Course Goals and Expectations
Database management systems is an exciting area of Computer Science
that is at the heart of modern commercial application development. With
the growing amount of data available, the importance and challenges of
databases continue to expand. The field is an excellent illustration
of how theory and practice can work together to achieve interesting and
useful results.
You will learn the fundamental concepts underlying database management
systems. As a side effect of this process you will have a level of
understanding sufficient for database administration of
relational, object-oriented, or other database management systems.
Specific goals include:
- 1. to understand and be able to use the E/R, relational, and
object-oriented logical data models to design a database
- 2. to effectively manage and use multi-user commercial relational
database management systems and their interfaces to the "outside world"
- 3. to understand the tradeoffs involved in various choices
for physical data organization
- 4. to learn the phases of (relational) query processing and their
realization in actual products
- 5. to understand the tradeoffs involved in
multi-user access
- 6. to be able to apply goals 1-5 to evaluate the quality and
suitability of a particular DBMS, relational or otherwise
No prior database knowledge is required for this course. It is my
hope and expectation that you will enrich the classroom environment
by sharing your views with us appropriately. Please do not be shy in
offering your opinions, questions, or answers. I of course reserve the
right to keep the discussion on track.
Email and the WWW will be used extensively to provide you with information
about this course. Please check both frequently.
In all your computer use for this course,
you are expected to follow the
University's
policy for computer use.
All work you submit for this course must be entirely your own (or, in the
case of a group project, that of you and your partners in the group).
Anything else will not be tolerated and will be penalized to the maximum
possible amount. Although students are encouraged to study together, you
are required to produce your own solutions to all work you submit (including,
obviously, exams).