Congratulations! By picking up this book, you have made the first step in your journey through the wonderful world of databases. As you will see in this book, databases come in many different forms – from simple spreadsheets or other file-based attempts and hierarchical structures, to relational, object-oriented, and even graph-oriented ones – and are used across the world throughout a variety of industry sectors to manage, store, and analyze data.
This book is the result of having taught an undergraduate database management class and a postgraduate advanced database management class for more than ten years. Throughout the years we have found no textbook that covers the material in a comprehensive way without becoming flooded by theoretical detail and losing focus. Hence, after we teamed up together, we decided to start writing a book ourselves. This work aims to offer a complete and practical guide covering all the governing principles of database management, including:
• end-to-end coverage, starting with legacy technologies to emerging trends such as Big Data, NoSQL databases, analytics, data governance, etc.;
• a unique perspective on how lessons learned from past data management could be relevant in today's technology setting (e.g., navigational access and its perils in CODASYL and XML/OO databases);
• a critical reflection and accompanying risk management considerations when implementing the technologies considered, based on our own experiences participating in data and analytics-related projects with industry partners in a variety of sectors, from banking to retail and from government to the cultural sector;
• a solid balance between theory and practice, including various exercises, industry examples and case studies originating from diverse and complementary business practices, scientific research, and academic teaching experience.
The book also includes an appendix explaining our “online playground” environment, where you can try out many concepts discussed in the book. Additional appendices, including an exam bank containing several cross-chapter questions and references to our YouTube lectures, are provided online as well.
We hope you enjoy this book and that you, the reader, will find it a useful reference and trusted companion in your work, studies, or research when storing, managing, and analyzing small or Big Data!
Who This Book is For
We have tried to make this book complete and useful for both novice and advanced database practitioners and students alike.
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