Database Paper

Database Paper

This paper will discuss the databases used at The Ronco Group (TRG). It will discuss in what areas these databases are used and what applications use them. The author will propose some improvements that could be used in at least one of these applications.

The Ronco Group primarily uses two types of databases. These are Microsoft Access and Microsoft SQL. These are both traditional relational database management systems (RDBMS). The important thing in a RDMS database is the relation. In a book on SQL for beginners Robert Sheldon, speaks to this, "Hierarchical and network databases are found in legacy systemsÐ'...the relational model has replaced many of these systems and is the model most extensively implemented by modern database productsÐ'...at the core of the model is the relation" (2003, p. 5). The author will attempt to give an example of this with a simple Access database he has made for TRG.

When a small and simple database is in order then TRG uses Access. An example of where this is used is in the Ronco Computer Inventory. This database keeps track of computer hardware, software, and users. Before the author started at TRG the company had been audited to make sure they were keeping track of software licenses. Fortunately they passed the audit but they did not have any database in place. It was a very expensive and time consuming task. As promised in the previous paragraph the author will use the Ronco Computer Inventory database as an example to show relationship. The database is made up of several tables. Each table has a primary key. For example the primary key for the computer would be a unique number assigned to each computer; the primary key for the user would be the user's employee number, etc. The tables are related to each other within the database and this makes it easier to run queries and reports. The author has also used Acess to make a database of spare parts for the Parts department. In a review in PC Magazine Richard Dragan speaks to a couple of good features in Access, "Access 2003 has good ODBC capabilities (for connecting to other data sources) and can grab data from external databases and spreadsheet", he also mentions,"The upsizing wizard is a real win for IT departments, as it can replicate your lightweight Access database to Microsoft SQL Server" (2005, p. 139)

The other database used at TRG is SQL. There are several flavors of SQL. The one used at TRG is Microsoft SQL. SQL stands for Structured Query Language. Although MS SQL is the database used, there is another application that makes it easier for the users to implement the database. This application is Microsoft Business Solutions-Solomon. Each user enters data, retrieves data, creates reports, and all other functions within Solomon. What most of them do not know is that SQL is doing the work of organizing and keeping track of all of that data. In a newswire from when Solomon version 6.0 was release it states, "Microsoft Solomon 6.0 will allow customers to simplify their business management experience with an enhanced product interface and access to integrated, Web-based data and functions" (2004, pg. 1). What is to be noted here is that the thing being touted here is how simple they have made it for the user. They speak of enhanced product interface and Web-based data and functions.