M359 Relational databases: theory and practice TMA01 Fall 2012 Marking Guide

Question 1 (20 marks): This question covers Sections 1 and 2 of

Block 1. It assesses your understanding of the concepts covered in those sections. (a) Explain the difference between productive and unproductive maintenance and how it relates to the concept of data independence. o Productive maintenance: It is necessary maintenance that leads to a benefit by meeting a new requirement in order to provide new function, not just a continuation of the previous. o Unproductive maintenance is an overhead effort occurs to maintain due to restructuring in the file that is related to the programs not because there is a new requirement for that programs, it do not add any new functionality to the application program but it is usually related to additional requirements in order to continue using shared data file. The concepts referred to data dependence are separation of the physical storage of data from the application that uses it and is fundamental to the way in which are access and manipulate data in modern data processing. (b) Can the use of multiple copies of data files eliminate the need to perform unproductive maintenance? Why? Using multiple data copies of data files doesnt eliminate the results of unproductive maintenance. As a result of once associate degree update happens on anyone of the data files, and then to keep up the consistency of the data its necessary to conjointly update the all file that's recording of the appliance programs. (c) What other problems occur in the file processing approach

In the file-based approach, every new requirement for a different query or report will involve a new or amended application program, and possibly a new amended data file and consequent interface maintenance. Such amendments can be very costly. In addition there can be other problems that occur in file-based processing related to the duplication of data in multiple files for different purpose and the needs to generate a new application for each ad hoc request due to the lack of a data language. (d) Explain how does the Data Base Management System (DBMS) approach overcome the problems of unproductive maintenance while ensuring a maximum sharing of stored data? Data Base Managements System hides the physical representation from the users, is responsible for the interaction with the data files and all interaction with the application. The application programs use a logical interface rather than the physical interface of the file based approach. The separate of the physical storage of the data from the application process that used it is referred to as data independence and this allow data files to be often shared wide among applications and when data files need to change, only a mapping maintained by the DBMS is modified, eliminating the requirement for high-ticket unproductive maintenance. (e) Explain how the terms "data" and "information" are used in M359? And how they relate to each other? Give examples of each. o Data is a term given to the many recordable facts about the world we inhabit. Example: person salary is 750$ Representation of data: 750$ or seven hundred and fifty dollars o Information is said to be meaningful data. Adding meaning is something that people do when they interpret data and use it to make decision, judgments or inferences. Example: An exam paper with a number 80 over 100, and then we can deduce that this data means that the grade is 80 and the total mark for the exam is 100.

o The relationship between data and information: Data can have more than one representation. We should be able to express data in different ways. Data does not have any meaning in isolation. Any consideration of data as information can only be understood in a defined context, with definitions and description to support an agreed interpretation. Computers process data, not information. A computer system can be programmed to take account of some aspects of the meaning of data. Computers can be used to store, manage and process data.

Question 2 (20 marks): This question covers Sections 1.3 and 1.4
of Block 1. It assesses your understanding of the concepts covered in those sections. You will also need to check your e-library to provide an adequate answer to this question. Imagine that you are a wellestablished automobile dealer and that you have been operating with a large market share and a good profit for the last 20 years. Your business includes selling and buying new and used automobiles. It also includes a maintenance shop that also sells spare parts. You are now faced with the Internet revolution and the rise of online buying and selling. Consequently, your market share and profits have been dropping. a) Outline what would an Information System (IS) strategy need to address in order to restore your market position and increase revenues? (4 marks) In order to develops a web and a market share for the user, who preferring to use the web in shopping and selling new and used cars. The IS strategy will address the way to deploy information technology to require the advantage. It incorporates of online web sales site. In order to make the site more attractive and easy to use, it will includes two parts for user, part for buying a car and part for selling a car, than it make choices to select the mark, model, specifications for automobile.

The site will also include a part for maintenance shop that includes information about spare parts to selling them and putting them in better order. The service will be provided to our customers wherever they will and a reminders for scheduled service, because it raises the professional and attract customers to the location. In order to build the system we need to buy the hardware and software that are required. b) Outline the issues that would be addressed by an Information Management (IM) strategy to complement your IS strategy above. (4 marks) This strategy verify however the IS strategy are enforced at intervals the business of automobile. It'll outline the relation between the people within the organization and the information concerning the system. The IT team will build a server connected to a network to process data from anyplace, additionally the IT team communicate with the data department to work out the data to perform the task of the system, because the data are replacement with a new data unit whose task are to manage and operate the new system and keep its information up-to-date, accurate, complete, and timely. The entire worker within the organization are affected by the new system thus associate identification of the role of every worker are created, as an example, data department who is responsible for the stock and inventory for cars and spare elements are linked to the system so the cars and spare elements that available will be displayed in the system. c) Briefly outline an Information Technology (IT) strategy to meet the requirements of the IS strategy within the IM structure? (4 marks)
The IT strategy can embody an overview of processes and activities required to implement the IS strategy inside the IM strategy outlined. It involve the building system by oracle database, the way that event will proceed by the system to store, update, retrieve and delete data, develop the logical, physical and the interface,

ensuring technology provision, instrumentation and it'll enable the audit and control level required by legalization and company policy.

d) Explain what problems could you face if each of the data quality issues in section 2.3 of Block 1 is not met? Give examples (8 marks) Accuracy: if the data that deals within the database reflects on the site is not accurate, it might results an issues between the company and customers, and then the company will lose its reputation. For example the site listed a car that unavailable in the company. Completeness: having sufficient data values about the automobiles or other services in the site. This relates to the purpose for the customers to meet their specific requirements. For example If information about an automobiles are incomplete it may result in customers not being able to make a buying decision, and hence losing interest in it. Timeliness: the data is available for customers on prices, availability, and specifications all within a need to be timely. For example if the customer request question not answered within a reasonable time period could result issues between the company and customers, and the loss of interest in the site. Relevance: the appropriateness of the data for the use to which it is being put. Too much irrelevant information to the customers detracts from the value of the service. The data must be sample in order to present clearly. For example providing irrelevant information also applies to decision makers it cant help them to make the best decision.

 Understandable: the meaning and interpretation of the data must be clear to the customer. Information that is gatherers must be meaningful to allow customer to understand the data. Whether this is a customer could lead to incorrect interpretation. For example, a documents description for a automobile that does not contain understand data context and quality attribute could result in the wrong ordered for an automobile. Trusted: managements of the data must include an audit trail of responsibility not having an audit trail with privacy and ownership will result in that the data users will not have confidence in it. For example signatures of data entry operators.

Question 3 (20 marks)

This question tests your knowledge and understanding of normal forms as presented in Unit 5 of Block 2. Given the following relation and functional dependencies, answer questions (a) (d), then answer question (e).

a) Show that the relation T above is only in 1NF and does not conform to any higher normal forms. Given that the primary key is (A, B), determine any alternate keys. A relation T is in the first normal form because it has no duplicate tuples and in each tuples, each value of every attribute is a single value. G is non-primary key attributes depends on B which is a part of the

primary-key. For this T is not in the 2NF and for sure its not in the 3NF Also, the T is not in the BCNF because there are non-candidate keys which determinate other attributes: E D C F b) Normalize the relation T up to 2NF relations only. Indicate the primary key of each relation. T1 alias (project T over B, G) T2 alias (project T over A, B, C, D, E, F) Giving: T1 (B, G) Primary key (B) And T2 (A, B, C, D, E, F) Primary key (A, B) c) Further normalize the result of (b) above up to 3NF only. Indicate the primary key of each relation. T1 alias (project T over B, G) T3 alias (project T over A, B, C, E) T4 alias (project T over D, E) T5 alias (project T over C, F) Giving: T1 (B, G) Primary key (B) T3 (A, B, C, E) Primary keys (A, B). T4 (E, D) Primary key (E) T5 (C, F) Primary key (C)

d) Further normalize the result of (c) above up to BCNF only. Indicate the primary key of each relation. T1 alias (project T over B, G) T3 alias (project T over A, B, C, E) T4 alias (project T over D, E) T5 alias (project T over C, F) T6 alias (project T over C, A, B) T7 alias (project T over E, A, B) Giving: T1 (B, G) Primary key (B) T4 (E, D) Primary key (E) T5 (C, F) Primary key (C) T6 (C, A, B) Primary keys (C) T7 (E, A, B) Primary key (E) e) State two further problems that can occur in BCNF relations requiring further normalization beyond BCNF. The first limitation of BCNF is that it does not eliminate all redundancies. Another limitation of BCNF is that it doesnt preclude insertion or deletion anomalies in a few cases.

Question 4 (20 marks)

This question is based on Section 2 of Block 3. It assesses your ability to write and understand simple SQL queries (as defined in Section 2). To answer this question, you should use the Hospital database as it is provided in the course software and as summarized in the Hospital database cards.

Write SQL queries, and run them using iSQL against the Hospital database. Include in your answer BOTH the SQL query you wrote and the output table that results. You MUST use meaningful column names, which may require using column aliases in the SQL query.

The Hospital relational headings: Team (TeamCode, TelephoneNo, StaffNo) ConsistsOf (StaffNo, TeamCode) Doctor (StaffNo, DoctorName, Position) Specialist (StaffNo, Specialism) Patient (PatientId, PatientName, Gender, Height, Weight, StaffNo, WardNo) Ward (WardNo, WardName, NumberOfBeds) Nurse (StaffNo, NurseName, WardNo) Supervises (StaffNo, Supervisor) Treatment (StaffNo, PatientID, StartDate, Reason) Prescription (PrescriptionNo, Quantity, DailyDosage, StaffNo, PatientId, StartDate, DrugCode) Drug (DrugCode, DrugName, Type, Price) a) Give a list of all drug types without repetition in alphabetical order. (4 marks) b) Give a list of patient names in ward no. 1 with their gender and height over weight ratio converted from lb/in to kg/m (note: 1kg c) = 2.20462 lb, and 1m = 39.37008 in). Give the name: hwKgPerM to the height over weight ration column. (4 marks)
d) For each Nurse, give a list of his/her StaffNo and the name of his/her

supervisor. (4

marks)

e) Write a SQL query to retrieve the names of all female patients and the names of the wards they occupy if the ward has less than 8 beds. (4 marks) f) Write a SQL query to retrieve for each patient, the Patients name, the name of the Doctor who is responsible for him/her and the Name of his/her ward. Do not use the key word join; rather, put all your join conditions in the where clause. (4 marks)

Question 5 (20 marks)

This question tests your knowledge and understanding of the data analysis topics in Block 4 and the topics of block 5. It also requires you to check your e-library. a) Explain what weak entity types are and how you can identify them in the Conceptual Data Model (CDM). (4marks) Entity types, where the subsets of its primary key attribute are exist in other entity type are called weak entity; so we called its type weak entity because the existence of it depends on the existence of an entity set that is a primary key and existence of an entity se t that is partial key combined with other partial key to identify other attributes of a weak entity set. The identifying primary key attribute, or combination of partial key attributes, by underline them in the Conceptual Data Model (CDM). For example: Player (Player ID, Name, Address, Email Address) Team (Team Name, Manager Name, Stadium Name) Game (Player ID, Team Name, Game Played) b) Explain the differences between the XML data model and the relational data model. (4 marks) Major differences between XML data and relational data: Relational data is command as atomic values during a logical relationship with a unique name. Whereas the XML data is command as nested elements during a hierarchical with a named root element. In relational data columns of a table has name and every one values during a column has same kind; the order of

columns isn't important. whereas the XML data elements during a tree are named; they'll have attributes with values and may contain different kinds, that all represent as character strings, though an attribute or character value will have a data type determined by a schema. In relational data rows of a table are distinct, distinguished by the values in every row; the order of rows isn't important. Whereas in XML data part is distinguished by its location within the tree structure, such that as a path in terms of named elements and sequence numbers from the root elements. In relational data access to and manipulations of data expressed in terms of table operations that solely involve value specifications. Whereas in XML data access to and manipulation of elements and their contents expressed in terms of operations that supported by the location of elements within the tree. In relational data relation are logical structures that don't have any storage implications. Whereas XML data relation could be a logical structure with such that storage representation as a sequence of characters. c) Referring to your course learning materials and the e-library and/or other references, compare the following approaches to define XML documents: DTD, XML Schema, Relax NG and Schematron. (8 marks) d) Explain what ODBC is and why it is needed. (4 marks)

Reference sheet Properties of Functional Dependencies: Property 1: combining functional dependencies If A B and A C, then A B, C Property 2: extending determinants If A C and A is a subset of B, then B C Property 3: transitivity If A B and B C then A C Property 4: augmentation If A B, then A, C B, C Normal Forms: 1NF: A relation is in first normal form (1NF) if and only if it has no duplicate tuples and in each tuple, each value of every attribute is a single value. 2NF: A relation is in second normal form (2NF) if and only if every non-primary key attribute is fully functionally dependent on the primary key. 3NF: A relation is in third normal form (3NF) if and only if it is in 2NF and no nonprimary key attribute is transitively dependent on the primary key. Definition: An attribute A is transitively dependent (TD) on a set of attributes X in a relation R if there is a set of attributes Y such that all the following properties hold: TD(i) X Y and Y A. TD(ii) It is not true that Y X. TD(iii) A is not an attribute of either X or Y. We included TD(ii) to rule out the situation where Y is an alternate key. BCNF: A relation is in BoyceCodd normal form (BCNF) if and only if each irreducible determinant of a non-trivial FD is a candidate key. Definitions: A determinant A in A B is irreducible if there is no proper subset S of A such that S B A trivial FD is one in which the right hand side is a subset of the left hand side