ITPEC FE Morning October 2023 Question 25

Topic: Databases

In a DBMS, which of the following is a function that decides the schema?

Explanation

Definition function — the DBMS function that defines the schema, the structure of the data.

A DBMS defines the data structure (schema: tables, columns, data types, constraints) through its definition function, which processes DDL statements such as CREATE TABLE, ALTER TABLE and DROP TABLE. The other functions work on data held under a schema that is already defined.

Answer (a)

Why not others:

  • •(b) Maintenance function — keeps the stored database in working order, for example reorganisation and backup; it does not decide the structure
  • •(c) Recovery function — restores the database to a consistent state after a failure, using backups and logs
  • •(d) Security function — controls who may access which data, for example with GRANT and REVOKE

Key rule: Schema means structure, and structure is set by the definition function through DDL; data is handled by DML.

Databases · AI-written, may contain errors

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