Car Workshop Data Storage: File-Based and Database Comparison

This report examines the data management systems of a car workshop, contrasting the traditional file-based approach with a modern database approach. The file-based system, relying on flat files, is described along with its limitations, including data redundancy, inconsistency, and poor security. The report then details the database approach, emphasizing the role of Database Management Systems (DBMS) in centralizing data, controlling redundancy, and ensuring data consistency and security. It explains key database concepts like columns, rows, tables, and the advantages of the database approach, such as controlled redundancy, data sharing, integrity constraints, and data atomicity. The report also includes an entity-relationship diagram illustrating the structure of the database tables and concludes by highlighting the weaknesses of the file-based system and the benefits of adopting a database approach for efficient and secure data management in a car workshop setting.

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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................2
FILE BASED APPROACH......................................................................................................................2
COMPUTER BASED OR DATABASE APPROACH..................................................................................4
EFFECTIVENESS OF DATABASE APPROACH............................................................................................5
WEAKNESS OF FILE BASED APPROACH..................................................................................................7
DATABASE TABLES.................................................................................................................................8
ENTITY RELATION DIAGRAM................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................13

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INTRODUCTION
The car workshop is a viable business that is operated with the help of the employees that are
working there and the tools that are required by the employees. All the things in the work
shop are managed with the help of the traditional file management system. This system also
provides the workshop a considerable growth. But nowadays computers are taking the place
of the file for storage mechanism and provide the considerable amount of security. In the
workshop, the number of employees and the workload is increasing day by day. To cope up
with the need for managing the data in the proper manner computer-based approach is chosen
over the traditional approach. As computer-based approach is much better than file
management system. The computer-based approach is also known as database approach.
FILE BASED APPROACH
The file-based system is also known as the traditional approach. In this approach, the flat files
are used as the storage medium for the data. These flat files are managed by the file system
which is controlled by the operating system’s control.
To access the flat file, the application program must go through the file system. Following
diagram shows the mechanism in flat files.

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Now the question arises that how the data is stored in the flat files.
The record is the term that is used for the data which is stored in the flat files. Records are the
combination of various fields such as pipe, comma, space, and special characters which are
known as delimiters. The special character is used to mark the end of the file or the end of the
records. By the use of the special character, it will be easy for someone to identify the end of
records
For example: The records of employee are store in the file are represented as:
Data are sequentially stored in the flat files. There are a lot of flat file files containing data in
the directory. Flat files are the unstructured files that are manipulated by the computer
system. The data that is stored in the file is also known as flat data. The files containing data
can be the text file, plain file, and binary file. To get the data from the file, the file must be
completely read by the memory to give the desired result. The file system is useful for small
and the simple database. Nowadays more sophisticated database is built which are not
suitable for the file management system. The sophisticated database is not meant for the
flat files. As the increase in the demand of the data storage and its maintenance more
sophisticated approach is required that provide the consistency among the data stored in

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the database which cannot be achieved by the traditional file system. That is why there is
the need for the database management approach for storing data.
COMPUTER BASED OR DATABASE APPROACH
Database approach is another way of storing the data. But it is the evolution of the data
storage from traditional file approach. Database approach removes most of the anomalies in
the traditional data storage mechanism. This approach will make the data centralized, control
the redundancy of the data and different group can access the same data at one time. Storing
data with the help of the database approach can be achieved by the help of database
management system (DBMS). DBMS is a software that is used for data storage. It provides
the interface to the between the data files and the application program. Data are logically
stored in the physical medium in the database. The database provides the interface by which
the user can enter the data in the database more easily. Database separates the logical view
from the physical view. Logical view helps the user to enter the data, and the physical view is
the storage medium. There are different types of database management system. And each
DBMS has its logical presentation of data. Logical view and the physical view are
represented as follows.
DBMS contains many tools and the capabilities for managing and accessing the data from the
database and help in the manipulation of data. DBMS provides the data definition capabilities
by which one can specify the structure of the database content, and helps in the defining and
creating the tables and fields in it. DBMS are also capable n creating the data dictionary by
which it can represent the type of the data and the characteristic of the data. All these things

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can be achieved by the help of data manipulation language like SQL (Structure Query
Language). DBMS are capable of creating the customized report for various system
application. Database designing includes physical design, logical design, and conceptual
design.
Basic building block of the database management system are:
COLUMNS => Columns are the fields or the attributes of the database table. It includes the
individual items that we wish to store. For example:
In employee table employeeId, firstname, lastname, salary, and contact number are the fields
of the tables.
ROWS => Rows contains the data of the multiple columns. A row can comprises of many or
few columns.
TABLES => Tables are the two dimensional representation of the data stored in the form of
rows and columns. A database contains many tables or we can say entity.
The DBMS required certain environment for its proper functioning. The major components
of the environments are users, data, hardware and software.
Data => The complete data is stored in the single database. The data can be integrated or
shared. Shared data comprises that single piece of information are shared among the different
users. Data integration is the operation on data placed in different files but under the
redundancy controlled environment.
Hardware => Hardware is the physical storage medium where the data is stored in the
system. Hardware is said to be the secondary storage device. The main memory and the
processor are the two types of hardware required for proper manipulation of data.
Software => Software provides the logical and the conceptual view for the database. It also
provides the interface by which the user can enter the data for storage.
User => User are basically the people that are interacting with the database.
EFFECTIVENESS OF DATABASE APPROACH
Effectiveness are the advantages of using the Database Management system.

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1) Controlled Redundancy => There is redundancy in the file processing system. Bu tin
the DBMS data of an organization is integrated into single database. All the data of an
organization is placed in one single place known as the database without any
redundancy in it. For example, the employee file and the employee payroll file
contains multiple redundant data of the employees. But if we converted both the file
into the single database, then the data is integrated into transforming the multiple
copies of the same data into the single copy.
2) Data Consistency => Consistency can be attained by removing the redundancy from
the database. Any update on any data will be available to all the user at any instant of
time. If the occurrence of the data in the database is more than one, then the update
operation will automatically update every occurrence of the data in the tables of the
database.
3) Data Sharing => Data in the database is shared among all the authorized user of the
database. The rights are given to the user by the DBA for data manipulation in the
database. Any user located in any remote area can access the data if he has the rights
given by the DBA. This makes the data available for the multiple application.
4) Integrity Constraints => Constraints are the rules that are applied to the database so
that correct and consistent data must enter into the database. These constraints are
applied to the relationship between the records.
Example of constraints are => DateofDelivery is always less than the
FinalDateOfDelivery of car.
These constraints are managed by the keys.
Primary Keys => describe the uniqueness of the data in the table.
Foreign keys => Provide the relation between the two tables.
Unique => No redundant data must enter in that particular column.
5) Data Security => Data is accessed by the authorized user from the database.
Protection provides for the unauthorized access of the data is come under data
security. Only administrator of the database enjoys all the rights of data manipulation.
Only he is capable of entering and removing any data from the database. For example:
Employees can alter their data in the Employees table by the help of the id and the
password they provide during the registration process.
6) Data Atomicity => Transaction plays an important role in the data manipulation. The
atomic unit of work is known as the transaction. For example: If client data of service
usage is updated then it must be visible to the client as well as the employee of the

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workshop and the amount is added to the database will be available for the
employees. All these tasks are coming from the atomic unit.
WEAKNESS OF FILE BASED APPROACH
Weakness is the disadvantages of the file-based system. File base system is successful for the
small storage. But for large or commercial storage it is inefficient. It is the first mode of data
storage. It not suitable for handling the data of big commercial firms.
Disadvantages of File Processing system
1) Redundant Data => Many files are required to stores data. Some information about
the data gets repeated in many files. And in the file system, all the files are
independent to each other. Therefore it is difficult to remove the erroneous data from
the file. For example, Car workshop database holds the records of the employee. Then
the name of the employee will be the same in employeeService data. Then to change
the name of the employee one has to go to the employeeService to change the name of
the employee.
2) Inconsistency => In this system, several replicas of the one data may cover the
different evidence. Therefore there is no consistency among the data in the database.
In one has to modify the data he must have to change all the information related to
that data in different files. For example: If one changed the name of the employee
then he must have to change the name of that employee repeated anywhere in the file
system.
3) Poor data integrity => Some constraints which are consistent will required to make the
group of data integrated. These constraints are the rules added by the programmer at
the time of writing SQL script. In the file system, there are no rules and regulation for
data manipulation which makes this approach less reliable and having poor data
integrity. For example, The minimum amount of any service must not less that 100$.
4) Poor data security => This one is one of the biggest disadvantages of the file
management system. Security in the traditional data storing system is very less.
Anyone can get the access to the data and can manipulate it in the files. There must
some rules and restriction for maintaining the security of the data. For example: If the
employee accesses the data of the system then he can easily manipulate the amount of
his salary.

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5) Atomicity problem => There are no transaction rules applied in the file system.
Means it did not provide any ACID properties for maintaining the reliable data in the
system.
6) Wastage of space => Many redundant data in the system will occupy unnecessary
space in the system. Which may cause the wastage of space. There are a lot of
redundant data in many files of the system. To maintain that data will require extra
workforce and extra space. For example: maintaining the employee data that is
handling the client’s request that is not dependent on each other may cause the
wastage of workforce and space.
7) Data isolation => => Data is isolated in the file system. If one wants to extract the
data stored in the file system. And that data is in the two files in file system. Then it is
difficult for one to decide that which part of the file contains the correct data and how
they are related to each other. For example the information of the employee and the
client in the employee file and the client file. And the information of the employee
and the client in the employeeService file are isolated to each other. It is difficult for
one to identify the relation among the data in these three files.
DATABASE TABLES
1) CUSTOMER
Column Type Nullable Indexes
Customerid Int(11) No Primary key
Name Varchar(45) No
Details Varchar(45) No
Contact Varchar(45) No
Address Varchar(45) Yes
2) DEPARTMENT
Column Type Nullable Indexes
departmentid Int(11) No Primary key
Name Varchar(45) No

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3) OPERATION
Column Type Nullable Indexes
Operationid Int(11) No Primary key
Operationno Int(11) No Foreign key
Operationname Varchar(45) No
4) SERVICEPLAN
Column Type Nullable Indexes
Serviceplanid Int(11) No Primary key
Planname Varchar(45) No
Planprice Folat No
5) SERVICEPLANOPERATION
Column Type Nullable Indexes
Serviceplanoperationi
d
Int(11) No Primary key
Serviceplanid Int(11) No Foreign key
Operatioid Int(11) No Foreign key
6) STAFF
Column Type Nullable Indexes
Staffid Int(11) No Primary key
Name Varchar(45) No
Contact Varchar(45) No
Address Varchar(45) No
Salary Float No
Departmentid Int(11) No Foreign key
7) VEHICLES
Column Type Nullable Indexes

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Vehicleid Int(11) No Primary key
Customerid Int(11) No Foreign key
Make Varchar(45) No
Model Varchar(45) No
Year Varchar(45) No
Style Varchar(45) No
8) VEHICLESERVICE
Column Type Nullable Indexes
Vehicleserviceid Int(11) No Primary key
Workshopregisterationid Int(11) No Foreign key
Serviceplanid Int(11) No Foreign key
Departmentid Int(11) No Foreign key
9) VEHICLESERVICEOPERATION
Column Type Nullable Indexes
Vehicleoperationid Int(11) No Primary key
Vehivleserviceid Int(11) No Foreign key
Serviceplanoperationi
d
Int(11) No Foreign key
Notes Varchar(450) Yes
10) WORKSHOP
Column Type Nullable Indexes
Workshopid Int(11) No Primary key
Name Varchar(45) No
Number Varchar(45) No
Address Varchar(45) No
11) WORKSHOPREGISTERATION

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Column Type Nullable Indexes
Workshopregisterationid Int(11) No Primary key
Vehicleid Int(11) No Foreign key
Workshopid Int(11) No Foreign key
Carno Varchar(45) Yes