A Journey Through Time: The Evolution of Databases (1960–2024)
Evolution of a Database
The databases that now form a part of our everyday life have evolved and changed through the years. With the changing requirements of the organizations and the advent of new technology, the shape and scope of a database underwent rapid changes.
The origin of the current database can be traced back to the 1960s. This era saw an exponential increase in the use of computers due to its cost-effectiveness. As a result, the use of databases started increasing. Out of the many available models, two were extremely popular — CODASYL and IMS. Along with this, SABRE used by American Airlines was also well regarded.
The period starting from the 1970s revolutionized the way people approach databases. It witnessed the development of the relational database model. The basic principle of any database system is that the logical organization of the data is disconnected from actual physical storage and was proposed at this stage of development.
The major relational databases that entered the market were Ingres and System R. The term Relational Database Management System also gained relevance during the same period. As time progressed, the late 1970s saw the introduction of the Entity-Relationship Model, where users could focus their attention on data applications.
Eventually, the hierarchical and network database model’s popularity faded away, and the relational database became the most commonly used term. In addition, SQL now became the standard query language.
As the end of the century approached, new tools were developed and introduced, including Oracle Developer, PowerBuilder, etc. Excel and access were also developed for personal productivity enhancement. The use of the client-server database system was now commonplace. In the late 1990s, there were several open-source database solutions in the market. The database was also used in point-of-sale transactions that were rapidly increasing at the time.
