Relational Database Applications in Business

This course builds on the broad introduction to databases provided in earlier modules.

Aims

To significantly improve:

1. The student’s knowledge of database design methods, tools and technologies
2. The student’s skills required to design and implement a database
3. The student’s ability to evaluate and choose the most appropriate technology for implementing databases

Programme Content and Learning Objectives

After completing the programme, the student should be able to:

1. Identify and discuss the environment in which a database operates.
2. Analyse user requirements and design a database to meet user needs.
3. Apply relational principles to design and specify a logical data model.
4. Select a suitable database system development environment for a given system.
5. Implement, use and maintain a database using appropriate tools and understand how to optimise its performance.
6. Understand security requiremerlts and data integrity constraints in the context of a DBMS.
7. Understand how DBMSs manage recovery from failure and concurrent access to the database.
8. 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.

• The Entity-Relationship Model.
• The Enhanced E-R Model and Business Rules.
• Object-Oriented Modelling.

• 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.

• Oriented Databases.
• Object Relational Databases.
• Data Warehousing.