Challenges In Database Theory And Practice
ABSTRACT
This paper focused on challenges in database theory and practice.
Database management has undergone more than four decades of evolution producing
vast range of research and extensive array of technology solutions. The
database research community and software industry has responded to numerous
challenges resulting from changes in user requirements. Most recent database
challenges arise because there are now hundreds of millions of users and cloud
databases need to use novel techniques for managing massive amounts of data,
securing data, prevent data duplication while supporting migration to other
databases. Challenges highlighted in database theory and practice in this paper
are use of primary key and social security numbers, deadlock detection and
management, dealing with missing data, data privacy and data auditability
challenges. Also presented are ways of overcoming the challenges in database
theory and practice.
Keywords: Databases, Database Management System (DBMS),
Primary Key, Online Transaction Processing
(OLTP), Distributed Database Management System (DDBMS)
INTRODUCTION
Databases,
in particular relational databases, are a ubiquitous part of today’s computing
environment. Database management systems support a wide variety of
applications, from business to scientific and more recently various types of
internet and electronic commerce applications. Database management systems
(DBMS) are a core technology in most organizations today and run
mission-critical applications that banks, hospitals, airlines, and most other
types of organizations rely on for their day to day operation. Over the last
three decades relational DBMS technology has proven to be highly adaptable and
has evolved to accommodate new application requirements and the ever-increasing
size and complexity of data (Pokorn, Snasel, and
Richta, 2010).
But, there
are challenges presented by this development. There are indications that some
of the recently emerging data-intensive applications (e.g. internet searches)
cannot be satisfactorily addressed using existing DBMS technology, and some
experts argue that significant innovation is needed (a new database paradigm)
to overcome the limitations of the current generation of database technology.