Just finished my training and certification exam for an IBM academic evangelist. The training covered database fundamentals and DB2. There were other topics covered relating to databases and database management systems like SQL and XML, but I'd like to put more emphasis on database and DBMS or Database Management Systems. Although I have been practicing as a software developer and IT instructor, I have never taken any particular detail to the theories and concepts of databases, much more handle such subjects. The training refreshed me with what I learned in college as well as given me more information about databases and DBMSs. Here are a few things that I've re-learned (because apparently, I forgot or I did not learn at all): Database in a general point of view refers to any data repository. It can be a software. It provides an interface to access DATA. DBMS or Database Management System is a software system. Whereas database provides a way to access data, DBMS provides a...