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# The Components of an Information System

Conceptually
an information systems has a layered structure.
Move your mouse over the terms of the following interaction and get to know what parts make up an information system.

The Components of an Information System

The data management components of an information system are:

Data and Database:
  An amount of data which are viewed by the operator as somehow going together plus additional data which is used by the DBMS to work correctly are called a database.

Database Management System:
  A database management system (DBMS) is a software product for the persistent, consistent and application independent storage and management of data. But also for the flexible and easy use of big and concurrently used databases.

Database System:
  A database system (DBS) consists of a DBMS and one or more databases.

Database management systems and database systems are in the focus of this module.

Information System:
  An information system extends the database with a couple of software tools for querying, presenting, transforming and analysing the data.

According to the first part of this unit where the difference between data and information According to the first part of this unit where the difference between data and information were discussed, the tools of an information system enrich the data with semantic
and pragmatic
aspects.

For sure, you have already heard the term geoinformation system and perhaps read the one or more definitions of it. The following paragraph defines the term geoinformation system and compares this definition with the one of an information system as discussed earlier in this unit. Geoinformation System:

Geoinformation System:
  A geoinformation system allows capturing, storing, analysing and presenting of all data that describe a part of the earth’s surface and all on this part located technical and administrative equipment but also geoscientific, economic and ecologic features. (Translation) (BARTELME 1989)

This definition contains the most important aspects of the definition of an information system but focuses on data with spatial referencing.