Tech Glossary

What is DBMS?

A database engine, or DBMS, is a program that provides a database structure and a common interface for manipulating and retrieving data from the database. Most DBMS are intended to be used by multiple users at the same time, and often include tools to manage user permissions. Most DBMS are also capable of handling data in different languages. There are many different types of DBMS, but they can all be divided into two main categories: relational DBMS and object-related DBMS. Most DBMS are relational, meaning that data is stored in tables with columns and rows. Each column contains data of the same type, and each row contains data about one object. Object-related DBMSs store data in objects, which are structured as class diagrams. These DBMS are usually more flexible than relational DBMS, but also more complex.