Database Systems I91.573

• Content:– How to build a database application– Principles of database-system implementation

• Instructor: John Sieg

• Required Text: Ramakrishnan, Database Management Systems, McGraw-Hill

• Web site: www.cs.uml.edu/~john/91.573/573syl.html

John Sieg, UMass Lowell

91.573 - Grading

• Application Project 20 %

• Research/Systems Project 20 %

• Quiz 1 20 %

• Quiz 2 20 %

• Quiz 3 20 %

John Sieg, UMass Lowell

Prof. John Sieg

• Research in query optimization and scheduling transactions

• Home page (including office hours, etc.): www.cs.uml.edu/~john

John Sieg, UMass Lowell

Application Project

• Design and build a database application using Microsoft Access or a similar database system

• Deliverables: design document and diskette(s)

• See Project Notes link at top of course web page (also: handout).

John Sieg, UMass Lowell

Systems Project

• Build a GUI for querying a database system.

• Steps described in “The User Interface” chapter of How to Build a Database System by John Sieg

• Deliverables: document and diskette(s)

• Again, see Project Notes link at top of course web page (also: handout).

John Sieg, UMass Lowell

Definitions

• database - a shared, persistent, conveniently and efficiently accessible collection of data

• database system - the software that maintains and accesses databases (e.g., Microsoft Access)

• database application - software that solves specific problems by using a database system

John Sieg, UMass Lowell

Definitions, cont’d

• relational database - database in which data are organized in tables (relations)

• query - a request for data from the database; can use a GUI or a query language

• QBE - Query-By-Example, a GUI for querying relational databases

• SQL - the standard query language for relational databases

John Sieg, UMass Lowell

Database System Services• query language support • data independence• efficient data storage and access• query optimization• programming language access• security enforcement• integrity control• concurrency control• recovery• support for building open systems

John Sieg, UMass Lowell