Database Management Systems

Database Management Systems are specialized software products used to manipulate data in related files from a database. The files that are pooled by the DMS are numerous depending upon the software used and the purpose of the files being retrieved. For example, they are used by Human Resources for pooling data on certain employees, and for Accounting for pooling certain financial reports without being bothered with the background information to acquire the report. Database Management Systems are not limited to one type of software and may be used in conjunction with several other software programs to manipulate the data entered into the database as well as other hardware to work in the retrieval of the data to create specific reports.

Database Management Systems utilize several types of components including, hierarchical, network, relational, and object oriented. A hierarchical structure is composed of a primary record with several sub records. A network structure is composed of no specific primary record and may have several sub records related to each of the other records. A relational structure is composed of logical associations of one record to another. An object oriented structure is comprised by relational data as well as instruction for processing data and can store complex data.

As with any type of program security is very important. Several systems are set up with different types of securities, for example, passwords and encryption. Genesis Rehabilitation Services recently installed such securities on their files that are emailed to clients. We are required to utilize a specific ZIP file, which will encrypt HIPAA data that is being emailed in a downloadable file for use by our clients. The clients are called with a password which will be there personal password in order to obtain the information available in that file for their use.

Another issue with the DBM would be if there were no concurrency controls in place. At Genesis we use Access for our Human Resources within the Territory. There are three people in the office with access to the database, which can cause problems since there are no concurrency controls in place. If one of the individuals is in a specific file and they change the data and someone else is within the same file and tries to make changes this causes an issue with the changes made by the first person to access the file. The first person to access the file will have their changes made; however, the second person will not have their data changed since they are basically in a read only mode and are not aware of it. We have run into this several times and the database comes back and claims a sharing violation. This is why it is very important to have concurrency controls within the system to allow access to a specific file by only one person.