databasesThe Many Faces of Databases Large databases can contain hundreds of related files. Fortunately, a database management system can protect users from the complex inner workings of the system, providing them with only the information and commands they need to do their jobs. Indeed, a well-designed database presents different faces for different classes of users. Scaling and Decentralization Early file management programs could only perform batch processing, which required users to accumulate transactions and enter them into computers in large batches. These batch systems were not capable of providing the kind of immediate feedback we expect today. Today, disk drives, inexpensive memory, and sophisticated software have allowed interactive computing to replace batch processing for most applications. Users can now interact with data via terminals, viewing and modifying values ​​in real time. Batch processing is still used to print invoices, invoices, and periodic reports, and to create backup copies of data files. But for applications that require immediacy, such as airline reservations, banking transactions and the like, interactive, multi-user database systems have taken over. Until recently, most databases were hosted on mainframe computers. But for a growing number of organizations, the traditional centralized database on a mainframe system is no longer the norm. Some companies use a client/server approach: Database software on client desktop computers works with files stored in central server databases on mainframes, minicomputers, or desktop computers. Other companies use distributed databases that use data spread across the network across multiple computers. From the user's perspective, the differences between these approaches may not be obvious. The databases of tomorrow? Many computer scientists believe that the relational data model may be supplanted in the next decade by an object-oriented data model and that most future databases will be object-oriented databases rather than relational databases. Instead of storing records in tables and hierarchies, object-oriented databases store software objects that contain procedures (or statements) along with the data. Object-oriented databases are often used in conjunction with object-oriented programming languages. Tomorrow's databases will be able to intelligently respond to commands and questions issued in natural human language. Rules of Thumb: Managing Databases Some common sense rules when working with file managers or relational database management systems are: o Choose the right tool for the job. o Think about how to disseminate the information before entering it. o Start with a plan and be prepared to change it.