Database and the Database Management System

Database is a shared, integrated computer structure that houses the collection of end user data(raw facts) and the metadata(data of data) organized for rapid search and retrieval by a computer.

The Database Management System(DBMS) on the other hand, is a collection of programs that manages database structure and controls access to data. It also makes it possible to share data among multiple applications or users and makes data management more efficient and effective.

What I mean by DBMS makes data management more efficient and effective is, the end users will have better access to more and better-managed data with DBMS. As DBMS promotes integrated view of organization’s operations, the probability of data inconsistency is greatly reduced and it is possible to produce quick answers to ad hoc queries.