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Note: This page dates from 2005, and is kept for historical purposes.
The University of Queensland
School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering
Semester 1, 2004
INFS2200 - Relational Database Systems
Course Profile
Version
This is version 1.0 of the INFS2200 course profile, dated 17 February 2004.
Changes since the last version
Not applicable.
Course Summary
| Course Code(s): | INFS2200 |
| Unit Value: | #2 |
| Contact Hours: | 4 hours per week (3L1T) |
| Purpose: | INFS2200 introduces the concepts needed to build large database systems using current technology: relational database management systems, transaction management, query processing and optimisation, concurrency control and recovery, views and index structures, dataflow and dynamic models, and database administrations. |
Teaching Staff
Dr Guido Governatori (Course Coordinator)
Office: 78-649
Phone: 52907
Fax: (07) 3365-4999
Email: guido[at]itee.uq.edu.au
Consultation Time:
Note: If you are calling from outside the University follow the appropriate instructions for each location below.
| University of Queensland (St Lucia) indial |
(07) 336 52907 |
Tutors
To be announced
Course Goals
The focus of this course is on taking the relational database design and query construction from INFS1200 further towards development of a full relational database system. Project based design, dataflow and related types of abstraction are introduced. Fundamental mechanisms for security, and the related issues, are taught. The course also introduces the database management system algorithms used to manage transactions, process and optimise queries, and shows how different indexing techniques are affected by design choices.
It is expected that upon successful completion of the course, students are expected to:
- Be able to create a project focused RDBS design.
- Create views for security and to support application development.
- Understand the view updateability problem.
- Understand the main indexing methods and their effect on query execution.
- Create a query plan.
- Optimise a query plan.
- Understand transaction management theory and the ACID properties.
- Understand issues in, and algorithms for maintaining, concurrency control
Graduate Attributes Developed
The University of Queensland has defined a set of graduate attributes to specify broad core knowledge and skills associated with all undergraduate programs (http://www.uq.edu.au/hupp/contents/view.asp?s1=3&s2=20&s3=5). This course addresses these attributes as follows:
| Attribute | Contributions from this Course |
|---|---|
| In-depth knowledge of the field of study | Lectures and discussions in tutorial will present the basic notions with their mathematical justifications and intuitions. The assessments will test the understanding of the notions. |
| Effective Communication | The assessments will test the ability to use the correct terminology and to apply it in the relevant contexts. |
| Independence and Creativity | The student will learn how to use independent thought and reasoning to define and analyse design and applied problems |
| Critical Judgement | The students will be encouraged to discuss topics and proposed solutions to given problem and to evaluate eventual alternatives. |
| Ethical and Social Understanding | All teaching activities. |
Assumed Background
Students are assumed to have knowledge covered in INFS1200 Information Systems and MATH1061 Discrete Mathematics. Particularly, the students should have learned the following:
1. Concepts about conceptual modelling (e.g., ER Modelling)
2. Database concepts and Relational Tables (primary key, candidate key, foreign key, etc)
3. ER to Relational database tables mapping
4. SQL queries
5. Relational Algebra
6. FD (Functional Dependency) Theory and Normalization process of 1-4 NFs.
7. Concepts of data structures: Array, Record, Tree, Graph, etc.
8. Basic design methodologies such as top-down or bottom-up.
9. Software engineering concepts about design, specification, implementation, coding, debugging, etc.
10. Concepts about data types: text, character, numeric, integer, etc.
11. Concepts of set theory, propositional logic and predicate calculus.
12. Programming concepts about procedures, variables, algorithm design, etc.
13. Fundamental knowledge about computer systems: Operating System, Memory management, File Directory management, etc.
Resources
Course Profile Copy
In the first lecture (or class meeting) students will be directed to the web address at which this course profile can be read. Students enrolled at St Lucia who wish to retain a hard copy of the profile can use the free print quota provided each semester to students enrolled in courses in the School of Information Technology & Electrical Engineering. For information on how to use this print quota, see the School Policy on Student Photocopying and Printing (St Lucia).
Textbook
The required text is
Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe.
Fundamentals of Database Systems
3rd Edition. Addison-Wesly 2000. (or 4th Edition, Addison-Wesly
2003)
Lecture Notes
The Lecturer Notes will be available in PDF files before the lectures. Students must print out their own copies.
Reference Texts
Students are not expected to purchase the following books, but may find them useful. Copies of some of these books are available in the library.
1. R. Ramakrishnan and J. Gehrke. (2003) Database Management Systems, (3rd ed.), McGraw Hill Publishing.
2. Connolly T. and Begg C. (1999) Database Systems A Practical Approach to Design, Implementation, and Management (2nd Ed.), Addison Wesley.
3. Date, C.J. (2000) An Introduction to Databases Systems, (7th Ed.), Vol 1, Addison Wesley.
4. Lorents A.C. and Morgan J.N. (1998) Database Systems Concepts, Management, and Applications, The Dryden Press.
5. McFadden F.R., Hoffer J.A., and Prescott M.B. (1999) Modern Database Management, 5th Ed., Addison Wesley.
6. Ullman J.D. (1989) Principles of Database Systems, Computer Science Presss.
Handouts
Assignment, and all tutorial questions are online available on the course website for students to print out. Some photocopied materials about Requirement Engineering, DFD Drawing, and B+ Trees will be available in the Engineering and Physics Library (Reserved Photocopy Section). Digital copies of the same material will also be available.
Consultation
The lecturer will be available for consultation on Thursday 11:00am-1:00pm. For other times, please email to make an appointment.
Distribution of Notices
All announcements for the course will be published on the web site.
*** Please check this page at least once a week. ***
The lecturer may also use the bulk email to send important messages to INFS2200
students.
Web
The course web site is available at http://www.itee.uq.edu.au/~infs7903. The course web site will contain the lecture notes, tutorial material, notices and other material relevant to the course.
Newsgroup
The course newsgroup is uq.itee.infs7903. This group is available on both the University and School news servers (news.uq.edu.au and news.itee.uq.edu.au).
Students are free to post questions (and answers!) to the newsgroup. Copies of announcements will also be posted to the newsgroup. The teaching staff will monitor the newsgroup.
Teaching Activities
There will be two lectures and one tutorial per week. In addition to the face-to face component, students are encouraged to work at their own pace through textbook exercises and workbook projects.
Lectures
Lecture 1: Thursday 8:00 -9:00am, Lecture Theatre 24-S304
Lecture 2: Friday 10:00-12:00am, Lecture Theatre 24-S304
Tutorials
Tutorials will be given by the lecturer and will be used to reinforce understanding of the course material. Active student participation is expected. The available tutorial sessions are listed below (subject to change).
| Tutorial | Day | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ta | Monday | 9am - 10am | 78-344 |
| Tb | Tuesday | 2pm - 3pm | 67-343 |
| Tc | Wednesday | 10am -11am | 83-430 |
| Td | Thursday | 9am - 10am | 50-C202 |
| Te | Thursday | 10am -11am | 39-124 |
| Tf | Friday | 9am -10am | 50-C203 |
| Tg | Friday | 2pm - 3pm | 83-419 |
Attendance
You are not required to attend any of the teaching sessions (except those in which an assessment activity is taking place), however, you are strongly encouraged to do so. The lectures and tutorials have been specifically designed to aid your learning of the course material. Failure to attend a session may result in you being disadvantaged. It is up to you to find out what happened at any class session that you miss.
Teaching Plan
The following study chart outline the material to be covered in lectures,
tutorials and practicals. Some minor departures from this lecture plan may occur.
| Week Number | Lecture Topic | Tutorial | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Course introduction and Requirement Engineering | ||
| 2 | Modelling Process and Dynamic | Tutorial 1: Requirement Engineering and Design | |
| 3 | Constraints, Views and View Updatability | Tutorial 2: Dynamic | |
| 4 | Indexing | Tutorial 3: Views and Constraints | |
| 5 | Index Structures | Tutorial 4: Indexing | |
| 6 | Introduction to Query Processing | Tutorial 5: Index structures | |
| Easter Break | |||
| 7 | Query Processing and Optimization | Tutorial 6: Revision | |
| 8 | Transaction Management
Mid Semester Exam |
Tutorial 7: Query plans | Close-book exam
(10-12am Friday 30 April, 20%) |
| 9 | Concurrency control | Tutorial 8: Transaction Management | |
| 10 | Concurrency control | Tutorial 9: Concurrency control | |
| 11 | Other DB administration issues | Tutorial 10: Concurrency control | |
| 12 | New Trends | Tutorial 11: DB administration | Assignment due (11:59pm, Friday 28 May, 20%) |
| 13 | Revision | Tutorial 9: Revision |
Assessment
INFS2200 will be assessed by several methods as outlined below. Your final grade (on a 1 to 7 scale) will be determined by combining the marks from the various assessment components as described below. For each assessment item, reference is made to the specific learning objectives (from the list above) which the assessment item will address.
| Assessment |
% |
Due date (Semester 1, 2004) |
| Middle Semester Exam |
20 % |
10-12am, Friday 30 April (in lecture) |
| Assignment |
20 % |
11:59pm, Friday 28 May (on-line submission) |
| Final exam |
60 % |
Examination period |
Mid Semester Exam
Middle Semester Exam (MSE) is designed to test theoretical concepts techniques introduced in lectures and tutorials. Middle Semester Exam can address material from any lecture that occurred prior to the date.
If you are unable to attend the MSE on that date, you must apply for a supplementary MSE to the lecturer before the date (eg, due to a medical reason). For any acceptable reasons, you must provide the formal evidence to the lecturer. The application can be made via email (or fax to the school office). The formal supporting evidence must be received before the date of the MSE. Failed to attend the MSE will result in a zero in this component of the assessment. If you have been granted a supplementary MSE, you must not attend the MSE on the date. The supplementary MSE may be held during the final examination period.
The best way to prepare the MSE is to review the questions discussed during the lectures and to review your tutorial exercises. There will be many open discussions during the lectures. You should involve yourself in the discussions and take notes on the answers of those questions discussed in the class. From the Study Chart you can see that the tutorial exercises to be covered in the MSE are the tutorial exercises 1-7. Moreover, the end-chapter questions in the relevant chapters of the textbook will be helpful for your preparation.
Assignment
The assignment is a group project. You must form a group of four (4) people to do the assignment. All group members must come from the same tutorial session. The group members must keep a logbook for their group meetings. Every group must also submit a Peer Assessment Form together with your assignment hand-in document. Assignment works will be submitted electronically. You must form your assignment group before the end of week three and report the membership to your tutor. Your tutor will assign a group number for your members.
Final Examination
A two hour final examination will be held during the final examination period. This exam will be closed-book and will contain both multiple-choice/short-answer/essay questions. You may bring a battery-operated non-programmable calculator. Programmable calculators and other computing or communication devices are NOT permitted. Students may request the use of dictionaries, including bilingual dictionaries, supplied by Examinations Section.
The final exam will address material from the entire semester.
Determination of Final Grade
The final mark is calculated as a sum of marks for the middle term exam, two practical assignments and the final exam.
Assessment Policies
Submission
Students should submit the assignment online. The Course Code and the submission instructions will be available before the assignment deadline.The submission website is: http://submit.itee.uq.edu.au/. The Lecturer will not accept any email submission from students.
Late Submission
There will be no extension of group assignment submissions, except for extreme cases approved by the lecturer. As a group you should manage the group as a project team. Performance problem regarding individual members should be reported early to the tutor or to the lecturer for the actions to be taken if necessary. The Group Peer Assessment Form is used to differentiate the performance of members. Only one copy of the form is expected to be submitted together with your assignment report. The assignment marks assigned to each member of the group will be scaled based on peer assessment of each member's contribution to the task. It should be noted that group members are expected to work in a harmonious and professional fashion, which includes adequate management of non-performing members.
Group Peer Assessment Form
This form has to be completed and signed by ALL members in the group for your assignment report. Circle the appropriate rating for each member (0 - no contribution; 10 - highly contributive).
Group # ___________
| Id |
Name |
Rating |
Consent (Y/N) |
| 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | |||
| 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | |||
| 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | |||
| 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
Return of Assignments
Since all assignment submitted on-line, there will be no return of the assignment. The Group Assignment will be marked based on its electronic copy. However, a hand-written marked Assessment Form of the assignment will be available for each group for their review of the marking. The tutors will hand out these marked forms to students within two weeks of the assignment due date.
Whom to See about Problems
If you are having problems with understanding materials, you should take
them to the next tutorial or talk to your group assignment members. Your allocated
tutor should be the main contact person to help you. If you are still having
difficulties you should see the lecturer during the consultation times.
It is strongly recommended that students should communicate to each other
with their problems in the study. You need to read this Course Profile carefully.
Ignorance or miss reading, or forget the assessment deadlines are not a defence.
Academic Merit, Plagiarism, Collusion and Other Misconduct
The School and the wider academic community in general takes academic integrity and respect for other persons and property very seriously. In particular, the following behaviour is unacceptable:
- Submission of plagiarised work, i.e. work that contains content copied from an unacknowledged source.
- Submission of work without academic merit, i.e. work that adds little or nothing to material available from reference sources such as textbooks, websites, etc., even where this is appropriately acknowledged.
- Engaging in collusive behaviour, i.e. inappropriate working together with other students where individual work is required, or working with people outside your team where team work is required.
- Copying work done by other students.
- Failing to adhere to the School's regulations concerning behaviour in laboratories, in particular occupational health and safety regulations.
Penalties for engaging in unacceptable behaviour can range from cash fines
or loss of grades in a subject, through to expulsion from the University.
You are required to read and understand the School Statement on Misconduct,
available on the ITEE website at: http://www.itee.uq.edu.au/about/student-misconduct.jsp.
This Statement includes advice on how to properly cite references and other
sources in your submissions and on acceptable levels of collaboration.
If you have any questions concerning this statement, please contact your
lecturer in the first instance.
Assessment Feedback
Timely feedback on all progressive assessment in this course will be available in accordance with University policy (HUPP 3.30.6 Student Access to Feedback on Assessment). To lecture will give feedback about the progressive assessment during consultation times.
Students wishing to view examination answer scripts and/or question papers should consult with the School office (Room 217, General Purpose South Building [78], St Lucia; Room 218, Building 1, Ipswich) regarding arrangements.
It is a student’s responsibility to incorporate feedback into their learning; making use of the assessment criteria that they are given; being aware of the rules, policies and other documents related to assessment; and providing teachers with feedback on their assessment practices.
Support for Students with a Disability
Any student with a disability who may require alternative academic arrangements in the course is encouraged to seek advice at the commencement of the semester from a Disability Adviser at Student Support Services.
Sourced From http://www.itee.uq.edu.au/undergraduate/_profile_view.php?print=1&file=2004_1_INFS2200_StLucia