Section A – MCQ 10q (1m per q, total 10m)

<each from 1 topic>

Section B - 5 SQL query--> simple, nested, aggregate (group by) (15 m per q, total 30m)

1 ERD probably--> 5 entities

Section C – 4q, choose 3 (20m per Q, total 60m):

<each q consists of 2 sub q>

Topic 6 (s40) Views (advantages) –need to elaborate

Data def. command -must be able to argue the point
-just explain 5

Advantages:

• Data independence
• Currency
• Improved security
• Reduced complexity
• Convenience
• Customization
• Data integrity

1. Improved security: Provide additional level of table security by restricting access

to a predetermined set of rows or columns of a table.

2. Hide Data complexity: For example a single view might be defined with a join
which is a collection of related columns or rows in multiple tables. However the view
hides the fact that this information actually originates from several tables.

3. Simplify Statements for User: Views allow users to select information from
multiple tables without actually knowing how to perform join.

4. Present Data in different perspective: Columns of views can be renamed

without affecting the tables on which the views are based.

5. Isolate applications from changes in definitions of base tables: If a view is

referencing three columns of a four columns table if a fifth column is added or fourth
column is changed the view and associated applications are un-affected.

6. Express query that cannot be expressed without using a view. For example a view
can be defined that joins a group by view with a table or a view can be defined that
joins a UNION view with a table. 

7. Saving of complex queries.

 Disadvantages
• Update restriction
• Structure restriction
• Performance

Topic 7 The role of DA-DBA

3 level database architecture (s7)

-conceptual database design
• Process of constructing a model of the information used in an enterprise,
independent of all physical considerations
• Data model is built using the information in users’ requirements specification
• Source of information for logical design phase

-logical database design

• Process of constructing a model of the information used in an enterprise
based on a specific data model (e.g. relational), but independent of a
particular DBMS and other physical considerations
• Conceptual data model is refined and mapped on to a logical data model

-physical database design

• Process of producing a description of the database implementation on
secondary storage
• Describes storage structures and access methods used to achieve efficient
access to data
• Tailored to a specific DBMS system

Topic 8 What type of threat post to your database(s20)

• Download may have executable content, which can perform following

malicious actions:
– Corrupt data or execution state of programs.
– Reformat complete disks.
– Perform a total system shutdown.
– Collect and download confidential data.
– Usurp identity and impersonate user.
– Lock up resources.
– Cause non-fatal but unwelcome effects.

What type of mechanism u can stop the threat/attack by people (s21)

 • Measures include:
– Proxy servers
– Firewalls
– Message digest algorithms and digital signatures
– Digital certificates
– Kerberos
– Secure sockets layer (SSL) and Secure HTTP (S-HTTP)
– Secure Electronic Transactions (SET) and Secure Transaction
Technology (SST)
– Java security
– ActiveX security.

Topic 9 Transaction management concurrency

-save point commit

-concurrency important (problem n solution)

• This occurs in three forms:

Problems
Lost update
• An update can get lost when a transaction overwrites the changes from
another transaction.
• For example, two users can update the same information, but only the last
change saved is reflected in the database.

Uncommitted dependency
• An uncommitted dependency occurs when a transaction reads uncommitted
data from another transaction.
• The transaction can potentially make changes to data that is either inaccurate
or nonexistent.

Inconsistent analysis
• An inconsistent analysis occurs when a transaction reads the same row more
than one time and when, between the two (or more) readings, another
transaction modifies that row.
• Because the row was modified between readings within the same transaction,
each reading produces different values, which introduces inconsistency.
• For example, an editor reads the same document twice
• Between each reading, the writer rewrites the document.

• When the editor reads the document for the second time, it has completely
changed.
 • The original reading is not repeatable, leading to confusion.

Solutions
– serial and serializable execution
– locking

Serial

• Serial execution is where transactions are performed sequentially, commit

one before the next can start
• There is no concurrency
• Low CPU utilization
• The DB is left in a consistent state since the transactions do not interfere with
each other

Serializable execution

• Interleaved execution is said to be serializable if it produces the same result as

some serial execution
• Benefits of concurrency without sacrificing correctness
• Thus serializable execution leaves the DB in a consistent state
Locking

• The most common technique for ensuring serializability

• When a transaction must ensure that some object will not change
unpredictably, it acquires a lock on that object to ‘lock other transactions out’
• Locking guarantees serializability if all locks are held until commit/rollback
• A weaker condition guaranteeing serializability is two-phase locking

Topic 10(s10) Distributed database (what is distributed database? ) general Q

• A distributed database is typically a database that is not stored in its entirety

at a single physical location, but rather is spread across a network of
computers that are geographically dispersed and connected via
communication links.
• The key criterion is that it should look like a centralized system to the user.
• The user should not need to know where any given piece of data is physically
stored, only that it is readily available on request " .. Date Ed. 3
 Another definition:-

• A distributed database is a virtual database, the components of which are

stored in a number of distinct databases, at a number of distinct sites

Each site has its own

• local database
• users
• DBMS
• Transaction management software
• Communications software
• A common distributed database component
Date Ed 4

Topic 11 (5 marks) XML what is xml, for what, what’s multimedia database, where is it used

S23
Write short note about xml (go Wikipedia )

-What is xml
• An Extensible Markup Language
– Developed by W3C
– Open standard designed as a web technology but it has multiple uses

-Why was it introduce

 Xml come out because of multimedia
 XML's design goals emphasize simplicity, generality, and usability over
the Internet.[6] It is a textual data format with strong support via Unicode for the
languages of the world. Although the design of XML focuses on documents, it
is widely used for the representation of arbitrary data structures, for example
in web services.

-What kind of data does it support

 -talk about advantages (relate to multimedia)

1. It is as easy as HTML.

2. XML is fully compatible with applications like JAVA, and it can be combined with any
application which is capable of processing XML irrespective of the platform it is being used on.

3. XML is an extremely portable language used on handhelds or palmtops or PDAs.

4. XML is an extendable language, meaning that you can create your own tags, or use the tags
which have already been created.

5. It is a platform independent language.

6. It can be deployed on any network if it is amicable for usage with the application in use.

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