Course co-ordinator(s): Dr Alasdair Gray (Edinburgh), Talal Shaikh (Dubai).
Aims:
- To familiarise students with the principles of database management systems, to enable them to design and implement databases for specific applications and to integrate databases with application programs.
Detailed Information
Pre-requisite course(s): F27WD Web Design and Databases .
Location: ALP, Dubai, Edinburgh.
Semester: 2.
Syllabus:
- Database Design: data requirements, entity relationship diagrams, relational data model, integrity constraints, key constraints, types, integrity maintenance
- Relational Queries: SQL, Boolean combinations of queries, aggregation, duplicate elimination, nested queries, negation, views, insertions, deletions, updates, command level interfaces, integration with programming application
- Query execution and optimisation: data storage principles, file organisation, indexing, indexes in commercial DBMSs, relational algebra, query execution plans, cost estimation of plans, interpretation of plans, physical database design
- Concurrency: transactions, schedules, serialisability, concurrency control protocols, locking, two-phase-locking, time stamp based concurrency control.
- Emerging Database Trends: data warehousing, distributed databases, and alternative database models such as XML, document, object, and graph stores
Learning Outcomes: Subject Mastery
Understanding, Knowledge and Cognitive Skills Scholarship, Enquiry and Research (Research-Informed Learning)
- Broad knowledge and understanding of the concepts and formalisms of database design
- Detailed knowledge of the building blocks and meaning of relational database queries
- Critical understanding of the principles of query evaluation and concurrency control underlying database applications
- Practice in the collection of data requirements and the design of conceptual database schemas
- Evaluation of emerging database trends and ability to understand their benefits
Learning Outcomes: Personal Abilities
Industrial, Commercial & Professional Practice Autonomy, Accountability & Working with Others Communication, Numeracy & ICT
- Practice in working on a development project in small groups (PDP)
- Practice in defining the subject and scope of a development project (PDP)
- Deconstructing a problem and synthesizing a solution (PDP)
- Time management (PDP).
Assessment Methods:
Assessment: Examination: (weighting – 70%) Coursework: (weighting – 30%)
Re-assessment: Examination: (weighting – 100%)
SCQF Level: 8.
Credits: 15.