ITEC200: Essay on Database Concepts and CFA Data Management

This essay examines database concepts within the context of the Country Fire Authority (CFA). It defines databases and database management systems (DBMS), highlighting the advantages of DBMS over spreadsheets, such as reduced redundancy, improved data access, and enhanced security. T...Read More

Running head: DATABASE
DATABASE
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1DATABASE
Database and information management
Database is data’s organized collection, generally electronically stored as well as
accessed from computer system. When there is more complexity in the databases, they are
developed often by using formal modeling and design techniques. It is information’s collection
which is organized that could be easily managed, accessed as well as updated. Databases possess
aggregations of files or data records, which contains information of interactions or transactions
(Arulraj and Pavlo 2017). It is data structure which stores the organized information. Databases
contain several tables which might include several separate fields for each table.
Database management system (DBMS) is software which interacts with the end users and
applications for capturing as well as analyzing data. In addition, DBMS software encompasses
core facilities that are provided for administering the database. Spreadsheet is a software to
create as well as manage databases, however there is no schema in spreadsheets. DMBS are quite
better than spreadsheets. There are many advantages of DBMS over spreadsheets. Redundancy
could be removed by normalization of data. No duplication of data saves storage as well as
improves accessing time (Islam et al. 2017). This is easier in applying access constraints within
database systems for making sure only the authorized user could access data of database. Every
user has different access set, hence data is safe from issues like data leaks, data’s misuse and
identity theft. DMBS provides limited access which means data’s privacy. Data is managed by
DBMS in a way data could be accessed easily with quick response times.
As DBMS keeps data’s backup, this is easier in doing full data recovery in case of failure.
DMBS are much more flexible when compared with spreadsheet. Information could be viewed at
much deeper level through DBMS than spreadsheet. Adopting DBMS allows to find perfect fit

2DATABASE
for business ecosystem. Features of DBMS improve integrity of data much better than the
spreadsheets. Relations within spreadsheets would be limited logically, however there is no limit
of relations within DBMS (Jain 2017). Stable structure is provided by DBMS, controlling user
restrictions and access permissions. Data consistency and efficiency are increased by the feature
while using DBMS. Considering consistency and integrity of data, duplicate information is
eliminated by using DMBS, which helps in saving space as well as increase efficiency.
There might be several advantages of DMBS when compared with spreadsheet, however
several disadvantages to adopt DMBS by CFA. Cost of software and hardware of DMBS could
be a disadvantage for CFA. DBMS needs to have processor of high speed as well as huge
memory size as there is huge quantity of data which should be store safely. Requirement of such
huge quantity of space as well processer of high speed needs expensive software and hardware
also (Islam et al. 2016). Educated staff at CFA is required who could maintain DBMS. Designers
of database system are required by CFA. For converting data into DBMS, there is need of huge
amount of money as this adds to cost of DBMS of CFA. Performance of DMBS is a factor for
CFA as the speed of DMBS could be slow.
Ethical, security and legal issues of data management should be considered by CFA.
Combination of the issues introduce ethical concerns within design of database: Best practices
within design use of data as well as storage could be implemented for ensuring ethical operation
of CFA. Protection of stakeholders must be primary concern for CFA. Users’ privacy should be
respected. The efforts should be reduced for unnecessary and repeated collection of the data on
user (Tepljakov and Bahsi 2020). Users should be allowed the rights for having the information
deleted or modified if illegally collected. Users should be informed reasons that CFA is
collecting, using as well as storing personal information of user. It should be ensured of secure

3DATABASE
storage as well as disposal of user information. Suitable and appropriate database model should
be selected for CFA.
While considering ethical and legal standards, security issues of CFA should be
identified. One of most known causes for weaknesses of database is negligence over
development process’s deployment stage. Network interfaces are there in databases that could be
tracked easily by the hackers if the security of database is poor. Database of CFA could be
hacked by flaws of the features. The hackers could break in legitimate credentials as well as
compel system for running arbitrary codes (Bezerra and Sanches 2018). While working with
database’s data, ethical as well as legal issues should be kept in mind by CFA surrounding the
data. There are several reasons data could be sensitive. CFA should devise appropriate legal and
technical framework. Rules on IP ownership of data should be developed by CFA as well as data
rights must be set through contract.

4DATABASE
References
Arulraj, J. and Pavlo, A., 2017, May. How to build a non-volatile memory database management
system. In Proceedings of the 2017 ACM International Conference on Management of Data (pp.
1753-1758).
Bezerra, A.C. and Sanches, T., 2018, July. Copyright infringement: between ethical use and legal
use of information. In Challenges and Opportunities for Knowledge Organization in the Digital
Age (pp. 762-769). Ergon-Verlag.
Islam, K., Ahsan, K., Bari, S.A.K., Saeed, M. and Ali, S.A., 2017. Huge and Real-Time
Database Systems: A Comparative Study and Review for SQL Server 2016, Oracle 12c &
MySQL 5.7 for Personal Computer. Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 13, pp.481-490.
Islam, M.A., Rahman, M.M., Islam, A.T., Siddiquee, M.Z.H. and Muntaheen, A.S.M., 2017.
Architecture of DBMS as Integrated Cloud Service and Its Advantages &
Disadvantages. American Journal of Operations Management and Information Systems, 2(2),
pp.37-41.
Jain, S., 2017. Comparative study of traditional database and cloud computing
database. International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science, 8(2).
Tepljakov, A. and Bahsi, H., 2020. User Behavior Analysis for Predictive Virtual Reality
Applications: An Ethical and Data Security Perspective.