Database Management System-Advantages and Disadvantages of DBMS

Database Management System (DBMS) is a software application that manages data stored in a computer. DBMS provides a way to store, retrieve, update, and delete information.

Database management systems are designed to provide reliable storage and retrieval of data. A database management system may be used to manage any type of data including text, numbers, images, video, audio, etc.

Advantages of the database management system

The advantages of a Database Management System are as follow:

Data Independence

The Database approach provides the facility of data independence. It means that the data and application programs are separate from each other. The user can change the data storage structure and operations without changing the application programs. The user can also modify programs without the reorganization of data.

Redundancy Control    

Redundancy means the duplication of data in multiple files. The data in the database appears only once. It is not duplicated. The same data is used at all places it is required.

Suppose we want to manage the information of students who study in college and the student who lives in hotels. The data of students is stored in the college database. If a student also lives in a hostel, his record will be stored only in the college database. It will not be duplicated.

Consistency Constraints

These are the rules that must be followed to enter data into the database. If data does not fulfill these constraints, it cannot be entered into the database.

Database management systems provide an easy way for applying different consistency constraints that ensure the consistency of the data in the database. For example, a constraint can be applied to ensure that the marks of a student are always between 0 and 100, etc.

Support Complex Data Relationships   

A database management system allows the user to design complex data structures. The user logically views and accesses data in different ways.

Data Security Features

Data security is the protection of the database from unauthorized access. The database management system provides several procedures to maintain data security.

The security is maintained by allowing access to the database through the use of usernames and passwords. Different users of the database system have different levels of access rights to the database.

Database backup & recovery   

A database management system provides the facility for backup and recovery. The backup facility is used to store an additional copy of data. The data can be recovered from this file if the original file is data. By using the backup copy of the data the utility rebuilds the data.

Advanced Capabilities

DBMS provides advanced access capabilities for online reporting. It uses the internet for advanced capabilities.

Disadvantages of the database management system

Some important disadvantages of a database management system are as follows:

High Cost of DBMS

A Complete database management system is very large and complex software. Database management software is expensive to purchase.

Higher hardware cost

Database management is complicated and heavy software. It requires a large amount of memory and higher processing power to run. It requires powerful hardware to work properly and efficiently.

Problems in the wrong database environment  

The problems may occur if the wrong type of database environment is selected. A database system may also need changes due to changes in requirements. The change can be costly due to the conversion and testing of the existing programs.

Needs for data dictionary

Another disadvantage of DBMS is the need for a data dictionary. Data dictionaries stores data definitions or description of the structure of data used in the database.