Files and Databases

Chapter 12

Organizing and Maintaining Digital Data

© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000

Ch 12 FAQ © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000 2 CCI

Database Administration

• The DBA has an all-encompassing job. Both the Network Administrator and the Database Administrator have the task of maintaining and maximizing systems while maintaining stable and quick access

Ch 12 FAQ © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000 3 CCI

Database Administration (continued)

• Therefore, it is often the very competent Administrator who is never noticed, because everything works.

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Database Management Systems

• The accumulation of real, accurate, useable data is difficult

• Once a database is established, it is only as good as the above factors

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Object-Oriented Database

• True object-oriented databases can handle the classification and storage of any objects.

• In an effort to become competitive, many relational databases have been modified to accept limited types of objects, such as Microsoft Access, which has pictures in its master example, Northwind

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OODBMS

• Although Microsoft Access has pictures, such modified databases are not fully functional OODBMSs

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Access Security

• Physical security is the easiest to provide and the easiest to break

• Using and changing good passwords should not be a difficult task for people

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System Recovery• The number one problem

with system recovery is that businesses never really establish a test system to attempt recovery on. Once a year a full and partial recovery should be accomplished.

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Mining, Warehouses, “Siftware”

• Data mart– is the classification of warehouse

into smaller, more numerous management segments

• Data must be verified and not assumed to be true just because it came from an extensive search

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Privacy Enactment• Privacy Act of 1974, the

Freedom of Information Act, and Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act– these all work, but it

generally takes long periods of time for individuals to obtain information

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Finance Privacy

• If there is an inaccuracy, one avenue is to present your documentation to the company that posted the inaccuracy

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Health Privacy

• Medical records can be lost– it is a good idea to

yearly put a backup copy of your updated medical records in a secure spot other than your home

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Employment Privacy

• As employees, awareness of these laws are critical– do not assume that a telephone call

from an authorized business for employment information is, in fact, from them

– Verify the caller before giving out information