BACKGROUND

A database can be an organized collection of data that can be stored and that accessed through control circuitry controlled by a processor. Typically a database management system is used to access the data stored in the database. In a relational database, data is stored in such a way that it can be presented to users as a set of interrelated tables. Each table may define collection of data in which a set of one or more specific types of data related to one or more entities can be arranged. Typically new records are created in the database by creating new rows in one or more tables. Database systems and database management systems typically also provide a table catalog, which includes one or more tables that store the meta-data that describes the structures of the tables used in the database. As tables are modified or added to a particular database, the catalog may be updated by the database management system to reflect the changes.

