C175 Third Attempt Review Questions
Please thoroughly complete and email all of the following questions to .
Chapter 1 Review Questions – Database Systems
1. Define each of the following terms:
a) Data – RAW FACTS
b) Field – CHARACTERISTICS OF A NOUN I.E. A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
c) Record – A COLLECTION OF FIELDS
d) File – A COLLECTION OF RECORDS
2. What is data redundancy, and which characteristics of the file system can lead to it?
MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF DATA IN DIFFERENT PLACES OF THE DATABASE. A FILE SYSTEM
WOULD BE CLUTTERED WITH SAME PIECES OF DATA. IT WOULD CAUSE THE NETWORK TO
BE SLOWER
3. What is data independence, and why is it lacking in file systems?
WHEN DATA ACCESS REMAINS THE SAME EVEN AFTER THE CHANGE OF DATA’S PHYSICAL
STATE
4. What is a DBMS, and what are its functions?
HIGH QUALITY FILING SYSTEM THAT MANAGES HOW TO STORE YOUR DATA AND DATA
CONTENTS USING A COLLECTION OF PROGRAMS
5. What is structural independence, and why is it important?
SAME AS DATA INDEPENDENCE BUT REFERRING TO THE STRUCTURE OF THE DATABASE
SYSTEM, OR RATHER THE ‘BLUEPRINT’ OF HOW THE DATABASE IS BUILT
6. Explain the difference between data and information.
DATA IS JUST RAW FACTS, WHEREAS INFORMATION PROCESSES THOSE RAW FACTS AND
GIVES THEM MEANING IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A TOOL FOR BETTER DECISION MAKING
7. What is the role of a DBMS, and what are its advantages? What are its disadvantages?
DBMS ROLE IS TO MANAGE THE ORGANIZATION OF YOUR DATABASE SYSTEM.
ADVANTAGES: IMPROVED DATA SECURITY, SHARING, ACCESS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY
DECISION MAKING
DISADVANTAGES: EXPENSIVE?
8. List and describe the different types of databases.
SINGLE-USER, MULTIUSER AND ENTERPRISE DATABASES. SINGLE -> DESKTOP DB.
MULTI -> WORKGROUP DB. ENTERPRISE -> FOR ENTIRE CORP./COMPANY USES (THINK
BIG)
9. What are the main components of a database system?
HARDWARE/SOFTWARE, then PEOPLE PROCEEDures TO DATA
10. What are metadata?
INFO OR DATA ABOUT THE ACTUAL DATA. I.E. TIMESTAMP/DATE OF UPLOAD
11. Explain why database design is important.
THE WHOLE POINT OF A DB SYSTEM IS TO ORGANIZE DATA. WITH POOR DB DESIGN, IT
DEFEATS THE PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION.
, 13. Use examples to compare and contrast unstructured and structured data. Which type is more prevalent in a
typical business environment?
EXAMPLES: RECEIVING EMAIL -> SENDING IT INTO AN ORGANIZED FOLDER // MP3 FILES
OR MP4 -> SENT TO ITUNES LIBRARY, WHERE THERE IS STRUCTURE AND DIFFERENT
FILES WHERE MP3 AND MP4 ARE SEPERATED.
STRUCTURED DATA IS MORE PREVALENT IN A TBE
14. What are some basic database functions that a spreadsheet cannot perform?
SPREADSHEETS CANNOT DEFINE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG TABLES OR CREATE
METADATA THAT IT CAN SORT THROUGH
15. What common problems does a collection of spreadsheets created by end users share with the typical file
system?
THERE’S NO DB MANAGEMENT WITHIN THE SYSTEM. NO DATA SECURITY, DATA
SHARING, OR PROFICIENT DATA ACCESS
Chapter 2 Review Questions – Data Models
2. What is a business rule, and what is its purpose in data modeling?
BUSINESS RULE: AN ORGANIZATIONS POLICY/PROCEDURE/RULES
PURP. OF BUSSINESS RULE IN DATA MODELING: CREATING A BASELINE OF RULES TO
ADDRESS AND CERTAIN BOUNDARY
3. How do you translate business rules into data model components?
BY DEFINING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE COMPONENTS
5. Describe the basic features of the relational data model and discuss their importance to the end user and the
designer.
BASIC FEATURES OF R.D.M.: TABLES, ROWS, COLUMNS, ENTITIES, ATTRIBUTES,
RELATIONSHIPS, CONSTRAINTS
IT SIMPLIFIED THE PROCESS OF RELATING ENTITIES
7. Use the scenario described by “A customer can make many payments, but each payment is made by only one
customer” as the basis for an entity relationship diagram (ERD) representation.
CUSTOMER ONE-MANY PAYMENTS
PAYMENTS MANY-ONE CUSTOMER
12. In terms of data and structural independence, compare file system data management with the five data
models discussed in this chapter.
?
13. What is a relationship, and what three types of relationships exist?
RELATIONSHIP: A RELATION BETWEEN TWO ENTITIES
3 TYPES: 1:1, 1:M, M:N
15. What is a table, and what role does it play in the relational model?
IT’S A LOGICAL CONSTRUCT IN A 2 DIMENTIONAL STRUCTURE WITH ROWS AND
COLUMNS WHICH IS REPRESENTED IN A RELATIONAL MODEL
16. What is a relational diagram?
Please thoroughly complete and email all of the following questions to .
Chapter 1 Review Questions – Database Systems
1. Define each of the following terms:
a) Data – RAW FACTS
b) Field – CHARACTERISTICS OF A NOUN I.E. A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
c) Record – A COLLECTION OF FIELDS
d) File – A COLLECTION OF RECORDS
2. What is data redundancy, and which characteristics of the file system can lead to it?
MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF DATA IN DIFFERENT PLACES OF THE DATABASE. A FILE SYSTEM
WOULD BE CLUTTERED WITH SAME PIECES OF DATA. IT WOULD CAUSE THE NETWORK TO
BE SLOWER
3. What is data independence, and why is it lacking in file systems?
WHEN DATA ACCESS REMAINS THE SAME EVEN AFTER THE CHANGE OF DATA’S PHYSICAL
STATE
4. What is a DBMS, and what are its functions?
HIGH QUALITY FILING SYSTEM THAT MANAGES HOW TO STORE YOUR DATA AND DATA
CONTENTS USING A COLLECTION OF PROGRAMS
5. What is structural independence, and why is it important?
SAME AS DATA INDEPENDENCE BUT REFERRING TO THE STRUCTURE OF THE DATABASE
SYSTEM, OR RATHER THE ‘BLUEPRINT’ OF HOW THE DATABASE IS BUILT
6. Explain the difference between data and information.
DATA IS JUST RAW FACTS, WHEREAS INFORMATION PROCESSES THOSE RAW FACTS AND
GIVES THEM MEANING IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A TOOL FOR BETTER DECISION MAKING
7. What is the role of a DBMS, and what are its advantages? What are its disadvantages?
DBMS ROLE IS TO MANAGE THE ORGANIZATION OF YOUR DATABASE SYSTEM.
ADVANTAGES: IMPROVED DATA SECURITY, SHARING, ACCESS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY
DECISION MAKING
DISADVANTAGES: EXPENSIVE?
8. List and describe the different types of databases.
SINGLE-USER, MULTIUSER AND ENTERPRISE DATABASES. SINGLE -> DESKTOP DB.
MULTI -> WORKGROUP DB. ENTERPRISE -> FOR ENTIRE CORP./COMPANY USES (THINK
BIG)
9. What are the main components of a database system?
HARDWARE/SOFTWARE, then PEOPLE PROCEEDures TO DATA
10. What are metadata?
INFO OR DATA ABOUT THE ACTUAL DATA. I.E. TIMESTAMP/DATE OF UPLOAD
11. Explain why database design is important.
THE WHOLE POINT OF A DB SYSTEM IS TO ORGANIZE DATA. WITH POOR DB DESIGN, IT
DEFEATS THE PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION.
, 13. Use examples to compare and contrast unstructured and structured data. Which type is more prevalent in a
typical business environment?
EXAMPLES: RECEIVING EMAIL -> SENDING IT INTO AN ORGANIZED FOLDER // MP3 FILES
OR MP4 -> SENT TO ITUNES LIBRARY, WHERE THERE IS STRUCTURE AND DIFFERENT
FILES WHERE MP3 AND MP4 ARE SEPERATED.
STRUCTURED DATA IS MORE PREVALENT IN A TBE
14. What are some basic database functions that a spreadsheet cannot perform?
SPREADSHEETS CANNOT DEFINE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG TABLES OR CREATE
METADATA THAT IT CAN SORT THROUGH
15. What common problems does a collection of spreadsheets created by end users share with the typical file
system?
THERE’S NO DB MANAGEMENT WITHIN THE SYSTEM. NO DATA SECURITY, DATA
SHARING, OR PROFICIENT DATA ACCESS
Chapter 2 Review Questions – Data Models
2. What is a business rule, and what is its purpose in data modeling?
BUSINESS RULE: AN ORGANIZATIONS POLICY/PROCEDURE/RULES
PURP. OF BUSSINESS RULE IN DATA MODELING: CREATING A BASELINE OF RULES TO
ADDRESS AND CERTAIN BOUNDARY
3. How do you translate business rules into data model components?
BY DEFINING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE COMPONENTS
5. Describe the basic features of the relational data model and discuss their importance to the end user and the
designer.
BASIC FEATURES OF R.D.M.: TABLES, ROWS, COLUMNS, ENTITIES, ATTRIBUTES,
RELATIONSHIPS, CONSTRAINTS
IT SIMPLIFIED THE PROCESS OF RELATING ENTITIES
7. Use the scenario described by “A customer can make many payments, but each payment is made by only one
customer” as the basis for an entity relationship diagram (ERD) representation.
CUSTOMER ONE-MANY PAYMENTS
PAYMENTS MANY-ONE CUSTOMER
12. In terms of data and structural independence, compare file system data management with the five data
models discussed in this chapter.
?
13. What is a relationship, and what three types of relationships exist?
RELATIONSHIP: A RELATION BETWEEN TWO ENTITIES
3 TYPES: 1:1, 1:M, M:N
15. What is a table, and what role does it play in the relational model?
IT’S A LOGICAL CONSTRUCT IN A 2 DIMENTIONAL STRUCTURE WITH ROWS AND
COLUMNS WHICH IS REPRESENTED IN A RELATIONAL MODEL
16. What is a relational diagram?
