A database as defined by Merriam-Webster is “A usually large collection of data organized especially for rapid search and retrieval (as by a computer)” (Merriam-Webster). When this is broken down it states that a database is a collection of data that is stored inside a computer in such a way that it can be easily retrieved by that computer. This is very beneficial when you need to store massive amounts of data that multiple people are going to be accessing frequently. Having this information in a database rather than just loose on the computer provides organization and also allows you to limit access to who can view or edit that data.
I work at a factory, and in my line of work databases are crucial. The robots that operate within the factory all have massive amounts of data that they handle and the programming of the robots would be much more strenuous without a database. Many of the robots handle up to 20 different parts in a few minutes, they must stop, look at the part, identify the part, correctly pick up the part, take the part to the correct trimming station, and then from there to the correct conveyor, finally to be taken to the inspector. All of these instructions rely on the data that is housed in the database. I spoke with one of the maintenance technicians at my place of employment and found out Ryobi Die Casting USA uses the Oracle Database to handle all of its database needs, whether it is the robots, the day to day attendance, or tracking payroll inside the company, databases are crucial to daily operations at Ryobi Die Casting. (Ryobi)
“Database architecture is the fundamental schema, or physical layout, of a database. Rooted in mathematical/structural theory, the most common database architectures are: Hierarchical, Networked, Object-Oriented and Relational.” (IT Toolbox) This simply put means that the database architecture is the way the database is setup to retrieve data, whether or not it is a top-down system, relational database, or...