Introduction to Database Technology course

DT228/3

Semester 1

Breakdown of course

• This course is valued at 5 ECTS points.• There are 36 contact hours, leaving 64 self-study hours.• Weekly contact hours:

– 1 hour lecture– 1 hour tutorial– 1 hour lab

• Self-Study expectations:– Finish all lab / tutorial exercises assigned to you.– Undertake one lab test– Undertake one assignment, as part of a group.– Learn the theoretical and practical content of the course.

Lectures

• Design– Designing a data model using Normalisation

• Practical– Standard SQL and Oracle PL/SQL to allow for

lab classes.

• Theoretical– Architecture and usage of RDBMS.– Theory of concurrent usage, architecture,

data protection, security, recovery.

Tutorials

• Practice of database schema design.

• Problems relating to concurrency and transaction design.

• Design of a relational model (in a group) for a system from a set description.

• Design and specification of queries and transactions that would be required by the users of the designed system.

Practicals

• Introduction to Oracle SQL*Plus.• Implementation of standard query types on a

populated schema.• Creation and population of a schema as

designed in tutorials.• Implementation of task-based queries.• Implementation of task-based transactions,

using commit and roll-back, taking concurrency issues into account.

• Some time will be given to doing your lab test and assignment.

Assessment

• 30% practical:– 10% lab test.– 20% group system implementation.

• 70% examination (2 hours):– 4 questions, answer 3.

• Q1 compulsory, worth 40%, – based on tutorial and practical work.

• Q2, 3 and 4 worth 30% each.– Based on tutorial, practical and theory work.

You will learn

• Data modelling• Relational database theory• Use of Oracle Database 10g, using the

SQL*Plus and iSQL*Plus tools.• Design and implement:

– Queries in SQL– Transactions in SQL– Procedures, Functions, Packages and

Triggers in PL/SQL

Data modelling

• How to model data from the meaning of the stored data.

• Derive a data model from system data entries and outputs.

• Use Data Normalisation to improve your model.

Models you will see

• Sample schema– Builders’ providers – I will use this to

demonstrate techniques– Football competition coordination – We will

build this through simple exercises

• YOUR GROUP schema– YOU and two others from your class will

design and build this.