A database management system (DBMS) is judged by its performance and ease of use. DBMS optimization, which aims to provide users with a system that is optimal in terms of cost and usability, is a crucial aspect of databases. It takes place at all levels: during application design, where the choice of system architecture, data model, storage techniques and data access methods all play an important role in terms of both usage and efficiency, and during use, where query response time and the number of transactions per second are the major performance criteria.
To evaluate system performance, it is necessary to define metrics. These are based on different criteria, depending on the type of optimization. For example, response time or language expressiveness for queries, disk space occupied and time taken to traverse data in a relationship for the choice of a storage technique, resource availability or system scalability when it comes to architecture.
This folder is intended for readers with a general knowledge of database functionalities (relational model, SQL, transactions and concurrency control). Prior reading of the "Databases. Introduction "
, "Relational databases".
and "Database languages: SQL and object-oriented developments".
is recommended.