U.S. Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Research Service, Lincoln, Nebraska
Date of this Version
2008
Abstract
The simplest definition of the term 'database' is given in Webster's dictionary as 'a comprehensive collection of related data organized for convenient access, generally in a computer' (Random House, 1996). This term appeared in the late 1960s because of the evolution of computer software and the need to distinguish the specialized computer systems for the storage and manipulation of data, called database management systems (DBMS) (Neufeld and Cornog, 1986). Today, the acronym 'DBMS' is universally understood within Information Technology (IT), just like the acronym 'Bt' for 'Bacillus thuringiensis' is in the field of biological pest control. At the present time there are numerous DBMS products available on the market. The most popular are Oracle©, dBase©, DB2©, MS SQL Server© and Access©. Access is a part of the Microsoft Office product and can be considered as a prototype of DBMS with limited functionality. These products vary in price and capacity, and therefore the budgetary constraints and the requirements of a particular database application determine their utility.
The evolution of database products has been rapid, reflecting advances in the theory of databases during the last 35-40 years. Beginning with simple data files with direct access, these database products now include very sophisticated file systems with complex interrelationships. More recently, there has been a series of new database applications named Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS). Their development was a product of the advancement in IT, which forced DBMS to adapt. One of these advancements was the creation of distributed computer systems using local or wide-area networks (LAN/WAN) at the end of the 1980s and early 1990s (Date, 2003). These networks stimulated development of new methods for remote database connection, and the improvements of client/server technologies when databases are organized on a computer server separated from those remotely accessed and used to enter data. The uses of DBMS can be very diverse, but this chapter focuses on the application of DBMS in the field of biology, more specifically in entomology and integrated pest management (IPM).
Comments
Published in Areawide Pest Management: Theory and Implementation (eds O. Koul, G. Cuperus and N. Elliott) p. 142-158