Computer Science – 8.1 Database Concepts | e-Consult
8.1 Database Concepts (1 questions)
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A file-based student management system would face several problems with increasing data volume:
- Slow Data Access: As the number of students grows, the student data file becomes larger. Retrieving information about a specific student requires scanning a potentially very large file, leading to slow response times. A DBMS addresses this by using indexes. Indexes are data structures that allow for rapid data retrieval without scanning the entire table.
- Data Redundancy and Inconsistency: If student information (e.g., address, course enrollment) is duplicated across multiple files or scattered within a single large file, maintaining consistency becomes difficult. A DBMS enforces data integrity through constraints (e.g., foreign keys) and normalization, eliminating redundancy and ensuring data consistency.
- Difficult Data Updates: Updating information for a student (e.g., changing their address) requires locating and modifying the relevant record in the file. This is inefficient and prone to errors. A DBMS provides a structured way to update data using SQL, ensuring that updates are performed correctly and consistently. Transactions ensure atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability (ACID properties) of data updates.