In the database approach, a single repository of data is maintained which is defined once and then accessed by various users. A database is a self-describing collection of integrated records. It is self-describing because the database system contains not only the database itself, but also a complete definition of the database structure and constraints. This definition is stored in the DBMS catalog. The records are integrated because a database contains multiple files (usually called a table in database processing), and records within those tables are processed by their relationship to one another.

In database processing, the DBMS acts as an intermediary between the user, or application program, and database. A DBMS is a general-purpose software system that facilitates the processes of defining, constructing, manipulating, and sharing of the database among the various users and applications.