DATABASE MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS

CIS 520

Spring Tr 1:00 to 3:50 PM

Instructor: John Blumberg

Phone: 497-2782

Send me email

Please send me an email!

LECTURES

Class meetings are once a week for three hours. Lecture topics and assigned readings are detailed on the syllabus. Demonstrations of software applications are part of the class meeting. Excessive absence or arriving late in class can adversely affect your ability to successfully complete the course.

LAB ASSIGNMENTS

A course project to design a database is assigned. This assignment is done outside of the class meetings. Participation in this lab activity is a major component of the course. The design project can be done on the computers at the University Center Lab.  The assignments must be completed using the software applications under study in the course. Some collaboration on the lab projects is expected, but each student must do his own work. Students suspected of excessive collaboration will not receive credit for that particular project.

Excessive collaboration includes "copying another's homework and submitting it as your own" (Student Handbook).

• Design projects will be evaluated on completeness, accuracy, and presentation, that is organization and documentation.
• Draft Milestones are required.
• If you choose to resubmit a Milestone with attached corrections, it must be within one week of the returned material.
• The purpose of these Draft Milestones is to keep you on track and provide you with guidance during the course of the project.

Standard used for letter grade assignments:

• A range = 90 - 100
• B = 80 - 89
• C = 70 - 79
• D = 60 - 69
• F = 59 - >

Note: Tests cannot be made up unless previous notification is arranged by the student.

HOMEWORK

There is no assigned homework for this class.  At the end of each chapter in the text there are Review Questions and Problems.  Each student is encouraged to work the Review Questions and try some of the Problems.  During each class session one or more of the text Problems will be covered and worked.

TEXT & SUPPLIES

Database Systems Design, Implementation & Management, Rob and Coronel, Course Technology, 5th edition, 061906269X

 

OPTIONAL:

There is a database design project required from each student.  That design project may be accomplished with pencil and paper, word processor or with a DBMS product [Access].
1.44MB diskettes to save lab work.
Microsoft Access 2000 is available in the Uctr labs. The students that have access to this software product [or Access 97 ] may to do work at home.

ASSISTANCE

I am available via email. Yes, I do answer email on a very regular basis. You can also reach me by phone. If I am out, please leave a message. Email is the preferred method.

Lab attendants can assist you with some hardware and software problems. They do not perform instructional services in the lab. If you have a question, be sure you have your class notes and handout materials for the assistant to review with you. Do not expect the lab attendants to be familiar with programming languages or database software.

ATTENDANCE

UNHM does not have a firm attendance policy; the instructor does.  Attendance and participation is expected from all students in all class meetings.  Four absences during the semester or three consecutive missed classes during the semester will result in the loss of one letter grade.  Five or more absences will result in a failing grade.   CIS 520 is not a distance learning class.  CIS 520 is not an online class.   While email and the Internet play a large part in this course they do not replace attendance at class meetings.

Course Schedule

Topics and dates subject to change

Resources

http://www.sims.berkeley.edu/academics/courses/is257/f99/Lecture3_257/
a tutorial presentation on database concepts and Access..and
http://www.cs.umbc.edu/461/notes/slides.shtml

and more to review about database concepts
http://www.cit.cornell.edu/atc/materials/old/dbdesign/dbdesign.pdf

a whole course online
http://www.cit.cornell.edu/atc/materials/old/dbdesign/erd.shtml

A PPT on Semantic Object Model
http://www.cbu.edu/~dbrandon/451slides/4510399.ppt

General Website Resources for Computer Science Courses

• Database Design Project - Each student will accomplish a complete database design. 30% of the grade. That design may be accomplished using pencil and paper, word processors, DBMS products or a combination.  Note that drafts of the project’s Parts are required during the course.
• Tests A midterm and a final test. 30% each.
• Class Participation and Attendance - Will count for 10% of each student grade.

Steps to solution of the Database Design Project....

• Select one of the six [6] projects listed below.
• By the end of class #3 inform the instructor of your choice.
• Begin work as soon as possible.
• Projects are due by the end of the next to last class session.

• Introduction - Purpose Why?
• Functional Description - What does the system do?
• Scope -Constraints - What are the bounds: hardware, software, technology; tools; ...

II. Data Model ( 40 %)

Presenting the relationship between all data objects and control stores and showing cardinality and modality. The student may use the E-R Model or the Semantic Object Model.

III. Database Design (40%)

This should present the normalized relations from the data models in II, above. This diagram should be the result of defining data entities, transcribing to relations and normalizing the relations.

• Relations
• Keys
• Indexes
• Data Type
• Business Rules

Present the project in writing and in good form - word processed - packaged with a Table of Contents and Title Page.

The student will accomplish a database design for one of the six projects listed below. Detailed scenarios will be provided during the first class session.

1. Event Ticket Bookings
2. Opponent Tracking for Football
3. Product Configuration and Customer Configuration Tracking
4. Alumni Records and Fund Raising
5. Veterinary Office tracking of clients, patients and services.
6. YMCA Four on Four.

Some Reports Found For the Above Systems..  These are just partial samples.  But, your design has to support the report outlines shown and of course others.

Some Data Entry Screens.  This VB program is a prototype.  It is an attempt to show you how user might interact with your DB.   Run the program, pick the one of interest, drag your mouse to each box, read the tip and see if you can see the flow of the data and uses of the data.