Database Management Systems in Engineering
Katherine C. Morris, Mary Mitchell, Christopher Dabrowski, Elizabeth N. Fong · Encyclopedia of Software Engineering · 2002
Abstract Most engineering‐related software addresses specific problems. These problems are typically computation‐intensive and limited in scope. Until relatively recently this approach has been an effective use of computer and human resources. However, in the future, engineering and manufacturing processes will need more integrated product development environments. Both cultural and procedural changes are needed to support the engineering environments of the future, and these changes will require integrated software systems. Databases are essential for integrating software and for reliably sharing data among diverse groups of people and applications. Database technology will be an integral part of the emerging software environments. In this article the application of database technology to engineering problems is examined for different levels of complexity within the computing environment. This introduction provides some background on the topic and includes the description of an example that is used throughout the article. In the first section, the use of database technology for standalone applications is considered. Mechanisms for data representation to support engineering applications are particularly important for implementing engineering software. The second section discusses database techniques for managing changes within the software environment. The third section discusses considerations for supporting multiple engineers working cooperatively. The state of database technology is discussed in the concluding section.