COMP23111 Database Systems syllabus 2021-2022
COMP23111 Database Systems
Level 2
Credits: 10
Enrolled students: 307
Course leader: Gareth Henshall
Additional staff: view all staff
Assessment methods
- 50% Written exam
- 50% Practical skills assessment
Semester | Event | Location | Day | Time | Group |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sem 1 w1-5,7-11 | Lecture | Engineering Building A 2A.040 Lecture Theatre A | Mon | 13:00 - 14:00 | Passcode: 390573 |
Sem 1 w2-5,7-11 | ONLINE DROP-IN | Tue | 11:00 - 12:00 | Passcode: 449442 | |
Sem 1 w2-5,7-11 | DROP-IN | G23 | Thu | 14:00 - 15:00 | - |
Sem 1 w2-5,7-11 | DROP-IN | G23 | Thu | 15:00 - 16:00 | - |
- Web and Distributed Systems
Overview
Aims
Syllabus
Introducing Data Management
Data as an Asset, Records and Files, The Need for Models, The Need for Independence, Database Management as a Service [1 lecture plus background reading]
Understanding Database Architectures
Levels of Abstraction in Data Management, The ANSI/SPARC Approach, Schemas v. Instances, Describing v. Querying v. Changing, DBMS Components and Architectures [1 lecture plus background reading]
Understanding the Relational Paradigm
The Relational Model, The Relational Languages [2 lectures plus background reading] [1 examples clinic, 1 lab exercise]
Designing Databases
Building a Conceptual Data Model, Mapping the Conceptual Data Model to a Target, Identifying Functional Dependencies, Normalizing the Schema [5 lectures plus background reading] [3 examples clinics, 2 lab exercises]
Interfacing with Applications
Defining Views, Using Embedded Queries, Procedural Access, and Triggers [1 lecture plus background reading] [1 examples clinic, 1 lab exercise]
Understanding System-Level Issues
Concurrency, Transactions and Recovery, File Organisations and Indexes [2 lectures plus background reading]
Considering Security and Privacy
Threats and Countermeasures, Legal Frameworks [background reading]
Teaching methods
Lectures
13 in total, 1 per week + an additional lecture in Week 2.
Examples classes
5 in total, each one hour long, run as clinics in support of the taught material, mandatory readings and lab exercises.
Laboratories
10 in total, weekly formative sheets for you to practice various elements of database design and manipulation.
Midterm test
2 midterm tests which will count towards 25% of the coursework mark
Feedback methods
Lectures, coursework, face to face mentoring by TAs. Use on online quizzes.
Study hours
- Assessment written exam (2 hours)
- Lectures (11 hours)
- Practical classes & workshops (15 hours)
Employability skills
- Analytical skills
- Problem solving
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, a student will be able to:
- Be able to discuss and explain the principles of database design.
- Be able to discuss, explain and apply conceptual design methodologies, and, in particular, the Extended Entity Relationship Approach.
- Be able to discuss, explain and apply the relational model, and, in particular the derivation of relational schemas from conceptual designs and the normalisation of those schemas.
- Be able to discuss and explain the basic mechanisms to enforce database security, through an understanding of the threats and countermeasures available in classical database management systems.
- Be able to discuss and explain the requirements and responsibilities arising from the use of classical database management systems in the light of legal frameworks to protect individuals, institutions and property rights.
Reading list
Title | Author | ISBN | Publisher | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|
Database Systems. | Connolly, Thomas. | 9781292061832 | Pearson Education UK | 2015 |
Beginning Oracle SQL | Haan, Lex de. author. | 9781430271963 | Apress | 2010 |
Fundamentals of database systems | Elmasri, Ramez, author. | 1292097620 | Pearson | 2017 |
Database systems : the complete book | Garcia-Molina, Hector, author. | 9781292024479 | Pearson | 2014 |
Database systems : an application-oriented approach | Kifer, M. (Michael), 1954- | 0321228383 | Pearson/Addison Wesley | c2005. |
Pro Oracle SQL | Morton, Karen. author. | 9781430262213 | Apress | 2013 |
Database management systems | Ramakrishnan, Raghu. | 0071151109 | McGraw-Hill | c2003. |
Database system concepts | Silberschatz, Abraham. | 9780071289597 | McGraw-Hill | 2011. |
Additional notes
Course unit materials
Links to course unit teaching materials can be found on the School of Computer Science website for current students.