Computer Science (COMP) 378

Overview

This course is developed in a logical fashion that is based on the database development life cycle. This makes it easy for students to relate the topics to each other along one logical line. The structure of the course follows the development of the material in Modern Database Management, 8th ed., by Hoffer, Prescott, & McFadden. The Study Guide consists of nine units. Each unit starts with its goal, followed by one or more sections. Each section contains goal, objectives, and activities.

The theoretical material in this course is supplemented by some lab components. These labs provide hands-on training for students and link to commercial products. The labs examine features of Oracle in detail and provide an extensive coverage of Oracle commands. The course uses Personal Oracle.

Learning Objectives

The main objectives of this course are:

• explain the architecture of information system, and database.
• present the relational model for database.
• explain the logical design of database.
• explain the physical design of database.
• explain the implementation of database.
• discuss database administration.
• introduce the client-server architecture and Internet database.
• present the Object-Oriented model for database.
• introduce data warehousing.

Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

• discuss the database approach to information management.
• use the Entity-Relationship Model for building information systems' data models.
• transform an E-R diagram into a relational model.
• use normalization to transform a relational schema into a set of normalized relations (3NF).
• discusses the physical database design process of producing an efficient and tuned database.
• explain when denormalization is preferred over normalization and use vertical and horizontal partitioning for data distribution.
• elaborate data storage and indexing options and perform query optimization.
• use SQL for database creation, manipulation and control.
• explains the client/server model and describe the key components used to implement internet database environments.
• perform the basic database administration tasks.
• use Object-Oriented Data Model and develop class diagrams using the unified modeling language (UML).
• use the object definition language (ODL) and the object query language (OQL) for the creation and manipulation of object oriented databases.
• discusses the basic concepts of data warehousing and describes different architectures used for data warehousing systems.

Outline

The course consists of the following nine units.

• Unit 1: Introduction to Database Systems
• Unit 2 - Data Modeling: The Entity-Relationship Diagram: this unit discusses the entity-relationship (E-R) diagram, how it may be used to model real-life situations, and its symbols and constructs.
• Unit 3 - The Relational Model and Normalization: This unit explains the relational model, normalization, and how to transform an entity-relationship data model into a relational model.
• Unit 4 - Physical Database Design: This unit introduces the physical design process, its steps, inputs, and outputs.
• Unit 5 - SQL - A Standard Navigation Language for Relational Databases.
• Unit 6 - Introduction to Client/Server and Internet Database Environment: This unit introduces Internet database environment, including Web-enabled databases, Web-enabled system design and programming within an overall client/server architecture for systems, XML, and Web services.
• Unit 7 - Data Administration and Database Administration: This unit is devoted to the roles of data administration and database administration, their function areas, and their importance for an information resource that is shared among several users.
• Unit 8 - Data Modeling II - The Object-Oriented Data Model.
• Unit 9 - Introduction to Data Warehousing: This unit introduces the fundamental concepts of Data Warehousing. The three layer model and star architecture are explained.

Evaluation

To receive credit for COMP 378, you must achieve a grade of at least 50 percent on the invigilated final examination, and an average grade of 50 percent on the assignments, and a grade of at least 50 percent on the project. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.