Database Management

I can't say that I enjoyed the access science article on databases management systems, but it offered a great overview of how databases work.  The article highlights the benefits of a properly organized database management system (DBMS).  The most popular DBMS utilizes a relational database.  The relational DBMS relies on mathematical relationships that use logic and set theory for interpretation and manipulation of data.  A simple version of a relational database is a table that represents different attributes of an individual belonging to an organization, such as a student.  The different columns in the table represent the students name, grade level, age, etc. The different rows represent each student enrolled.  The relation that the values share, i.e. the students attributes, allow for quick referencing when end-users attempt to access the data.  The ease and speed of data access is the fundamental attribute of a relational DBMS.

Databases can be used for a wide array of tasks. The first article I found regarding databases discussed the potential for increasing energy efficiencies.  The paper outlines the framework for energy companies to input data regarding a customer's energy usage.  BY collecting data about a customers energy consumption behavior, energy producers hope to change their approach to power generation to meet increasing demands.  Some examples of data are as follows; active and reactive energy consumed, max power demand, breakdown of different fuel usages, measurements of the building in which they reside.  The author suggests using a relational model for the study, but mentions that for real-time DBMSs, an object oriented format would improve the speed of modeling and allow less complicated changes to the structure.  The proposed database was very large, with 647 entities with 1345 relations.   The author believes the large database will create a more complete model of energy consumption and will in the future enable accurate modeling of energy policies, energy demand shifts and effects of alternative energy  on the power grid.  

GIS is a complex system that relies on geographical referenced data to manipulate, analyze, and manage data.  A GIS is an example of a DBMS that allows individuals from all industries to access, compare and manipulate geospatial information.  The second reading I found outlined a methodology for using a geo-refrenced database to develop techniques for improving energy efficiencies in a town or city.  The authors suggest first gathering all information related to the individual buildings to be included in the study; such as, site maps, aerial surveys, tax information and digital formats of maps found on government websites for use in the GIS program.  The GIS software is then used to compile the information since the software allows for easy data manipulation.  The database includes information from building energy audits, on-site surveys, specific building codes to act as sample building types, and other useful attributes.  Similar to relational databases, GIS data tables allow for mathematical relations to create new tables of info.  For example, the other correlates building dimensions with expected heating loads to calculate the energy that the building consumes for heating.  This data can be compared across the entire dataset to determine the most energy inefficient of the group.  The article recommends that municipalities, since they already own GIS applications, begin compiling energy and implement his methodology to reduce building's energy consumption and ultimately reduce the entire community's energy usage.