Data is organized in a data storage hierarchy of increasingly complex levels: bits, bytes (characters), fields, records, files, and databases. Data are logically organized into: ⇒ Bits (characters): - a bit is the smallest unit of data representation (0 or 1); ⇒ Byte: a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of 8 bits; ⇒ Field: a field consists of a grouping of characters; ⇒ Record: record consists of fields, with each field describing an attribute of the entity; ⇒ File: a group of related records; ⇒ Database: an integrated collection of logically related records or files.