Brian Morrow
Professor Cohen
CIS 111
May 5, 2013
A database management system is a system in which data is stored, processed, and retrieved. These systems are known for security accuracy and consistency. A well-planned and developed database is very efficient and meets the current and future needs of the organization to which it services. This type of system allows the organization to collectively store and manipulate data. One key advantage of a database management system is that it is secure. First and foremost on the minds of an organization is security. This type of system is managed through a DA (Database Administrator). This person sets limits on accessibility, which means not all employees, or customers can access all levels of information within the database. The first line of defense is to allow access to a computer only to authorized, trusted users and to authenticate those users by a password or similar mechanism (computer science. (2013). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com.libdatab.strayer.edu/EBchecked/topic/130675/computer-science). Another advantage of the relational database management system is the ability to reference data across fields. This allows the user to have one database that contains a variety of data all comprised in one system. It’s kind of like having you cake and eating it too. When the database is developed various data is input. As the tables form data is processed into information upon query from the user. This allows the organization to have their data in one place. This also creates a more efficient way to process data. Since the data lies in the database and is referenced based upon relational values, you are provided with more consistent information, in comparison to the flat file system. The flat file system has no relational value. A flat file database is a database that stores data in a plain text file. Each