Anuj Apte

October 24, 2016

Period 6

Can Centralized Databases be Trusted?

Research question:
Do centralized databases, such as Microsofts Active Directory, make school processes more
efficient and if so why?

Hypothesis:
Centralized databases will make schools more organized as long as the databases are strategically
developed.

Background/History of the Issue:

Humans have been using databases since the ancient times and even though the databases were
not computerized, they were extremely organized. Many civilizations developed elaborate
database systems to organize government, libraries, hospitals, and businesses. For example, the
Greeks and Romans built many libraries to contain scrolls and information for common people to
obtain. However, computerized databases did not emerge until the 1960s. During the 1960s many
companies started using the computerized databases because they seemed to be the most cost
effective. One of the most important and useful databases was called SABRE. The database was
created by Intel to help American Airlines manage their reservations system. After the 1960s
database technology took off. Every decade there seemed to be a drastic change in the
technology available. The biggest jump came in the 1990s due to the explosion of the internet.
Once the internet, computers, and laptops were shown to the public centralized databases became
vital since there was so much more data flowing that needed to be stored somewhere.

Anuj Apte
October 24, 2016
Period 6

Rationale:
I believe that studying centralized databases impact on school processes is extremely important.
This issue might be over looked, however it is something that should be taken into serious
consideration. School is something every child living in the United States has to go through, so
learning how centralized databases affect the school system is vital because it could have a
drastic impact on the school system. If the centralized databases have a positive impact then
school systems will know to start integrating it into their systems and vice versa. This issue is
important to me as well because I am currently in high school and learning how a centralized
database affects my learning could really change the way I view the current education system.
There is not too much information on this subject on the Internet since the topic is specific so
finding information and connecting it back to school should be very interesting
Basis of Hypothesis:
I decided to research centralized databases specific impact on school systems because school is
something that relates to me everyday. I thought that if I connected what I learned in my
internship to something back into my everyday life I could find ways to improve it. If I learn that
the centralized databases have a positive effect on the school system then I could advise counties
to implement them into their systems. As I continue my research I want to dive deeper into the
types of centralized databases and check if some types of databases would be better than others.
However, before I even do that I will definitely research if centralized databases even have a
positive effect on the school systems. I found that the articles I am currently finding over the
Internet are extremely objective with no opinions or bias. This is good because then the facts are
not misinterpreted but eventually I will want to ask people on their opinions so that I can learn
how the public likes the centralized databases in their systems.

Anuj Apte
October 24, 2016
Period 6

Operational Definitions:

Centralized Database: a database that is located, stored, and maintained in a single

location. This location is most often a central computer or database system, for example a

desktop or server CPU, or a mainframe computer.

Active Directory: is a directory service that Microsoft developed for Windows
domain networks. It is included in most Windows Server operating systems as a set
of processes andservices.

Descriptors Used for Literature Search:

Microsoft azure active directory
Microsoft active directory
Studies on databases and school systems
Effects of databases on organizations
Back draws of database usages