Database Glossary - O

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ODBC (Open Database Connectivity)

A Microsoft-developed standard for database software from different manufacturers and on different computers that enables users to share data through ODBC drivers (or translators). ODBC is defined by an international (ISO) and a national (ANSI) standard. The most recent version is called SQL-92. (There are now at least 4 different ODBC "standards", and not every software maker's implementation is fully compatible with all the others.)

OLAP (Online Analytical Processing)

The OLAP Council defines online analytical processing as, "A category of software technology that enables analysis, managers and executives to gain insight into data through fast, consistent, interactive access to wide variety of possible views of information that have been transformed from raw data to reflect the real dimensionality of the enterprise as understood by the user."

One-to-Many Relationship

See: Relationship, One-to-Many.

One-to-One Relationship

See: Relationship, One-to-One.

Online Analytical Processing

See: OLAP.

Open Database Connectivity

See: ODBC.

Operation

A defined process that modifies data, performs calculations using data, imports or exports data, or otherwise manipulates data in some way.
See also: Task.

Operational Processing

Systems that run the day-to-day business for companies.

Outer Join

See: Join, Outer.

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