A database environment has 5 major components for functionality. The components necessary are: people, hardware, software, data, and procedures (OwlGen, 2019).

Source:​http://cdn.wagmob.com/subject/G124/html/introduction00to00dbms_1.html​

When it comes to people, there are different roles needed to help build the overall database environment. These roles would include but are not limited to system and database administrators, database designers, programmers, analysts, and end users (OwlGen, 2019).

The system administrator is in charge of setting up and managing the system and server. They are needed to make sure there are no server crashes or any missing information within the database (Gite, 2014). Database administrators ensure the physical database is working properly through monitoring the performance and also managing security access and other standards (“What are the functions of a database administrator”). Database designers and programmers code all queries, relationships, and data and make sure they are stored properly within the database management system. Analysts review all the data the designers and programmers have implemented. Finally, end users are the ones that utilize the database management system and make the system more usable for other users.

Hardware and software are the items that make the database environment come to life. Hardware includes the actual computer itself and any sort of networking components needed. Software includes the operating system and any sort of programs needed to build and administer the database (OwlGen, 2019).

Finally, data and procedures go hand in hand. Data includes things like the actual database needed to function in the environment as well as any business procedures and/or rules that manage the system. The procedures are implemented to structure the overall design on how the database should work and regulate all the data that should be going in and coming out of the database (OwlGen, 2019).

Attribution

By Sarah North and Xiaohua Xu, Introduction to Database Systems, textbook was developed as part of a Round 16 Textbook Transformation Grant, and licensed under  CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.