Foundations of Information Management
Foundations
Foundationsof
ofInformation
InformationManagement
Management
−− WS
WS2008/09
2008/09 −−
Prof. Dr. Rainer Manthey
Bonn-Aachen International Center
for Information Technology
(B-IT)
© 2008 Prof. Dr. Rainer Manthey
LSILSI-FIM
1
Vita Rainer Manthey
1973
1973 Kiel
Kiel
University of Kiel
Computer Science/Mathematics
Student
(diploma 1979)
Research assistant ( PhD 1984)
1953
1953 Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven
1992
1992 Bonn
Bonn
University of Bonn
Professor
© 2008 Prof. Dr. Rainer Manthey
European Computer-Industry
Research Centre (ECRC)
Researcher/
1984
ünchen Teamleader
1984 MMünchen
LSILSI-FIM
2
A few remarks on time and efficient learning
• There are only 14 lectures this semester!
• This is incredibly short time for a lot of things to learn.
• That means:
• We have to work in a very efficient manner:
No waste of time possible!
• We have to leave out a lot of interesting things
and concentrate on key topics.
• There is not much time for practical exercises
and for repeating things in order to get a good
training effect.
• Therefore: Take care of working practically yourself,
don‘t wait for people to tell you when and how!
21.10.2008
21.10.2008
28.10.2008
28.10.2008
4.11.2008
4.11.2008
11.11.2008
11.11.2008
18.11.2008
18.11.2008
25.11.2008
25.11.2008
2.12.2008
2.12.2008
9.12.2008
9.12.2008
16.12.2008
16.12.2008
23.12.2008
23.12.2008
30.12.2008
30.12.2008
6.1.2009
6.1.2009
13.1.2009
13.1.2009
20.1.2009
20.1.2009
27.1.2009
27.1.2009
3.2.2009
3.2.2009
Exam: 13.2.2009
© 2008 Prof. Dr. Rainer Manthey
LSILSI-FIM
3
Lecture and exercises, exams, communication
• We will try to dedicate several dates to exercises rather than lecture, performed downstairs
in the computer rooms of B-IT.
• There will be an attendance list each time where everybody present is supposed to sign
in (you know the LSI rules, do you). The list will be moved to the front around 9:30 a.m.
Late comers are allowed to sign afterwards only if they have a convincing excuse!
• If missing the lecture more than 3 times, you are „out“ and have to wait till 2009 to
catch your credits in FIM.
• There will be written exams at the end of the lecture period (mid-February). For those
who have to repeat their exam, a 2nd written exam takes place at the end of March.
• Information about the lecture, copies of the slides and background material will be made
available via the FIM homepage on the internet:
http://www.informatik.uni-bonn.de/~manthey/FIM08/
• Don‘t hesitate to ask questions to the professor at any time – you may even write an
e-mail: manthey@informatik.uni-bonn.de
© 2008 Prof. Dr. Rainer Manthey
LSILSI-FIM
4
The „background dilemma“
• We have a very broad spectrum of subject areas from which our participants have
obtained their degrees: From life sciences to computer science (and beyond)!
• Therefore:
• Some people know (nearly) nothing about information management using computers.
• Others know something, or even a lot about databases and information systems.
ItItwill
willnot
notbe
bepossible
possibletotomake
makeeverybody
everybodyhappy
happyeach
eachtime
time––please
pleasebe
bepatient!
patient!
© 2008 Prof. Dr. Rainer Manthey
LSILSI-FIM
5
Two lectures – one topic?
This semester, two of your lectures will be dedicated to broadly the same topic . . .
Foundations
Foundationsof
of
Information
InformationManagement
Management
Bio
BioDatabases
Databases
Prof. Hofmann-Apitius
Prof. Manthey
•
•
•
•
application-oriented
many real examples of current DBs
few general techniques
viewed from LSI perspective
•
•
•
•
method-oriented
few examples of „toy“ DBs
mostly general techniques
viewed from CS perspective
. . . but the focus of these lectures will be distinctively different!
© 2008 Prof. Dr. Rainer Manthey
LSILSI-FIM
6
Terminological confusion
data bank
?
database
data base
?
information system
?
database system
?
database management system
?
data model
database model
© 2008 Prof. Dr. Rainer Manthey
?
LSILSI-FIM
7
Information vs. data
How
Howtotodistinguish
distinguishinformation
informationfrom
fromdata
data??
• This is a quite demanding question, for which there is no simple answer !
• In connection with databases/information systems:
• only informal/intuitive understanding of these notions
• precise definition only in a special context (data model, application)
• intuitively:
• „Information" subsumes „data".
• „Data" is special, simple „information".
• „Data" is often conceived as atomic (not divisible).
• but: There is complex (divisible) „data“ , too (e.g. objects).
• for sure: There is „information„ which is not „data“ !
(e.g. rules, dependencies, comments)
• (Very formal) mathematical-philosophical considerations concerning information:
information theory
© 2008 Prof. Dr. Rainer Manthey
LSILSI-FIM
8
Information system: computer science view
Information
InformationSystem
System
+ External media
of communication
+ Applicationspecific
methods
Database
DatabaseSystem
System
© 2008 Prof. Dr. Rainer Manthey
LSILSI-FIM
9
Information system: example
example:
Geo
GIS)
GeoInformation
InformationSystem
System((GIS)
Satellite navigation system
(GPS)
Virtual map interface
Database
DatabaseSystem
System
© 2008 Prof. Dr. Rainer Manthey
LSILSI-FIM
10
Database system: a computer science notion
Database
DatabaseSystem
System
DBMS
DB
....
databases
users and
application programmes
© 2008 Prof. Dr. Rainer Manthey
DBMS: DataBase Management System
(many powerful application-independent
services: schema mgt, query optimization,
storage mgt, transaction mgt, etc.)
LSILSI-FIM
11
A helpful „formula“ for remembering the principle idea
„informal formula":
one or many
DBS
DBS == DBMS
DBMS ++ nn ∗∗ DB
DB
Database
System
© 2008 Prof. Dr. Rainer Manthey
Database
Management
System
Database(s)
applicationindependent
services
applicationdependent
information
LSILSI-FIM
12
Databases in the life sciences
• Nowadays, most „databases“ in the life sciences do not meet the requirements for
proper database systems (as developed in CS) – what is mostly missing is a DBMS!
• There are hundreds of databases in biology, chemistry, pharmacy, or medicine today,
which are based on dedicated (system-specific) textfile formats which come with
very limited software support (or none at all, apart from a text editor).
• It is the goal of this lecture to make you familiar with the „ideal“ of a database + DBMS,
in order to be able to properly judge how far the „databases“ you meet in the LS world
are behind.
• To be fair, one has to admit, that there are cases where using a full-fledged DBMS
would be „overkill“ – sometimes a less powerful system is more appropriate.
• There is currently a big turn towards moving LS databases to a stable and powerful
general purpose DBMS – in order to be prepared for this development you ought
to know the basic principles of database technology.
• At the end of the lecture, we will look at alternatives to (real) database systems, though.
© 2008 Prof. Dr. Rainer Manthey
LSILSI-FIM
13
What to expect?
0.
Organisation and Motivation
∼1 lecture
1.
An Introduction to Relational Databases
∼3 lectures
2.
SQL
∼5 lectures
1.
2.
3.
Queries
Updates and transactions
Schema definition
3.
Database Design
1. Conceptual Design
2. Logical Design
∼3 lectures
4.
Principles of Database Management Systems
∼1 lecture
5.
Non-relational data representation formats
∼1 lecture
© 2008 Prof. Dr. Rainer Manthey
LSILSI-FIM
14