Assignment 1

Of
Database Systems

Submitted By:
Kanchan
B.Tech CSE (Hons.)
Section: A1811
Roll Number: 26
 Part - A

Question 1: Design an ER diagram for an IT training group database that will meet the
information needs for its training program. Clearly indicate the entities, relationships and the key
constraints. The description of the environment is as follows: The Company has 12 instructors
and can handle up to 100 trainees for each training session. The company offers 5 Advanced
technology courses, each of which is taught by a team of 2 or more instructors Each instructor is
assigned to a maximum of two teaching teams or may be assigned to do research Each trainee
undertakes one Advanced technology course per training session.

Answer:
Company
1 1 1
Id#

E Name Has Offer Handl

Trainee
s e
Id#
Address 12 5 T Name
100
Instructors 2 1 Advanced 1 1 Trainee
Teac Taught
1 Technology
h To
Courses
Phone No Address
1
Salary Phone No

Course Code# Course

Name
Assigned

Taught
By
Research Work
2 1
Team

Team Id# Team Name Team

Members
Question 2: Identify at least 5 DBMS successfully running in market and compare their features

Answer:

SQL, Oracle, Today, Microsoft’s SQL Server, Informix, DB2, Sybase, Postgress and MySql are
some widely used DBMS software’s successfully running in the market. Although all of the
above are database software, yet each differs from one another especially in set-up, performance
tuning and troubleshooting.

Referential Max DB Integer Data Parallel Except Common

Integrity size Type Query Table
Expressions
DB2 Yes 512 TiB INT (32-bit), Yes Yes Yes
BIGINT (64-bit)
Informix Yes ~128PB SMALLINT (16- Yes Yes, Yes
bit), INT (32-bit), via
INT8 (64-bit MINUS
proprietary),
BIGINT (64-bit)
MySql Yes Unlimited TINYINT (8-BIT), No No No
SMALLINT (16-
BIT),
MEDIUMINT
(24-BIT), INT (32-
BIT), BIGINT
(64-BIT).

Microsoft Yes 524258T TINYINT, Yes Yes Yes

SQL B (32767 SMALLINT, INT, (2005
Server files * BIGINT and
16TB beyond
max file )
size)
Oracle Yes Unlimited NUMBER Yes Yes, Yes. Recursive
(4GB * via CTEs
block size MINUS introduced in
per table 11gR2
space) supersedes
similar
construct
called
CONNECT
BY
Question 3: How the various components of database management system interact for
transaction Processing?

Answer: A transaction is a collection of operations that performs a single logical function in a

database application. Each transaction is a unit of both atomicity and consistency. Thus, we
require that transactions do not violate any database-consistency constraints. That is, if the
database was consistent when a transaction started, the database must be consistent when the
transaction successfully terminates.

However, during the execution of a transaction, it may be necessary temporarily to allow

inconsistency, since either the debit of A or the credit of B must be done before the other. This
temporary inconsistency, although necessary, may lead to difficulty if a failure occurs. It is the
programmer’s responsibility to define properly the various transactions, so that each preserves
the consistency of the database. For example, the transaction to transfer funds from account A to
account B could be defined to be composed of two separate programs: one that debits account A,
and another that credits account B.
 Part - B

Question 4: Comment on the significance of administration of a database system. What are the
various functions associated with database administration?

Answer:

The administration of the database system is of vital importance. An organization’s database

needs to be designed, implemented, maintained and repaired as and when necessary. A database
administrator (DBA) is a person responsible for the design, implementation, maintenance and repair of an
organization's database. The database administrator performs a critical role within an organization
and is an important and key role in Database Management Systems. One of the main reasons for
using DBMSs is to have central control of both the data and the programs that access those data.
A person who has such central control over the system is called a database administrator (DBA).

The various functions of a DBA include:

• Schema definition: The DBA creates the original database schema by executing a set of
data definition statements in the DDL.

• Storage structure and access-method definition: The database administrator has full
access over all type of important data of an organization. The database administrator
decides what data will be stored in the database and how to organize data in database so
that it can be access easily on requirement or need of an organization.

• Schema and physical-organization modification: The DBA carries out changes to the
schema and physical organization to reflect the changing needs of the organization, or to
alter the physical organization to improve performance.

• Granting of authorization for data access: By granting different types of authorization, the
database administrator can regulate which parts of the database various users can access.
The authorization information is kept in a special system structure that the database
system consults whenever someone attempts to access the data in the system.

• Preparing Documentation: The database administrator is also responsible for preparing

documentation, including recording the procedures, standards, guidelines, and data
descriptions necessary for the efficient and continuing use of the database environment.
Documents should include materials to help end users, database application
programmers, the operation staff, and all personnel connected with the database
management system.
 • Routine maintenance: Examples of the database administrator’s routine maintenance
activities are:
o Periodically backing up the database (either onto tapes or onto remote servers) to
prevent loss of data in case of disasters such as flooding.

o Ensuring that enough free disk space is available for normal operations and
upgrading disk space as required.

o Monitoring jobs running on the database and ensuring that performance is not
degraded by very expensive tasks submitted by some users.

Question 5: Explain the concepts of Generalization and Specialization with examples?

Answer:

Specialization: The process of designating sub groupings within an entity set is called
specialization. An entity set may include sub groupings of entities that are distinct in some way
from other entities in the set.
For instance, a subset of entities within an entity set may have attributes that are not shared by all
the entities in the entity set. The E-R model provides a means for representing these distinctive
entity groupings.

Example: We can apply specialization repeatedly to refine a design scheme. For instance, bank
employees may be further classified as one of the following:

• officer
• teller
• secretary

Each of these employee types is described by a set of attributes that includes all the attributes of
entity set employee plus additional attributes. For example, officer entities may be described
further by the attribute office-number, teller entities by the attributes station-number and hours-
per-week, and secretary entities by the attribute hours-per week. Further, secretary entities may
participate in a relationship secretary-for, which identifies which employees are assisted by a
secretary.

Generalization: The refinement from an initial entity set into successive levels of entity sub
groupings represents a top-down design process in which distinctions are made explicit. The
design process may also proceed in a bottom-up manner, in which multiple entity sets are
synthesized into a higher-level entity set on the basis of common features. The database designer
may have first identified a customer entity set with the attributes name, street, city, and
customer-id, and an employee entity set with the attributes name, street, city, employee-id, and
salary. There are similarities between the customer entity set and the employee entity set in the
sense that they have several attributes in common. This commonality can be expressed by
generalization, which is a containment relationship that exists between a higher-level entity set
and one or more lower-level entity sets.
Example: In our example, person is the higher-level entity set and customer and employee are
lower-level entity sets. Higher- and lower-level entity sets also may be designated by the terms
super class and subclass, respectively. The person entity set is the super class of the customer and
employee subclasses.