Database management

Terms related to databases, including definitions about relational databases and words and phrases about database management.

primary key (primary keyword) - A primary key, also called a primary keyword, is a column in a relational database table that's distinctive for each record.
query - A query is a question or a request for information expressed in a formal manner.
raw data (source data or atomic data) - Raw data is the data originally generated by a system, device or operation, and has not been processed or changed in any way.
RDBMS (relational database management system) - A relational database management system (RDBMS) is a collection of programs and capabilities that enable IT teams and others to create, update, administer and otherwise interact with a relational database.
read-only - Read-only is a file attribute which only allows a user to view a file, restricting any writing to the file.
record - In computer data processing, a record is a collection of data items arranged for processing by a program.
refactoring - Refactoring is the process of restructuring code, while not changing its original functionality.
relational database - A relational database is a type of database that organizes data points with defined relationships for easy access.
RFM analysis (recency, frequency, monetary) - RFM analysis is a marketing technique used to quantitatively rank and group customers based on the recency, frequency and monetary total of their recent transactions to identify the best customers and perform targeted marketing campaigns.
SAP BW (Business Warehouse) - SAP Business Warehouse (BW) is a model-driven data warehousing product based on the SAP NetWeaver ABAP platform.
SAP S/4HANA - SAP S/4HANA is an ERP business suite based on the SAP HANA in-memory database that allows companies to perform transactions and analyze business data in real time.
schema - In computer programming, a schema (pronounced SKEE-mah) is the organization or structure for a database, while in artificial intelligence (AI), a schema is a formal expression of an inference rule.
serverless database - A serverless database is a type of cloud database that is fully managed for an organization by a cloud service provider and runs on demand as needed to support applications.
sharding - Sharding is a type of database partitioning that separates large databases into smaller, faster, more easily managed parts.
SOA repository - An SOA repository is a database containing the software and metadata that constitute an SOA registry.
Spine-leaf (spine-leaf architecture) - Spine-leaf, or leaf-spine, is a two-layer network topology composed of spine and leaf switches.
SQL injection (SQLi) - A SQL injection (SQLi) is a technique that attackers use to gain unauthorized access to a web application database by adding a string of malicious code to a database query.
star schema - A star schema is a database organizational structure optimized for use in a data warehouse or business intelligence that uses a single large fact table to store transactional or measured data, and one or more smaller dimensional tables that store attributes about the data.
stored procedure - A stored procedure is a group of statements with a specific name, which are stored inside a database, such as MySQL or Oracle.
structured data - Structured data is data that has been organized into a formatted repository, typically a database.
Superdome - Superdome is a high-end 64-bit, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) PA-8600 processor-based UNIX server designed for e-commerce customers using very large databases.
system of record (SOR) - A system of record (SOR) is an information storage and retrieval system that stores valuable data on an organizational system or process.
T-SQL (Transact-SQL) - T-SQL (Transact-SQL) is a set of programming extensions from Sybase and Microsoft that add several features to the Structured Query Language (SQL), including transaction control, exception and error handling, row processing and declared variables.
time series database (TSDB) - A time series database (TSDB) is a software system optimized to sort and organize information measured by time.
tree structure - A tree data structure is an algorithm for placing and locating files (called records or keys) in a database.
tuple - A tuple, pronounced TUH-pul, is an ordered and finite list of elements in various fields of interest, including computing.
turnkey solution provider - A turnkey solution provider is a solution provider that offers limited consultation and one or more established product packages that allow only minimal configuration.
U-SQL - U-SQL is a Microsoft query language that combines a declarative SQL-like syntax with C# programming, enabling it to be used to process both structured and unstructured data in big data environments.
von Neumann bottleneck - The von Neumann bottleneck is a limitation on throughput caused by the standard personal computer architecture.
web services - Web services are a type of internet software that use standardized messaging protocols and are made available from an application service provider's web server for a client or other web-based programs to use.
WebLogic - Oracle WebLogic Server is a leading e-commerce online transaction processing (OLTP) platform, developed to connect users in distributed computing production environments and to facilitate the integration of mainframe applications with distributed corporate data and applications.
What is a 3-tier application architecture? - A three-tier application architecture is a modular client-server architecture that consists of a presentation tier, an application tier and a data tier.
What is a cloud database? An in-depth cloud DBMS guide - A cloud database is an organized and managed collection of data in an IT system that resides on a public, private or hybrid cloud computing platform.
What is a data fabric? - A data fabric is an architecture and software offering a unified collection of data assets, databases and database architectures within an enterprise.
What is a data mart (datamart)? - A data mart is a repository of data that is designed to serve a particular community of knowledge workers.
What is a multimodel database? - A multimodel database is a data processing platform that supports multiple data models, which define the parameters for how the information in a database is organized and arranged.
What is a pivot table? - A pivot table is a statistics tool that summarizes and reorganizes selected columns and rows of data in a spreadsheet or database table to obtain a desired report.
What is customer segmentation? - Customer segmentation is the practice of dividing a customer base into groups of individuals that have similar characteristics relevant to marketing, such as age, gender, interests and spending habits.
What is data aggregation? - Data aggregation is any process whereby data is gathered and expressed in a summary form.
What is data management and why is it important? Full guide - Data management is the process of ingesting, storing, organizing and maintaining the data created and collected by an organization, as explained in this in-depth guide.
What is data management as a service (DMaaS)? - Data management as a service (DMaaS) is a type of cloud service that provides enterprises with centralized storage for disparate data sources.
What is database normalization? - Database normalization is intrinsic to most relational database schemes.
What is denormalization and how does it work? - Denormalization is the process of adding precomputed redundant data to an otherwise normalized relational database to improve read performance.
What is employee self-service (ESS)? - Employee self-service (ESS) is a widely used human resources technology that enables employees to perform many job-related functions that were once largely paper-based, or otherwise maintained by management, administrative or HR staff.
What is enterprise content management? Guide to ECM - Enterprise content management is a set of defined processes, strategies and tools that enables a business to obtain, organize, store and deliver critical information to its employees, business stakeholders and customers.
What is machine learning? Guide, definition and examples - Machine learning is a branch of AI focused on building computer systems that learn from data.
What is NoSQL (Not Only SQL database)? - NoSQL is an approach to database management that can accommodate a wide variety of data models, including key-value, document, columnar and graph formats.
What is Oracle? - Oracle is one of the largest vendors in the enterprise IT market and the shorthand name of its flagship product, a relational database management system (RDBMS) that's formally called Oracle Database.
What is SAP Basis? - SAP Basis is the technical foundation that enables SAP applications to function.
What is Structured Query Language (SQL)? - Structured Query Language (SQL) is a standardized programming language that is used to manage relational databases and perform various operations on the data in them.
XML Schema Definition (XSD) - XML Schema Definition or XSD is a recommendation by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to describe and validate the structure and content of an XML document.