A. Database Fundamentals

Most of the readers of this book should understand the basic concepts and fundamentals of database technology. However, many folks who think they understand the basics often do not have the knowledge and understanding they believe they have. Therefore, this appendix serves as a very brief introduction to the fundamentals of database management systems.

What Is a Database?

What is a database? The answer to this question may surprise some readers. Oracle is not a database; neither is DB2 or SQL Server. Each of these is a DBMS, or database management system. You can use Oracle, DB2, or SQL Server to create a database, but none of these themselves are databases. Many people, even skilled professionals, confuse the overall ...

Get Database Administration: The Complete Guide to DBA Practices and Procedures, Second Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.