Chapter 5, Problem 5.21MML

Explanation of Solution

Purpose of the database:

• The main purpose of the database is keeping track of the things.
• It is tool that is used to organize large amount of data.
• It is used in storing and transforming the data into information that can be used in supporting decision making.

Choice of database when preferred with spreadsheets:

• Generally spreadsheets are also used to track things, the circumstance where a database is preferred with spreadsheets are when more information needs to processed to obtain a certain decision.
• Spreadsheets are limited when more details regarding the data collected needs to be added.
• In that case, database are preferred when more data needs to be added to calculate.

Determining database as a better choice:

Managing hundreds of spreadsheet with huge amount of data is really a tedious process for the manager.

• The data that are present in the spreadsheet can be used in an effective way with the help of queries.
• The data contents that are present in the database are processed based on the query, can be protected from the malicious user and data gets stored permanently into the database and the chance of data being lost gets reduced.

Therefore, the choice of using database is recommended in the solving the problems stated.

Developing the database as a centralized database:

Centralized database is a database that stores the data which can be maintained at a single location. Thus, when creating a database as a centralized database it provides the following advantages that are listed below:

• It helps the data that are stored being maintained in consistent way thus ensuring the reliability of the data.
• It provides security to the data that are stored...