Introduction

This paper is written as a final assignment of the KENT Institute of Australia. This paper is
meant to analyze the database concept from the module slides of database fundamentals from
week 1 to week 11. A brief and concise summary of each week’s slide is mentioned on this
paper. The main objective of this paper is to elaborate our understanding on the database module
and its working principle on the real world-scenario. The important topics covered in each
chapter is discussed here along with examples.

Content Analysis
Content Analysis is the process of determining the presence of concept and words within the
texts and chapters and the relationship associated between them. The analysis can be either
relational or conceptual. The analysis done in this paper is conceptual: meaning that it deals with
the understanding of the concept.
Week 1: The Database Approach
 Topics covered
i) Data and Information
The data is the raw fact and figures that carries no significant meaning while the
information is the processed data carrying useful meaning for decision making.

ii) Database and Database Management System:

Database is the huge collection of data including the data about data (metadata). It
is managed using database management system software.

iii) Importance of Database design:

The database design is very important as it reduce data redundancy, better management
of data and information, easier data recovery and reduces errors.

iv) Limitations of File system

The traditional file system management was obsolete as administration became very
complex and difficult.
 The DBMS provides more benefits than the traditional file system such as improved data
sharing, data integrity and inconsistency, better data access, etc. The topic discussed on
this chapter seems quite important for the overall understanding of the database system.
The flaws of the traditional file system such as data redundancy, difficulty in data
recovery, etc., led to the development of the modern database system.

 The main objective of the topic was to give the overview of the data, information,
database and reason use database management system. This chapter gave us the actual
knowledge on what actually the data and information is. We also learned the importance
of database, data quality and data governance.
Week 2: Data Models
 Major Topics Covered
i) Data Models
A model is a process of abstraction for hiding superfluous information and used in
representing individuals of interest and their relationships in a database.

ii) Importance of Data models

Data Models are the communication tools that helps the designers, programmer, and end-
users to interact with database.  It can improve the understanding of the organization.

iii) Business Rules

Business Rules are the set of rules specifying the constraints on the specific database
aspects.
iv) Evolution of Major Data Models
The various data models have been evolved: Hierarchical, Network, Relational, Entity
Relationship and Object-Oriented data models.

 Suppose a database of an enterprise is to be designed. So, a data model is designed to know the
control flow of data and information. The cardinality of each entity is shown using relational and
entity relationship modelling. The business rules for the enterprise are the unambiguous policies.
For example: A sales person may sell many items to a customer and a customer buy many items
from many sale persons. This business rule explains the associativity of each sales person,
Products and Customer entities. There can be n number of business rules of company that helps
designer to design database easily. It is better to write all the business rule of the company before
starting database modelling.

 The main aim of this chapter was to give the over view of the data models, its importance,
business rules and importance and the various data models. The chapter gave us idea about how
the data models can be created using business rules. It also gave us the idea about how can we
select the best data models for designing the database.

Week 3: Relational Model Characteristics

 Major Topics Covered
i) Relational Model
Representation of database using the relationship between the entities.

ii) Basic Components of relational model

Attributes, tables (relations), tuples, relational schema, degrees, cardinality, column,
relational instance, relation key and attribute domains are the key components of
relational model.

iii) Implemented of relations as tables

The tables are called relation in relation schema. The tables are the relation where details
about the data can permanently be saved for future use.

iv) Data dictionary and system catalogue

 Data dictionary and system catalogue, used interchangeably, is the detail about the
metadata i.e., data about data.

v) Handling of data redundancy in relational database

Though the data redundancy may lead to in-effectiveness of the database, it is necessary
sometimes. The data redundancy is handled in database using primary key and foreign
key (data integrity).
vi) Importance of indexing
Index is a reference point in a database table and is required to uniquely point to the
particular table (row).

 The relation of the table in big mart database can be represented by database model. The
cardinality of each entity in the database can be known as “a sales person can handle at least one
sale department and maximum of three”. The relation for the database may exist as Sales Person,
Customers, Products, Inventory, etc and the system catalogue for Sales Person (SP_ID, int,
primary key, not null, identity), etc. Each relation of the database can have primary key and
foreign key associated with them.

 The main objective of the chapter was to enhance our knowledge on relational model, integrity to
associate them, creating data dictionary and importance of indexing.

Week 4: Data Modelling with ERD

 Major topics Covered
i) Components of Entity Relationship
Entities, Attributes and the associated relationship are the major components of entity
relationship model.

ii) Defining, refining and incorporating relationship between entities.

The entities association i.e., relationship is always operated on both the direction and it is
identified as 1: M and is based on business rule. The relationship can be strong and weak.

iii) Effect of ERD Components in database design

The use of ERD component made it easier to represent and understand conceptual
database. As it includes cardinality and connectivity, an end-user can have the idea about
which entity is associated with which other entity.
  The above figure displays the relationship between two entities, professor and class. The
associated relationship is “teaches” and the cardinality is 1: M. The topics covered on this slide
was quite important in understanding the entity relational model. The Entity relationship diagram
is the graphical representation of database view. The knowledge on basic components of entity
relationship diagram and cardinality is very much important in creating entity relationship
diagram for a database.

 The main objective of this chapter was to give an overview of entity relationship diagram, its
component, connectivity, cardinality, strength of relationship, etc which is presented in above
diagram.

Week 5: Data Modelling with Entity Relationship Diagram

 The topic covered on this slide is same as the topics covered in week 4 slides.
  Given above is the implementation of Entity Relationship diagram for a school. The major
entities here are Student, Course, Department, Research Project and Faculty. Each of the entity is
linked with relationship such as belongs to, studies, works, teaches, etc. The different types of
attributes, cardinality and connectivity are displayed in the diagram

 This chapter enhanced us about the characteristics of ER components. We also got to know how
database design and implementation is affected using ERD Component.

Week 6: Data Modelling Advanced Concept

 Major topics covered
i) Extended Entity Relationship Model
Extended ER models are the high-level data model that reflects the complex database
specifications and complexities. It adds supertype and subtype entities, specialization and
generalization to the Entity relationship model

ii) EERD
It is the graphical representation of Extended Relationship Model.

iii) Primary keys and Foreign keys

Primary keys are the attribute in a database table that uniquely identify each records and
foreign keys are the attribute that is primary key of another entity and is used to reference
that table.

iv) Specialization
Specialization is an approach that separates a higher-level Entity into many low-level
specialized entities.

v) Inheritance
Inheritance is the process of sharing common attributes between entities. The entity
whose attributes are shared are called supertype and the entity which shares the
supertype's attribute are called subtypes.

vi) Generalization
Generalization is an approach that combines several lower-level entities to form a higher-
level entity. Generalization is used to find common attributes of a generalized entity
among other entities. It can also be viewed as the opposite of competence.
  The above figure is the general overview of database of a small company displaying
implementation of Extended Entity relationship diagram including specialization and inheritance.
The specialization and inheritance is used in service entity whose attributes are shared with
resume, interview and mentorship.

 From this chapter we learned how to develop a flexible solution to model special data cases. We
also learned various characteristics of good primary keys and different ways to select an attribute
as a primary key. We learned to represent multiple entities and relationship associated with them
using entity clustering.

Week 7: Normalizing Database design

 Major topics covered
i) Normalization
Normalization is the data organization process that involves designing tables, creating
associativity between them according to business rules and developing flexibility of
database by removing data redundancies and inconsistencies.

ii) Need for normalization

The main reason for need of normalization is to reduce data redundancies and improve
consistencies.

iii) Process of Normalization

The process of normalization is completed, generally, in 3 normal forms. Very Few
projects go up to Boyce-Codd Normal form followed by Fourth normal forms.

iv) Normal Forms

 a) First Normal Form:
It is the first step of normalization where atomic values are defined in a database
table.
b) Second Normal Form
The second normal form removes the partial dependencies by adding primary and
foreign keys
c) Third Normal Form
The transitive dependencies are removed in third normal form.
d) Boyce-Codd Normal Form
The multivalued dependencies are removed by splitting tables in this normal form.

 Consider a database of a software company. If all the data of the company is not-normalized, the
database would be having a huge number column having few or no dependencies on primary key.
There would Null value may exist or may contain redundant values. The same database, if
normalized, would contain separate entity for employee details, separate entity for Rate of charge,
and each would be accessed using primary key and foreign key. This would reduce the
redundancy and null values.

 This chapter introduced us with the normalization techniques and processes. We learnt to
normalize large database into smaller entities reducing redundancy and improving consistency.

Week 8: Beginning Structured Query Language

 The major topics covered
i) SQL
SQL, stands for structured query language, is query language for data storage,
manipulation and retrieval from the database.
ii) DDL
DDL, Data Definition Language, are the standard SQL commands for defining various
database structures. These statements are used for creating, modifying and deleting
database objects.  CREATE, ALTER and DROP are the basic DDL commands.
iii) DML
DML, Data Manipulation Language, are the commands for manipulation of database
data. It includes the data insertion, data retrievals from table, data deletion and data
update. INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE and SELECT are the DML commands.
iv) Data types
It is the type of data used in the database. It can integer, varchar, date, money, etc.

 Suppose, a database named school exists along with table names Students, Course and Teacher.
Then following commands can be used for performing CRUD functions in those tables.
  In this chapter, we learned about CRUD commands of SQL query. We learned to create, update,
delete and modify the data in the database and hence learned how to design database using query
language.

Week 9: Database Development Process

 The Major topics covered
i) Information System
Information system is the collection of hardware, software, processes, users and data that
works together to give desired output.

ii) SDLC
System development lifecycle is the framework used in designing, developing and testing
quality of information system. The process involved in it are: planning, analysis, design,
implementation, and testing and maintenance.
iii) DBLC
The Database development lifecycle (DBLC) is the process that involves different stages
for database implementation, beginning with requirements review and ending with
modification and monitoring.
iv) Database Administrator
A computer system specialized administrator responsible for maintaining database
environment by performing all relevant tasks is called database administrator (DBA)

 The development of database is not an easy task. It requires certain planning, data gathering and
many more. Consider a school whose database is to be designed. The project manager goes
through several stages such as: requirement analysis, logical design, physical design,
implementation and monitoring, modification and maintenance. A well designed database using
DBLC method, is easy to implement and maintain.
  On this chapter, we learned to design database using series of stages involving planning, analysis
and logical and physical design. We learned to develop database that will be easier to maintain in
the future.

Week 10: Conceptual, Logical and Physical Database Design

 Major topics covered
i) Database design
The steps involved in designing a database. The database is designed with two views:
business view and designer’s view. The steps involved are:
a) Conceptual Design
In this design, an abstract database structure is created using data modelling
technique which represent real world objects as realistic as possible.

b) Logical Design
The logical design is used for conversion of conceptual design as internal model. The
relationship within Conceptual design is set out.

c) Physical Design
The main storage and access procedures are defined using the physical design. A
logical design model is translated into DBMS specification for data storage and
retrieval.

ii) Need of suitable File Organization

It is required to select appropriate file organization for data retrieval and storage
efficiency.

 We learned to design database conceptually, logically and physically in this chapter. We followed
different procedures to design the database.
Week 11: Transaction Management and Concurrency Control
 Major topics Covered
i) Transaction
Transaction is a small work of logical units which is aborted or accomplished completely.
ii) Database Transaction. Atomicity, Consistency, Isolations, Durability and Serializability
are the properties that a transaction should display.
A database transaction symbolizes a unit of work conducted within a database
management system (or equivalent system) against a database, and handled in a
consistent and reliable manner independent of all transactions.
iii) Concurrency Control
Concurrency Control in Database Management System is a procedure of handling
parallel operations without interfering with each other. It guarantees that Database
operations are conducted simultaneously and correctly to deliver right results without
compromising data confidentiality of the respective Database.
iv) Database recovery
Database recovery is the method of returning the database to a proper state in the event of
a malfunction
v) Transaction Log
A log used for storing records of transaction from beginning to ending of transaction i.e.,
From BEGIN to COMMIT.

 The SQL database transaction is managed and standardised by American National Standard
Institute (ANSI). The two commands that supports transactions are COMMIT and ROLLBACK.
The COMMIT command is used when the transaction performed is success and verified. The
ROLLBACK is used when certain changes is to be made within the database without committing.

 This lesson taught us about the properties of database transaction. The concurrency control in the
database management system is well learned and different methods for concurrency control such
as stamping, optimistic methods and recovery management is well taught.

Conclusion
To sum up, the analysis for the entire module slide of database management system is analysed. The
interpretations and outcomes for each chapter is explained with certain real-world scenarios. The key
aspects of database technology and management is described and evaluated critically its uses. The
importance of relational database building is pointed out and learned to apply the transaction processing
and concurrency in multi-user database.
References
Connolly, T. and Begg, C., 2014. Database Systems: A Practical Approach to Design, Implementation,
and Management: Global Edition. Harlow: Pearson Education.

Coronel, C. and Morris, S., n.d. Database systems.

Silberschatz, A., Korth, H. and Sudarshan, S., n.d. Database system concepts.

Singh, S., 2021. Database Systems: Concepts, Design and Applications. [online] O’Reilly Online
Learning. Available at: <https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/database-systems-
concepts/9788177585674/9788177585674_ch13lev1sec2.html#:~:text=Database%20recovery%20is
%20the%20process,the%20event%20of%20a%20failure.&text=Recovery%20restores%20a%20database
%20form,to%20a%20previously%20consistent%20state.> [Accessed 25 February 2021].

Teorey, T., Lightstone, S., Nadeau, T. and Jagadish, H., 2011. Database modeling and design.
Amsterdam: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers.

Ramakrishnan, R. and Gehrke, J., 2011. Database management systems. Boston: McGraw-Hill.