Database Management

Peter Wood

Aims

To familiarise students with the main concepts underlying database management, and in particular with the relational database model which is the dominant database system used in corporate IT departments. The module has three main strands: (1) fundamental concepts introduced using the entity-relationship model, (2) querying a relational database, and (3) relational database design.

Assessment

By 2-hour written examination and practical coursework, weighted 80% and 20% respectively.

Pre-requisites

Information Systems Concepts, Introduction to Programming, and Information Systems Management (or equivalents)

Syllabus

• Introduction to Databases
• Data Modelling with the Entity-Relationship Model
• The Basic Relational Model
  • Tables, Attributes and Domains
  • Primary and Foreign Keys
• Querying Relational Databases using SQL
  • Querying a Single Table
  • Aggregating and Grouping Data
  • Querying Multiple Tables
  • Null Values
• Updates, Views and Transactions
• Integrity Constraints in the Relational Model
• Designing a Relational Database
  • Boyce-Codd Normal Form
  • Third Normal Form
• Query Processing and Database Performance
• SQL Programming and the Web

Lecture Schedule and Slides are now on Moodle (old 2020 version)

Indicative Reading

1. J.D. Ullman and J. Widom, A First Course in Database Systems, Third Edition, Prentice Hall, 2008. See also the book web page.
2. A.B. Silberschatz, H.F. Korth and S. Sudarshan, Database System Concepts, Sixth Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2011. See also the book web page.
3. T. Connolly and C. Begg, Database Systems: A Practical Approach to Design, Implementation, and Management, Sixth Edition, Pearson, 2015.