M3106C - Advanced databases

Module objectives:

·         Understanding advanced concepts concerning the quality of schemes and system aspects.

Skills covered:

The skills listed in the activities and skills reference document for the following activities:

·         FA1-C: Production of a computer solution.

·         FA2-A: Administration of systems, software and networks.

·         FA1-D: Validation tests for a computer solution.

Prerequisites:

·         M2106

Content:

·         Quality of schemes, problem of redundancy, normal forms.

·         Integrity constraints and management rules, triggers.

·         Presentation of the functional architecture of a database management system (DBMS).

·         Transactions, atomicity and concurrent access management.

·         Optimisation: index, queries and execution plan.

·         Links with the programming languages. 

Implementation procedures:

·         Concepts must be addressed from a practical angle, in particular those related to transactions and to optimisation.

·         Making the link with algorithms concerning trees and hash tables (M3103 "Advanced Algorithms").

Possible extensions:

·         Study of complexity.

Key words:

Standardisation; Transactions; Query optimisation