As regular readers of my blogs know, every now and then I take the opportunity to answer e-mail questions via blogging. I can't always answer e-mail questions directly, but I try to whenever time permits. Which brings me to today's Q+A...
The following series of questions came to me all within a single e-mail. That is not a problem, sometimes folks have more than one question, but take a look at these questions.
1. How important is the database management system on the firm?
2. How to maintain the database management system?
3. How often is the proper upgrading of an information system?
4. How does an information system work?
When confronted with these types of questions I attempt to give some broad, high-level answers and then direct the questioner to additional resources for education. Blogs and e-mail are not the proper forum for learning everything that is implied in these very broad-ranging questions.
Anyway, here is the answer I provided:
These types of questions are very difficult to answer succinctly in this type of forum, except perhaps the first one. And the answer to that is "very important."
Data is the lifeblood of the modern organization and every company should use DBMS technology to store, retrieve, modify and manage their critical data. Failure to use a DBMS, opens data up to be corrupted or accessed without authorization.
To answer the remainder of your questions, I am going to recommend a couple of books. The first is one that I wrote titled "Database Administration: The Complete Guide to Practices and Procedures" (2002, Addison-Wesley, ISBN: 0201741296). This book provides complete coverage of the role of the DBA and will answer your question about how to maintain and manage a DBMS. It can be ordered at this link.
I would also recommend a good book on the basics of database processing and database management systems. The best book for that is probably Chris Date's "An Introduction to Database Systems (Introduction to Database Systems, 7th Ed)" (2000, Addison-Wesley, ISBN: 0201385902). It can be ordered here.
For some, though, Date's book can be intimidating. If you wish a simpler introduction to database systems try one of these books instead of (or in addition to) Date's book:
Now regarding your other questions (3 and 4), they are a bit too general for me to be able to give you any type of useful advice. It seems like you would benefit from some comprehensive training in MIS and IT. Again, perhaps some reading material will prove helpful. Suggested reading includes:
Good luck!