What Are The Different Types Of Dbms?

There are five types of DBMS structure, namely the hierarchical, network, relational, dimensional and object structures. Some systems also use inverted lists and various other methods.

The different types of DBMS may be used individually or in any combination of two or more structures. Natural organization and requirements of an application's data determines the optimal structure of a DBMS.

Here is a basic outline of each structure to explain the different types of DBMS.

• Hierarchical Structure

In this model, used within early mainframe DBMS, the relationships of records form a tree-like model. Though simple, this structure is inflexible, as relationships are only one-to-many. Today, this is primarily used for storage of file systems and geographic information.

• Network Structure

Relationships in this structure are of a more complex, many-to-many nature. Many records can be accessed through different paths.

• Relational Structure

Using two dimensional columns and rows to store data, this is the most frequently used structure in micro computer, mid-range and mainframe systems. Record tables can be connected using common key values. Queries by end users are not easy to run, as they may require complex combinations of tables.

• Multidimensional Structure

The dimensions of a multidimensional, cube-like model allow data to relate to elements within each cell. Data is displayed in a view similar to spreadsheets. It is easy to comprehend and maintain, making it a favorite for online analytical processing.

• Object Structure

The object orientated structure can handle pictures, graphics, voice, text and various data types without problems. It is popular for use in multi-media Web applications and was designed for working with Java and other object-orientated programming languages.

Today, the dominant structures in use are ad hoc ones embedded in SQL. Many DBMS structures also support API for Open Database Connectivity.