What is a database management system?
A database management system (DBMS) is software that handles the storage, retrieval and processing of data. According to several reports, there are currently over 300 different database management systems in use today. Databases are important because they provide varying degrees of structure and utility that are critical to a vast array of applications and use cases.
A DBMS enables users to create, read, update and delete data as needed, serving as an interface between an end-user and the data.
A DBMS enables the creation, organization and storage of data in a way that developers and users have a standard method of using that data for their various tasks. Without a database, data resides in computer file systems, storage devices, or cloud storage services. Databases offer many time saving capabilities (such as indexes, caching, query engines, change data capture, data replication, etc.) that are not available in data storage systems.