Databasics: What is a DBMS?

A database management system (DBMS), often confused with a database, is a system that allows people and applications to interact with data. Data refers to individual pieces of information and a database refers to the compilation of multiple pieces of data. A DBMS is vital in order to apply this information and make it useful.

There are endless applications for DBMSs. Anything that requires the organization of large quantities of data will need a DBMS in order to manipulate it. The data can be organized in many different ways – by table, object, data tree and more.

The types of data requiring a DBMS could range from library records all the way to stock markets. Because there are so many different types of database, there are also countless categorizations – by use, structure, content, etc. Some common classifications include cloud databases, operational databases and in-memory databases, just to name a few.

Below are some examples of industries that need particularly powerful DBMSs:

• Government agencies require exceptional levels of data processing in order to manage intricate systems and mass quantities of data.
• In order to compete, financial firms have to move complex data at practically incomprehensible speeds.
• Telecommunications companies build their businesses on the ability to transmit data securely and rapidly to millions of people.

An in-memory DBMS, like Altibase, has to meet the needs of all of these applications and countless more. But it can’t just offer basic data management. It has to handle data with the precision and reliability that governments, industries and financial institutions depend on for flawless execution – 100% of the time. An enterprise level DBMS should have the following capabilities, and more.

Zero Percent Downtime
In mission critical environments, downtime is not an option. The recent Nasdaq “Flash Freeze” is a perfect example of a database not properly structured to handle complex, real-time data.

Exceptional Transaction Speed
Time-sensitive organizations, such as military, require a DBMS that can process millions of transactions per second. Anything less could put lives at risk.

Durability and Scalability
Today’s DBMS can’t just be fast and reliable – it also has to stand the test of time. As organizations grow and change, the DBMS must be powerful enough to not just keep up, but continually scale both vertically and horizontally.