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Relational
Database Applications in Business
This course builds on the broad introduction to databases
provided in earlier modules.
Aims
To
significantly improve:
- The student’s
knowledge of database design methods, tools and technologies
- The student’s
skills required to design and implement a database
- The student’s
ability to evaluate and choose the most appropriate technology for implementing
databases
Programme
Content and Learning Objectives
After
completing the programme, students should be able to:
- Identify and
discuss the environment in which a database operates.
- Analyse user
requirements and design a database to meet user needs.
- Apply
relational principles to design and specify a logical data model.
- Select a
suitable database system development environment for a given system.
- Implement,
use and maintain a database using appropriate tools and understand how to
optimise its performance.
- Understand
security requirements and data integrity constraints in the context of a DBMS.
- Understand
how DBMSs manage recovery from failure and concurrent access to the database.
- Appraise
current developments in the database arena.
Syllabus
Content
The Database
Environment
- Basic
concepts and definitions.
- Traditional
file processing systems and their problems.
- The
database approach with its advantages.
- Database
components.
- Evolution
of databases.
- Range of
database applications.
- Overview of
the development process.
Database
Analysis
- The
Entity-Relationship Model.
- The
Enhanced E-R Model and Business Rules.
-
Object-Oriented Modelling.
Database Design
- The
relational data model - the structural part, manipulation part and integrity
constraints.
- Logical
Design - moving from EAR model to relations.
- Normalisation.
- Physical
Design - data volume and usage analysis, designing data fields, physical records
and files, use of indexes.
Implementation
- SQL -
background to the SQL standard; data definition statements - CRKATE, ALTER and
DROP TABLE, CREATE
and DROP VIEW, defining integrity constraints; data manipulation statements -
INSERT, DELETE and UPDATE/querying.
- Database
access from client applications - form and report development, use of visual
basic, using COM and
OLE for database access.
-
Client/Server Architectures.
- Distributed
Databases.
Data
Administration
-
Administrative roles of Database Administrator, Data Administrator and the DBMS.
- Managing
data security.
- Managing
data quality.
- Backup and
Recovery.
- Controlling
Concurrent Access.
- Tuning
Databases for Performance.
Current Trends
Object
- Oriented
Databases.
- Object
Relational Databases.
- Data
Warehousing.
Method of
Assessment
By written
examination. The pass mark is 40%. Time allowed 3 hours.
The question
paper will contain: Seven questions of which five
must be answered. All questions carry 20 marks. It is expected that the
candidates will have done some practical work on a relational DBMS and the SQL
language. This will not be directly assessed by the ABE but is important in
terms of enhancing the student’s understanding of the concepts taught.
Reading List:
Essential
Reading
| Modern Database
Management |
McFadden, Hoffer
& Prescott |
5th Ed,
Addison-Wesley
ISBN
0-201-47432-8 |
Additional
Reading
| Database
Systems Management |
Connolly,
Begg & Strachan |
2nd Ed,
Addison-Wesley
ISBN
0-201-342787-1 |
| An
Introduction to Database Systems |
C.J.
Date |
Addison-Wesley
7th Ed,
ISBN 0-201-38590-2 |
| Fundamentals
of Database Systems |
Elmasci
& Navathe |
3rd
Ed, Benjamin Cummings
ISBN
0-8053-1755-4 |
| Database
Systems: Concepts Languages and Architectures |
Atenzi,
Ceri, Paraboschi
&
Torlone |
ISBN
0-07-709500-6 |
Guidance Notes for Tutors
Weighting of Topics and Sections
The course is
divided into six sections. It is anticipated that, given 36 formal tuition
hours, the weighting of
hours will be as follows:
Section 1 - the
database environment - 3 hours
Section 2 -
database analysis - 6 hours
Section 3 -
database design - 6 hours
Section 4 -
implementation - 12 hours
Section 5 -
data administration - 6 hours
Section
6 - current trends - 3 hours
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