SCS 4201 Course Outline BSc.

(Hons) Computer Science

National University Of Science and Technology

Faculty of Applied Science
Department of Computer Science

Course Outline

Course Name: Database Design and Management Code: SCS4201

Produced: 2013 Revised: 2020
Lecturer: S Dube Office: AG 14 Contact: 09-282842 Ext 2147
Venue: FD 99 sibusisiwe.dube@nust.ac.zw

Weighting Full Course

48
Hours/week
Pre-requisite SCS1202
Co-requisite

To give students a solid understanding of the design and implementation of database

management systems. At the end of the course, students will know how to design a database
from conceptual level, covert the conceptual design to relational databases, write SQL queries
to retrieve relevant data from databases, and relational database theories that guild a good
database design. Advanced topics such as transaction, access methods, query processing, data
warehousing, and data mining will be introduced.

Course Content
1. Types of databases
1.1 Object oriented
1.2 Relational databases
1.3 Blockchain databases

2. Database Development Life Cycle

2.1 Planning
2.2 Design
2.3 Implementation/ Coding
2.4 Conversion
2.5 Maintenance

3. Conceptual models
3.1 E_R diagrams
3.2 Enhanced E_R Diagram
3.3 Normalisation
4. Overview of DBMS Design: File Management, Indexing
SCS 4201 Course Outline BSc. (Hons) Computer Science

4.1 DBMS Indexing and index structures

4.2 B-trees and Hash indices

5. Access Methods
5.1 Sequential
5.2 Random

6. Query Processing and Optimization

6.1 Query processing in general
6.1.1 Selection
6.1.2 Join

6.2 Heuristic query optimization

6.2.1 Cost-based query optimization
6.2.2 Concurrency Control and Recovery

7. Transactions and concurrency

8. Deadlock management

9. Database System Architecture

9.1 Internal architecture
9.2 External architecture

10. Data Warehousing concepts

10.1 Data Warehouse and OLAP Technology,
10.2 Data Warehouse Architecture

11. Data mining concepts

11.1 Properties of data mining
11.2 Benefits of data mining
11.3 Data mining architecture

12. Structured Query Language (Practical sessions)

12.1 Data definition Language
12.2 Data Manipulation Language

Recommended sources
1. Software Engineering by Ian Sommerville, Ninth Edition, Addison-Wesley, Boston
Columbus
2. Database Modeling and Design, 2006, TOBY TEOREY SAM LIGHTSTON and TOM
NADEAU
SCS 4201 Course Outline BSc. (Hons) Computer Science

3. FUNDAMENTALS OF Database Systems, 2011, 6th Edition, Ramez Elmasri and

Shamkant B. Navathe

Internet/Open Resources:
1. E-Learning site (Google Classroom Code= )
https://classroom.google.com/u/0/r/MjIyODI5ODA4OFpa
2. NuStone Digital Library http://library.nust.ac.zw
3. The Directory of Open Access Repositories http://www.opendoar.org

Forms and dates of assessment

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT 25%: 2 tests, 2 assignments and 1 team project work (Dates
To Be Advised) FINAL EXAMINATION 75%.