1. increased attention to data over processing efficiency, 2. greater regard for integrity and security, and 3. evolution of 4th-generation languages.