GREAT ZIMBABWE UNIVERSITY

      MUNHUMUTAPA SCHOOL OF COMMERCE

        ACCOUNTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT
ADVANCED DATABASES (MIS513)
Lecturer:  MR I. CHIBIDI
Email: ichibidi@gzu.ac.zw
Cell: 0773 893 975/ 0715 558 135
Contact Hours: 48 Hours
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This courses focuses on extending the relational model: theory, modelling and practice
including performance issues to the practical challenges brought about by the Web, the
distributed and the Cloud contexts. The course also covers advanced and emerging
database paradigms and technologies including NoSQL Databases (document, graph,
columnar and key-value databases). Object-oriented, distributed databases and
multimedia databases may be optionally covered only if time permits.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

A. Knowledge and B. Database-

C. Thinking Skills
Understanding Specific Skills

Learning T The successful student The successful The successful student

 Outcomes will be able to student will be able will be able to
(LO) to
A1.Describe and C1. Evaluate ideas,
evaluate principles, B1. Select and use methods and systems
practices, techniques appropriate tools in a coherent manner
and frameworks for and techniques to
database system design, build,
design, development maintain and
and management; evaluate database
solutions.
A 2.Describe and C2. Analyse and
evaluate tools and evaluate
techniques for appropriateness of
monitoring and tuning B2. Apply principles, methods and
database systems; practices and techniques from a
techniques to solve specialist area for the
complex problems in development of
specific domains database systems in
A3.Find and critically (through optional each situation
evaluate database and modules)
information systems C3. Locate and
research literature B3. Demonstrate a integrate information
professional from multiple sources
approach to ethical
A4. Evaluate and and legal issues
compare techniques relevant to a
relevant to database database
and information professional and C4. Analyse and apply
systems understand the abstract concepts to
implications of their solve problems
actions 

B4. Apply skills,

techniques and
knowledge to plan,
perform and
evaluate a
substantial database
project

LABORATORY REQUIREMENTS - SOFTWARE 

To prepare the laboratory for practical work in this course, this section provides list of all
software that is required to do all practical work in this course. Open Source Software
will be preferred at all times and the recommended operating system is Linux, especially
Debian GNU Linux or Ubuntu. Consequently, the Department does not need to buy any
software for the MIS laboratory for this course.
1. Relational Database Systems:
a. PostgresQL - https://www.postgresql.org/ and development
environments: phppgadmin (web interface) and pgadmin3 (desktop)
b. MySQL - https://www.mysql.com/downloads/  and development
environments: phpmyadmin and mysql-workbench
c. Oracle Relational DB - only if IS Department already has a license -
otherwise it is not necessary to buy this software as teaching team would
prefer open source technologies
2. NoSQL Databases (tend to be open source always):
a. Document Database Systems
i. XML Database System - eXist DB -
http://exist-db.org/exist/apps/homepage/index.html 
ii. JSON and other document database system - MongoDB -
https://www.mongodb.com/
b. Graph Database System - Neo4J - https://neo4j.com/
c. Key-Value Database System - Berkerley DB -
https://www.oracle.com/database/berkeley-db/db.html, or Oracle NoSQL
Database - https://www.oracle.com/database/nosql/index.html 
d. Columnar Database System - Cassandra - http://cassandra.apache.org/
e. Object-Oriented Database - ZODB -
http://www.zodb.org/en/latest/index.html 
3. Preferred Programming Language(s): Python 3, Java,  JavaScript and PHP 
- https://www.python.org/downloads/ and Book -  http://www.diveintopython3.net/,
and Resources - https://wiki.python.org/moin/DatabaseProgramming 
It may be ideal to provide the following where resources allow:
1. A Linux virtual machine 
2. A centralised server, especially for relational databases;
LEARNING & TEACHING MODES
Lectures, In-class group presentations, in-class discussions and assignments.

COURSE OUTLINE

TOPIC

1 A Quick Review of:

 History of Persistent Storage
 Methodological Issues: Database Analysis, Modelling, Design and the DB
Lifecycle 
 Relational Database Theory
 The  Practical Problems  and Challenges Faced By  the Relational
Database Systems in Distributed and Big Data Contexts in the IT Industry

2 Database administration, management and security 

 Review: Transaction Management and Concurrency Control for RDBMS
 Review: Query Processing, Optimisation and Performance Tuning
 Review: DB Security and Administration (including backup & recovery) and
Ethical Issues for Database Systems
 Review: Distributed DBMSs and Replication
 Comparative Study of Above Topics in Emerging  NoSQL Databases

3 Data Warehousing & OLAP

 Data Warehousing (DW) Concepts, Architecture, Tools, Technologies
and Data Mart
 Data Warehousing Design: development methodologies, Dimensionality
Modelling, Development issues
 Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) , benchmarking, apps, n-
dimensional data model, tools.
 Data Mining (DM): techniques, process, tools, DM vs DW
4 Functional Dependencies
 Definition of functional dependencies
 Functional dependencies and keys
 Inference axioms for functional dependencies
 Redundant functional dependencies
 Closure, cover and equivalence of functional dependencies

5 The Normalization Process

 Introduction to normalization
 Data anomalies in 1NF, 2NF and 3NF
 Functional, partial, transitive and full dependences
 First normal form (1NF)
 Second normal form (2NF)
 Third normal form (3NF)
 Boyce Codd Normal Form (BCNF)
 Fourth Normal Form (4NF)
 Project Join Normal Form (5NF)

6 Concurrency Control (centralized & distributed environments)

 Locking based
 2PL (centralized & distributed)
 Timestamp (Basic-TO,Conservative-TO,multiversion-TO)
 Deadlock management
7 Data Replication (Distributed Environment)
 Update management strategies (Eager versus lazy)
 Centralized versus distributed techniques

8 Basic Security Issues

 Database security: definition of database security;
 Introduction to the need of database security
 Types of database security violations, authorization, views, privileges;
audit trails;
 Physical and logical security
 Integrity and Security
 Types of integrity i.e. referential integrity; entity integrity
 Encryption and Authentication: encryption techniques;
authentication
 9 Web and Cloud Databases and Related Services
 Applications of Web and Cloud Databases
 Web Usage and Social Media Data Management
 Web and Social Media Metrics and Analytics
 Web and Social Media Analytics for Marketing

COURSE ASSESSMENT
1. Final Examination 60%
2. Continuous Assessment 40%
* Continuous assessment involves 1 assignment, 1 in class Test, and 1 group
presentation.
REFERENCES
1. Ramon A.Pauline K Cushman, 2000, FUNDAMENTALS OF RELATIONAL
DATABASES
2. Data Modelling; A Beginners’ Guide by Oppel 2010, Mcraw_Hill
3. Databases: Development by Rob and Seaman, Mcraw_Hill
4. Elmasri et al (2006), Fundamentals of Database Systems, Dorling Kindersley
(India) Pvt. Ltd.
5. Silberschatz et al (2002), Database Systems Concepts 4 Edition, McGraw-
th

Hill Higher Education.

6. Manning, M.V. (2004), Database: Design, Application Development and
Administration 2 Edition, McGraw Hill.
nd

7. Date, C. J. (2000), An Introduction to Database Systems 7 Edition, Pearson

th

Education India.

EXPECTATIONS
 Each student must submit assignments by the date indicated. Late submissions
will not be accepted.
 Please be in class on time. Late students disrupt class.
  If you prefer to sleep or be on your cell phone, do not come to class. Students
are encouraged to put all their cell-phones on silent mode or keep them switched
off during class.
 It is important to regularly attend the class and to participate and contribute in the
class discussions. While attendance may not necessarily be taken every day,
both excessive absences and attendance would be duly noted.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY/PLAGIARISM 
University students are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest
standards of academic honesty. Academic misconduct for which a student is subject to
penalty includes all forms of cheating, such as illicit possession of examinations or
examination materials, falsification, forgery, complicity or plagiarism. (Plagiarism is the
presentation of the work of another as one’s own work.) In this class, academic
misconduct or complicity in an act of academic misconduct on an assignment or test will
result in failing the assignment.