Questions and Answers of Database Concepts

The text states that you can argue that “the only reason for having relations is to store instances of functional dependencies.” Explain, in your own words, what this means.
What is a surrogate key, and under what circumstances would you use one?
Describe four uses of a primary key.
Explain the difference between a primary key and a candidate key.
Give an example of a relation with a unique composite key.
Define the term nonunique key and give an example.
Define the term unique key and give an example.
Under what circumstances can a relation have duplicate rows?
Explain the use of the terms relation, tuple, and attribute.
Explain the use of the terms file, record, and field.
Under what circumstances can an attribute of a relation be of variable length?
Give an example of a table that is not a relation (other than one from this chapter).
Give an example of a relation (other than one from this chapter).
List the characteristics a table must have to be considered a relation.
Define the term entity and give an example of an entity (other than the one from this chapter).
What is a NoSQL database? What are Web 2.0 applications, and why can’t these applications use a relational database?
What is the advantage of hiding complexity from the user of a DBMS? What is the disadvantage?
Explain the differences between a personal database system and an enterprise-class database system.
List the functions of a database application.
Explain the difference between a DBMS and a database.
Define the term referential integrity constraint. Give an example of a referential integrity constraint for the tables you created for question 1.8.
List the specific functions of a DBMS.
What is the purpose of a DBMS?
Define the term application metadata, and give some examples of application metadata.
Describe the use of an index.
Define the term metadata, and give some examples of metadata.
List the components of a database.
Why do you think it is important for a database to be self-describing?
Define the term database.
Name the four components of a database system.
Describe in your own words and illustrate with tables how relationships are represented in a relational database.
Break the list in Figure 1-31 into tables, each with a single theme. Create ID columns as you think necessary.
Another version of the list used by the veterinary office is shown in Figure 1-31. How many themes does this list have? What are they?
Show how the tables you created for question 1.8 solve the problems you described in question 1.5.
Break the list in Figure 1-30 into two tables, each with data for a single theme. Assume that owners have a unique phone number but that pets have no unique column. Create an ID column for pets like
Name the two themes in the list in Figure 1-30.
What is an ID column?
James River Jewelry is a small jewelry shop. While James River Jewelry does sell typical jewelry purchased form jewelry vendors, including such items as rings, necklaces, earrings, and watches, it
Figure 1-30 shows a list that is used by a veterinary office. Describe three modification problems that are likely to occur when using this list.
What is a modification problem? What are the three possible types of modification problems?
Describe the purpose of a database.
What is the purpose of this book?
Garden Glory is a partnership that provides gardening and yard maintenance services to individuals and organizations. Garden Glory is owned by two partners. They employ two office administrators and
San Juan Sailboat Charters (SJSBC) is an agency that leases (charters) sailboats. SJSBC does not own the boats. Instead, SJSBC leases boats on behalf of boat owners who want to earn income from their
Why is the study of database technology important?
Explain how client/server system components interact.
Describe and explain the client/server architectural principles.
How would you define object orientation? What are some of its benefits? How are OO programming languages related to object orientation?
What is client/server computing, and what benefits can be expected from client/server systems?
An attribute is a characteristic or property of an entity. If person is an entity, would the same attributes be used to describe a person in different databases that store medical, student, and
If a database is not maintained or if incorrect data is entered into the database, serious problems can occur. What problems could occur if a student database is not maintained?
What is meant by the sharing of data?
How can you get more information from the same amount of data by using a database approach instead of a non-database approach?
The management of Colonial Adventure Tours asks you to research improvements it might make to its database processing. To help management, they would like you to complete the following exercises. You
For the following exercises, you will answer problems and questions from management at TAL Distributors. You do not use the TAL Distributors database for any of these exercises.1. Fragment the
Using your knowledge of the college environment, identify three questions to answer using online analytical processing (OLAP) software.
Using your knowledge of the college environment, identify three transactions that might be handled by online transaction processing (OLTP) systems.
What is generalization?
What is multiplicity?
What is a visibility symbol in UML?
What are relationships called in UML?
What is a method? What is a message? How do messages relate to methods?
How do classes relate to objects?
What is a domain?
What is an OODBMS?
What three types of actions do users typically perform when they use OLAP software?
When do you use OLAP?
What is a fact table in a data warehouse?
What does it mean when a data warehouse is nonvolatile?
What are the characteristics of OLTP systems?
What is a three-tier architecture?
What is a fat client? What is a thin client?
What is the difference between a file server and a client/server system?
What additional factors must you consider during the physical-level design of a distributed database?
What additional factors must you consider during the information-level design of a distributed database?
What causes query processing to be more complex in a distributed database?
What are two disadvantages of updating replicated data in a distributed database?
Why is increased efficiency an advantage in a distributed database?
Why is system availability an advantage in a distributed database?
Why is the ability to increase system capacity an advantage in a distributed database?
Why is local control of data an advantage in a distributed database?
What is meant by a local site? by a remote site?
For the following exercises, you do not use the Solmaris Condominium database.1. The DBA asks for your help in planning the data archive for the following Solmaris Condominium database:Location
The management of Colonial Adventure Tours wants you to complete the following exercises. You do not use the Colonial Adventure Tours database for any of these exercises.1. The DBA asks for your help
Answer each of the following questions using the TAL Distributors data shown in Figure 1-5. No computer work is required.1. List the names of all customers that have a credit limit that is less than
What is a form?
What is database design?
What is an E-R diagram?
How do you create a one-to-many relationship in a database system?
What is a database?
What is redundancy? What problems are associated with redundancy?
For the following exercises, you do not use the TAL Distributors database.1. The DBA asks for your help in planning the data archive for the following TAL Distributors database:Rep (RepNum, LastName,
For credit card processing, stock exchanges, and airline reservations, data availability must be continuous. There are many other examples of mission-critical applications. Research the Internet to
You are employed as a DBA for a medical practice. You have implemented multiple safeguards to protect patient privacy and conform to HIPAA regulations. What other practical, common-sense measures
What is denormalization?
How can splitting a table improve performance?
What is meant by “tuning a design?”
What is the difference between production and test systems?
Who trains computer users in an organization? What is the DBA’s role in this training?
What is context-sensitive help?

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