KELLER GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENTapplied Research projectDatabase TrendssUBMITTED BYAndrew HoPatrick TchissamboFlavio baptista | | |

PROFESSOR TAHEREH DANESHI |

Summary page

Our project is about database trends. We started the project by identifying aims and goals such as understanding what database is.We calculated in detail and understood and researched on database understood database used by ORACLE.

INTRODUCTION
The definition of a database is a structured collection of records or data that is stored in a computer system. In order for a database to be truly functional, it must not only store large amounts of records well, but be accessed easily. In addition, new information and changes should also be fairly easy to input. In order to have a highly efficient database system, you need to incorporate a program that manages the queries and information stored on the system. This is usually referred to as DBMS or a Database Management System. Besides these features, all databases that are created should be built with high data integrity and the ability to recover data if hardware fails. (What is a Database?, 2010)
AIM
The aim of the study is many folded such as, understanding database, go in detail and understand and research on database, understand the technology used by ORACLE, derive conclusions on the development in the field of database.
LIMITATIONS
This study is descriptive in nature and the research is done on published secondary materials. Logical conclusions are made based on our experience and the results done by the previous researchers. However, the time constraint is considered as a big obstacle in completing the project to our best satisfaction. Our project will mainly concentrate on database trends in general. However, we will make a short mention to ORACLE whom adopted new trends in database.

DEFINITION OF SUBJECT
From pre-stage flat-file system, to relational and object-relational systems, database technology has gone through several generations and its 40 years history.First, let’s take a brief look at the history of the database. Data are raw facts that constitute building blocks of information. A database is a collection of information and a means to manipulate data in a useful way, which must provide proper storage for large amounts of data, easy and fast access and facilitate the processing of data.Database Management System (DBMS) is a set of software that is used to define, store, manipulate and control the data in a database. The term databasefirst appeared in 1964; it wasused by military personnel to characterize collections of data shared by users of interconnected computer systems(Contributors, 2011). At that time, each system had its own applications; these in turn had their own master files of data which are usually hard to integrate. The concept of a data collection that could be shared by multiple applications subsequently ushered in a new era in efficiency. The data structure classes of early systems were derived from punched card technology, and thus tended to be quite simple. A typical class was composed of files of records of a single type, with the record type being defined by an ordered set of fixed-length fields. Because of their regularity, such files are now referred to as flat files. Files were typically implemented on sequential storage media, such as magnetic tape(Impagliazzo, 2004). As computers grew in speed and capability, a number of general-purpose database systems emerged; by the mid-to-late 1960s there existed many commercial systems. One of the most important database standard was finalized by Charles Bachman in 1971, called CODASYL(Contributors, 2011). The CODASYL approach was based on the manual navigation of a database. Any query starts at the first record in the database, which contains pointers to other records. To find any particular record the program has to search each pointer at a time until the required record was returned.
Another standard known as IMS was developed by IBM in 1968. It was similar in concept to CODASYL, but used a strict hierarchy model of data navigation instead of CODASYL's network model. Both concepts subsequently became known as navigational databases due to the way data was accessed. The slow-processing navigational database model and its lack of many important features prompted many developers to begin working on a new data model, in particular Edgar Frank Codd at IBM. In 1970, he wrote a number of papers that outlined a new approach to database construction that eventually culminated in the groundbreaking paperA Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks(Impagliazzo, 2004).In this paper, he described a new system for storing and working with large databases. Instead of records being stored in a linked list of records likeCODASYL, Codd's idea was to use a table of fixed-length records. A linked-list system would be very inefficient when storing a sparse database where some of the data for any one record could be left empty. The relational model would solve this problem by dividing the data into a series of normalized tables, with optional elements being moved out of the main table to where they would take up room only if needed. What makes Codd’s relational model revolutionary is that he proposed related records stored in series of tables be linked together with a key. For instance, a common use of a database system is to track information about users, their name, login information, various addresses and phone numbers. In the navigational approach all of these data would be placed in a single record, and unused items would simply not be placed in the database. In the relational approach, the data would be normalized into a user table, an address table and a phone number table. Records would be created in these optional tables only if the address or phone numbers were actually provided. Linking all of this information back together is the key to this system. In the relational model, some bit of information was designated as a key that uniquely defined a particular record. When information was being collected about a user, information stored in the optional (or related) tables would be found by searching for this key. For example, if the login name of a user is unique then addresses and phone numbers for that user would be recorded with the login name as its key. In 1979, the first production version of Codd’s relational data model was introduced by IBM, called SQL/DS, and later, Database 2 (DB2)(Impagliazzo, 2004).
The 1980’s along with a rise in object-oriented programming saw a growth in how data in various databases need to be handled. Programmers and designers began to treat the data in their databases as objects. For example, consider an entity called person. This entity is defined to have attributes such as name, address, phone number, and age. These attributes were now considered to be objects that belong to the person entity instead of being extraneous data. This new classification allows for relationships between data to be relation to objects and their attributes and not to individual fields.
Another big change for databases in the 1980’s was the focus on increasing reliability and access speeds. In 1989, two professors from the University of Michigan at Madisondeveloped new methods on increasing database performance (Contributors, 2011). The idea was to replicate specific important and often queried information, and store it in a smaller temporary database that linked these key features back to the main database. This meant that a query could search the smaller database much quicker, rather than search the entire dataset. This eventually leads to the concept of index, which is now ubiquitous in every operating system.
The 1990’s saw the rise in need of a new data model to solve DBMS problems. The old trends of database management were becoming too complex; thus a need for automated configuration and management. Surajit Chaudhuri, Gerhard Weikum and Michael Stonebraker were the pioneers that dramatically affected the thought of contemporary DBMS. They theorized that a new and more effective DBMS would have to have a more modular approach and simplified specifications for users (Impagliazzo, 2004). Based on their theory, there have been more possibilities in DBMS development. DBMS is no longer limited to large corporations;many products have been developed to satisfy the individual needs of users. In addition, new development of more database options has given more flexibility in database management.
DBMS is so ubiquitous in today’s business technologies that sometimes we don’t even feel that they are there. From business directory services to mobile devices to Web search engines to online transactions, DBMS is working behind the scene. And this is not all. Developers are continually exploring new avenues to improve DBMS. As the speeds of consumer internet connectivity increase, and as data availability and computing become more ubiquitous, the new trend for databases are web services, mainly cloud computing. Many firms are moving their data storage solution online to web services in order to take advantage of reliable connectivity, data storage efficiency, and the lack of a need for dedicated IT staff to manage the hardware and software.
BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO ORACLE
Oracle Corporation is a technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products — particularly database management systems. It is located in Redwood Shores, California and employs 105,000 people worldwide(Oracle Corporation - Company History, 2006). Oracle is one of the largest software companies after Microsoft and IBM. The corporation has arguably become best-known for its flagship product, the Oracle Database. It also builds tools for database development and systems of middle-tier software, enterprise resource planning software (ERP), customer relationship management software (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM) software. The founder of Oracle, Larry Ellison, drew inspiration from the groundbreaking paper written by Edgar Codd on the new approach to database management systems, A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks(Oracle Corporation - Company History, 2006). Ellison subsequently co-founded Oracle Corporation in 1977 with Bob Miner and Ed Oates under the original name Software Development Laboratories (SDL). In 1979 SDL changed its name to Relational Software, Inc. (RSI). In 1982, RSI renamed itself Oracle Systems to align itself more closely with its flagship product Oracle Database. In 1995, Oracle Systems Corporation changed its name to Oracle Corporation, still in use today(Oracle Corporation - Company History, 2006).
Part of Oracle Corporation's early success arose from Ellison having the foresight of using the C programming language to implement Oracle’s products. The amazing flexibility of C to be able to work with any operating system gave Oracle a tremendous advantage over other companies’ products using operating-system-specific languages and helped its Oracle database to become one of the most popular databases in use(Oracle Corporation - Company History, 2006). Oracle has always been, and remained today, an innovator in the database management industry. The company has been responsible for several major innovations in the database industry, including the first commercial SQL relational database management system (RDBMS) (1979), the first read-consistent database (1983), PL/SQL (1988), first 64-bit RDBMS (1995), first database to pass 15 industry standard security evaluations (2002), and many more (History / Oracle Corporation, 2007)
NEW TECHNOLOGY
Oracle hasannounced the arrival of Oracle Fusion Architecture, a standards-based technology blueprint that details the linkage between enterprise applications, middleware and grid infrastructure technologies. Focusing on architectural integrity and openness for business applications and business information, Oracle Fusion Architecture defines the technology components required for Fusion Applications. Oracle Fusion Architecture is based on the following five core principles:
* Model Driven: For applications, business processes and business information
* Service & Event- Enabled: For extensible, modular, flexible applications and processes
* Information Centric: For complete and consistent, actionable, real-time intelligence
* Grid-Ready: Must be scalable, available, secure, manageable on low-cost hardware
* Standards-based: Must be open, pluggable in a heterogeneous environment
"The Oracle Fusion Architecture is a unifying model of emerging trends in grid computing architecture, service oriented architecture, and enterprise information architecture," said Charles Phillips, president of Oracle. "While each trend is a study unto itself, the fact that these techniques can now be united into a single architecture is an exciting idea. It gives customers and partners a good view of the direction that Oracle is taking to make the most of our core strengths in database, middleware and business applications."
The basic structure of the Oracle Fusion Architecture is based on three emerging Information Technology trends, including:
* Grid Computing Architecture - predictable, low cost operations of all key infrastructure components that power business applications: databases, middleware and storage
* Service Oriented Architecture - an applications development and deployment strategy that enables effective, predictable business process changes through standards based integration of applications developed as web services.
* Enterprise Information Architecture - the systematic management of the complete life cycle of information of all types.
Oracle is a leader in the commercialization of each of these architectures and today has mature offerings on the market that make the Oracle Fusion Architecture a reality.
"In our industry, Oracle is not only expected to lead, but to lead by example," said Charles Rozwat, executive vice president, Oracle Server Technologies Development. "Our applications developers are expected to get the most out of our world class database and middleware, and our sever technologies developers are making sure that the Oracle 10g infrastructure is the platform of choice for application developers. That's really what the Oracle Fusion Architecture is all about."
Oracle Fusion Architecture components include:
* Oracle Grid Infrastructure - Oracle 10g Database and Oracle Fusion Middleware in a grid configuration monitored by Oracle Enterprise Manager, Grid Control for maximum performance and uptime.
* Oracle Fusion Service Registry - based on Oracle E-Business Suite web services registry, the Oracle Fusion Service Registry defines all of the Oracle applications web services, the integration interfaces for third party web services, and meta-data services that are specific to each customer deployment.
* Oracle Fusion Service Bus - based on Oracle Fusion Middleware Enterprise Service Bus technology, the Oracle Fusion Service Bus is the runtime environment for application services.
* Business Process Orchestration - the tools to monitor and manage technology components at the business process level - based on Oracle Fusion Middleware BPEL technology.
* Business Intelligence and Business Activity Monitoring - based on business intelligence delivered from Oracle Applications and BI tools (i.e. Oracle Discoverer) as well as Oracle Fusion Middleware BAM technology.
* Unified Portal - provides personalized collaborative portals for optimum employee productivity and effectiveness - based on Oracle Collaboration Suite 10g and Oracle Portal.
"The Oracle Fusion Architecture provides the foundation for our vision of Information Age applications," said John Wookey, senior vice president, Applications Development, Oracle. "Our singular mission is to help our customers drive business excellence through the blending of superior insight and adaptive processes. Oracle Fusion Architecture is both the architectural roadmap and the enabling technologies that allow us to do that."(Ledbetter & Tillman, 2005)
PROPOSED SOLUTION

ORACLE FUSION APPLICATIONS: THE NEW STANDARD FOR BUSINESS
Designed from the ground up using the latest technology advances and incorporating the best practices gathered from Oracle's thousands of customers, Oracle Fusion Applications are 100% open-standards-based business applications that set a new standard for the way we innovate, work, and adopt technology.(Fusion Applications , 2010)
Oracle Fusion Applications’ Unique Design Principles:
Complete Standards-Based Platform: Reduce Costs and Accelerate Innovation * Reduce staffing overhead and training budgets * Enable IT consolidation and reduce management costs * Accelerate the pace of change and time-to-market for new initiatives * Create unique processes and differentiation
Complete User Experience: A Role-Based Approach to Increasing Productivity * Built-in flexibility to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your organization * More than 4,000 hours of customer input and testing * Embedded business intelligence * Integrated collaboration connects teams with the processes in which they participate * Powerful Enterprise 2.0 technologies incorporate unstructured information
Complete Choice: A Flexible Approach to Adoption and Deployment * A complete yet modular approach enables the uptake of Oracle Fusion Applications at your pace and on your timeline * New and value-added applications work with and add significant business value to other Oracle Applications * Flexible deployment options including on-premise, public clouds, private clouds and software as a service
Application and Process Leadership: Best-of-the-Best Combination * Processes based on a best-of-the-best combination of Oracle E-Business Suite and Oracle’s PeopleSoft, Primavera, JD Edwards, and Siebel applications * Based on customer input and innovation covering all areas of business and industry requirements (Fusion Applications , 2010)

RECOMMENDATIONS Oracle Applications business will continues to sustain strongly due to the following reasons:
• Oracle Fusion Applications will expand Oracle’s Applications and Technology business
• Oracle’s product roadmap clarity and flexible adoption models makes customer choice safe
• Oracle Fusion Applications will change competitive dynamics in Applications market
The Fusion Middleware technology will helps Oracle even further in this aspect. As customers purchase Fusion Middleware to extend their Fusion Applications, Oracle encourages them to purchase the appropriate Database technologies that integrate into their Fusion Applications to deliver more for their money. The result of customers purchasing a full platform of software from Oracle means more customers will eventually migrate to Oracle from other competitors in order to take full advantage of its Fusion Applications’ capacities (Kurian, 2010).

Works Cited
Oracle Corporation - Company History. (2006). Retrieved February 04, 2011, from FundingUniverse: http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Oracle-Corporation-Company-History.html
Fusion Architecture. (2007, November). Retrieved February 11, 2011, from Oracle FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com/wiki/Fusion_Architecture
History / Oracle Corporation. (2007). Retrieved February 04, 2011, from Oracle: http://www.oracle.com/oramag/profit/07-may/p27anniv_timeline.pdf
Fusion Applications . (2010). Retrieved February 11, 2011, from Oracle: http://www.oracle.com/us/products/applications/fusion/index.html
What is a Database? (2010). Retrieved February 06, 2011, from TopBits.com: (http://www.tech-faq.com/what-is-a-database.html)
Contributors, W. (2011). C++ - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved February 04, 2011, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database_management_system
Impagliazzo, J. (2004). Database Systems. Retrieved February 04, 2011, from Comphist.org History of Computing: http://www.comphist.org/computing_history/new_page_9.htm
Kurian, T. (2010). Oracle Fusion Applications Overview. Retrieved February 11, 2011, from Oracle: http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/investor-relations/fusion-applications-presentation-176685.pdf
Ledbetter, L., & Tillman, K. (2005). Oracle Unveils New Technology Vision with Oracle® Fusion Architecture. Retrieved February 06, 2011, from Oracle: http://www.oracle.com/corporate/press/2005_sep/ofa.html