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Prescription:DB200 Database Management Systems (DBMS) |
| Aim of Module | To give the student an understanding of the principles of database design within a commercial environment.
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| Credits | 7
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| Suggested Time | 70 student learning hours
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| Prescription Expiry Date | Nov 2002
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LEARNING OUTCOMES
The Student Will
| | | | | C | 1 | Discuss issues which influence the selection of a DBMS product and describe how security and recovery are handled in a typical database environment. | | | C | 2 | Explain reasons for a database design approach, including factors such as concurrent and multi-user capability, data integrity and consistency, standardisation and productivity. | | | C | 3 | Outline the generally accepted standards of good database design. | | | C | 4 | Describe the use of a data dictionary. | | | A | 5 | Describe the relationship between data modelling and database design and prepare a logical database design for a realistic business example. | | | A | 6 | Implement a well-designed database for a realistic business example. | | | P | 7 | Critically evaluate existing implemented database systems in order to identify specific design issues, strengths, weaknesses and possible improvements. | |
Where possible two different DBMSs should be used and compared (eg Access & Interbase, Access & SQL Server). |
CONTENT
| | | | > | Issues which affect selection include: DBMS features and tools, underlying model, cost/benefit analysis. | | | > | The essential characteristics and differences of a variety of DBMS products should be investigated. | | | > | Detailed description of the handling of security in typical DBMS products (eg views, groups, users, rights). | | | > | Recovery should cover procedures for both hard and soft crashes.
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| | | | Explain the reasons for a database design approach, including concurrent and multi-user capability, data integrity and consistency, standardisation and productivity.
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| | | | > | Standards such as naming conventions, normalised relations, ERD conventions.
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| | | | > | Schema, sub-schema, standardisation.
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| | | | > | Examples used should be of substantial size and/or complexity with an emphasis on good design. | | | > | ER diagrams, schema depiction, normalisation to 3rd normal form should be used and understood. | | | > | Performance issues, denormalisation, use of automatically generated primary keys should be discussed.
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| | | | > | It is expected that SQL will be used to create: | | | - tables with integrity checks on the attributes | | | - triggers which implement business rules | | | - views for complex queries and for controlling access rights | |
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| | | | > | Analysis of real commercial business examples is expected.
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