intelligent database

    A database management system which performs data
   validation and processing traditionally done by application
   programs.  Most DBMSs provide some data validation,
   e.g. rejecting invalid dates or alphabetic data entered into
   money fields, but often most processing is done by application
   programs.  There is however no limit to the amount of
   processing that can be done by an intelligent database as long
   as the process is a standard function for that data.

   Examples of techniques used to implement intelligent databases
   are constraints, triggers and stored procedures.

   Moving processing to the database aids data integrity
   because it is guaranteed to be consistent across all uses of
   the data.  Mainframe databases have increasingly become more
   intelligent and personal computer database systems are rapidly
   following.

   (1998-10-07)