Database management approach refers to the process of communication between users of a database and the database and the process of requesting data from the database, its retrieval and the mode of its transmission from the database to the user. Database management approaches are influenced by the mode of access to the database and the mode of storage of the data in the database.
One of the database management approaches is the distributed database management system (DDMS) which has a single logical database physically divided among networked computers at different physical locations. Computers in the network communicate through messages. Distributed database management systems may be homogeneous where each location has a local database management system or heterogeneous where at least two locations have different local database management systems.
The other type of database management approach is the client/ server approach which involves the use of a server, a computer providing data to clients and servers which are computers connected to a network and which are used by users to access data. Through the network, a client computer sends a data request to the database through the server computer. The server retrieves the requested data from the database and through the network sends the data to the client computer that requested it.
The third approach to database management is the web approach. This involves the use of internet to make requests for data from the database and making requested data available through the internet. A user of the database enters the URL fro a web page using a web browser, and this request is transmitted over the internet from the web client to the web server using the hypertext transfer protocol and transmission protocol. The web server locates the requested stored web page and transmits the web page to the client over the internet and displays it on the web client computer.
The other approach to database management system is the use of data warehouses. A data warehouse is a collection of subject oriented, integrated, time-variant and non volatile data meant to support management decision making process. One of the data warehouse approaches to database management is the online transaction processing (OLTP) system in which users use transactions when interacting with the database warehouse. The system responds immediately to the transaction data requests by the user. The online transaction processing system is simple and efficient, and this makes it faster and more accurate. The online transaction processing system may require the use of client/ server systems of complex transaction processing software to operate smoothly.
Database warehouse systems may also use the online analytical processing (OLAP) to make requests for data from the data warehouse, retrieve the data and respond to the user’s queries. OLAP uses a multi dimensional data model and allows fro rapid response to complex data queries. OLAP uses the client server architecture and allows multiuser support, flexible reporting, and unlimited dimensions and aggregation levels. OLAP employs the use of multidimensional database which organize data and express the relationships between data in a structure that can be represented as cubes, with each cube having data which can be interrelated with each other. This makes the data easily manipulated and thus able to deliver answers to data queries faster.
References
Adamski, J., J. & Pratt, P., J. (2009).Concepts of Database Management. London: Cengage South-Western
