Enterprise Database system:

🌐 Introduction to Enterprise Database (Easy

Explanation)
🔹 What is a Database?

In today’s world, we are surrounded by huge amounts of data. Every day, lots of data is
generated by websites, apps, and businesses.
A database is a place where this data is stored safely.
With a database, we can insert, update, delete, and retrieve data easily.

👉 Example:
On a blog website, there are two tables:

 Users table (information about users)

 Articles table (information about articles)

If we want to know which user wrote which article, we connect these two tables using a
common field like user_id.

The software that is used to create, manage, and handle databases is called a Database
Management System (DBMS).
✔ Examples: MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server.

🔹 Why Enterprise Database is Needed?

As technology grows, data is increasing very fast.

Small businesses earlier managed data using Excel or MS Access, but now this is not enough
because:

 Companies have millions of customers.

 They need to handle large data sets.
 They need speed, flexibility, and security.

👉 This is where Enterprise Database comes into play.

An Enterprise Database is a powerful DBMS that allows hundreds or even thousands of

users (100 – 10,000 people) to use the system at the same time.

Big companies use Enterprise Databases because:

  They can handle huge amounts of data.
 They support large organizations with thousands of employees.
 They work well with busy websites where lakhs of people are online at once.

🔹 Who Manages Enterprise Database?

Enterprise Databases are usually managed by a Database Administrator (DBA).

The DBA is an expert who:

 Loads, retrieves, and changes data.

 Controls who can access the database.
 Decides what commands each user can use.

🔹 Types of Databases in Enterprise System

Enterprise Databases are not just one big database. They are made up of different layers/types,
each with a purpose:

1. Original Data Capture (ODC)

o Stores information from ongoing applications.
o Data can be added by users or generated by software.
2. Transaction Data Staging Area (TDSA)
o A place where raw data is collected.
o It cleans and adjusts data because it comes from different users and systems.
3. Subject Area Database
o Collects data from TDSA.
o Organizes it into large subject-based databases (like Sales, HR, Inventory, etc.).
4. Warehouse Database
o Combines data from many subject databases.
o Creates a central data warehouse for analysis.
5. Data Mart Database
o A smaller, customized database created for specific needs (like a single
department or office).
o Example: Finance department may have its own Finance Data Mart.
o Data marts are updated daily or weekly.

🔹 Popular Enterprise Databases

Some of the most widely used Enterprise DBMS are:

  Oracle Database 18c
 Microsoft SQL Server
 IBM DB2
 SAP Sybase ASE
 PostgreSQL
 MariaDB Enterprise

🔹 Features of Enterprise Database Management System

Enterprise DBMS provides powerful features that normal databases cannot:

1. Parallel Query
o Many users can ask questions (queries) at the same time.
o The system answers all queries simultaneously.
2. Multi-Process Support
o Work is divided into multiple processes.
o This makes handling large data faster and more efficient.
3. Clustering Features
o More than one server can be combined to work as a single system.
o If one server is not enough, clustering helps in handling large data loads.

✅ In Simple Words:
An Enterprise Database is a large, powerful database system used by big organizations.
It:

 Stores huge amounts of data.

 Allows thousands of users to use it at once.
 Has different types of databases (ODC, TDSA, Subject Area, Warehouse, Data Mart).
 Is managed by a Database Administrator.
 Provides features like parallel queries, multi-process support, and clustering.

👉 In short: Enterprise Database = Big database for big companies to store, manage, and use big
data efficiently.

Key Responsibilities of a Database

Administrator (DBA)
A Database Administrator (DBA) is the person who takes care of a company’s databases.
Their main job is to make sure that:

 Data is always available when needed.

 Data is protected from loss, damage, or misuse.
 Data is easy to access for the right users.

Whether the database is stored on a local server (on-premise) or in the cloud (like Oracle
Cloud or Microsoft Azure), the DBA’s responsibilities are mostly the same.

Below are the main responsibilities of a DBA explained in detail

1. Software Installation and Maintenance

 DBAs work with system administrators during the installation of database software like
Oracle or SQL Server.
 The system administrator sets up the computer hardware and operating system.
 After that, the DBA installs the database software and configures it so it works
properly.
 They also apply software updates and patches to fix bugs and improve security.
 If a new server is needed, the DBA moves the data safely from the old server to the new
one.

👉 In short: DBA installs the database, keeps it updated, and transfers data when servers change.

2. Data Extraction, Transformation, and Loading (ETL)

 ETL is the process of taking data from different systems, changing it into the correct
format, and putting it into a central database (data warehouse).
 Example: If a company has customer data in Excel, sales data in another system, and
financial data in a third system → DBA uses ETL to combine all this data into one
clean, central place.
 This makes it easier for companies to analyze and report data.

👉 In short: DBA collects, cleans, and loads data into one system for better use.

3. Specialised Data Handling

 Modern databases are huge (Very Large Databases – VLDBs).
  They may also store special types of data like images, videos, audio, and documents (not
just text and numbers).
 Handling such data requires extra monitoring and advanced skills to keep performance
high.

👉 In short: DBA manages very large and complex databases, including multimedia data.

4. Database Backup and Recovery

 DBAs prepare backup plans so that data is safe even if something goes wrong.
 Backups must be done regularly and correctly, either on local servers or in the cloud.
 If there is a server crash, corruption, or accidental data loss, the DBA restores the data
from backups.
 Different problems need different recovery strategies. For example:
o Hardware failure → Restore from latest backup.
o Minor error → Roll back to a safe state.

👉 In short: DBA makes sure data is backed up and can always be restored after a failure.

5. Security
 DBAs protect the database from hackers, malware, and unauthorized access.
 They must know the weaknesses of the database software and fix them.
 They use audit logs to track who accessed or changed data.
 This is especially important when handling sensitive or regulated data (like banking,
health, or government data).

👉 In short: DBA protects the database with security rules and checks activities using logs.

6. Authentication
 Authentication means deciding who can enter the database and what they can do
inside it.
 Example:
o An employee may only be allowed to view data.
o Another may be allowed to add or edit data.
 DBAs create and manage user accounts and permissions to control this.

👉 In short: DBA controls who can use the database and what actions they can perform.
7. Capacity Planning
 DBAs check the current size of the database and how quickly it is growing.
 They also check usage level (how many users and how much activity).
 If the company is expanding, DBA makes sure there is enough storage and processing
capacity to handle the growth.

👉 In short: DBA plans for future database growth and ensures enough space and resources are
available.

8. Performance Monitoring
 DBAs regularly monitor the performance of the database.
 If the system is slow, they find the cause (software settings, queries, or hardware issues).
 They may adjust configurations or add new hardware to speed it up.
 They also use performance monitoring tools to check important details.

👉 In short: DBA watches the database for slowdowns and fixes performance issues.

9. Database Tuning
 After monitoring, DBAs perform tuning to make the database work more efficiently.
 They may:
o Change database settings.
o Improve indexes (which make searching faster).
o Rewrite or optimize queries.
 Tuning ensures the database runs smoothly and prevents problems before they become
serious.

👉 In short: DBA fine-tunes the database for maximum speed and efficiency.

10. Troubleshooting
 DBAs are often the first responders when something goes wrong.
 Example issues: system crash, lost data, slow performance, or failed queries.
 They must quickly identify and fix the problem to reduce downtime.
  Sometimes they also work with other IT staff to solve complex issues.

👉 In short: DBA troubleshoots problems and fixes them quickly to keep the database running.