A database management system allows users to store, modify and access data in an organized, efficient way. Relational database management systems are what most companies are using or investing in today. These systems are popular because they are very user-friendly and also offer greater flexibility than traditional databases. The fundamentals of relational concepts are covered in this text, which also demonstrates their applications. There are numerous practical examples using SQL, a popular database language for the PC database market, and also discussions on client/server issues, distributed databases and the emergence of object-oriented database management systems.