Database Design and Development

2 February 2016

Examination Paper
Answer ALL questions.

Clearly cross out surplus answers.

Time: 3 hours

The maximum mark for this paper is 100.

Any reference material brought into the examination room must be

handed to the invigilator before the start of the examination.
 Answer ALL questions

Marks
Question 1

Consider the following unnormalised relation:

a) Identify TWO (2) functional dependencies in this relation. 2

b) Identify and briefly discuss THREE (3) potential anomalies that could occur if this 6
relation is left unchanged.

c) Briefly explain how this relation could be normalised to minimise anomalies. 2

Total: 10 Marks

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Database Design and Development © NCC Education Limited 2016
 Marks
Question 2

Consider the following database tables:

a) Write an SQL statement to select all the product names for customer Johnny 6
Smith.

b) Write an SQL statement to select all the OrderIDs for customers with a credit 4
rating below 2000. The results should be shown in order of the credit rating.

Total: 10 Marks

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Database Design and Development © NCC Education Limited 2016
 Marks
Question 3

a) Identify THREE (3) characteristics of iterative approaches to database 3

development that distinguish it from linear approaches.

b) What role does user involvement have in iterative approaches to database 2

development?

c) Briefly discuss the concept of redundancy in relation to database design and how 5
it should be addressed during the early stages of database development.

Total: 10 Marks

Question 4

a) Outline what is meant by referential integrity and explain why it is important in a 4

database system.

b) Why do foreign keys have to link to candidate keys? 2

c) What implications are there for performance when joining multiple tables in a 2
database query?

d) Briefly explain what is meant by a correlated sub-query. 2

Total: 10 Marks

Question 5

a) Why should database developers make sure they understand changes in 3

database products?

b) What approaches should database developers take to keeping up with changes 2

in database products?

c) Explain what is meant by the term atomic in relation to the concept of a database 3
transaction.

c) What are the implications for a database if a transaction fails before it is 2

completed?

Total: 10 Marks

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Database Design and Development © NCC Education Limited 2016
 Marks
Question 6

Consider the following database table, which records details of classes on a Computing
Degree course and the number of students in each class:

a) The ‘NumberOfStudents’ column records the number of students in each class. 3

Identify THREE (3) reasons why it might be better to implement this column as
derived data.

b) Briefly discuss how SQL could be used to derive the value of the 3
NumberOfStudents column.

c) State TWO (2) factors need to be considered when deciding how to implement 2
derived data in a database system.

d) When a derived column is updated, how does it affect its implementation? 2

Total: 10 Marks

Question 7

a) Provide THREE (3) ways that a domain constraint can be enforced on a 3

database system.

b) How can a data model be used to identify the different types of constraints that 3
will need to be enforced on a database system?

c) Explain how a complex business rule in a database could be enforced. 3

d) Briefly discuss the implications for a foreign key when it is set to cascade. 1

Total: 10 Marks

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Database Design and Development © NCC Education Limited 2016
 Marks
Question 8

a) Describe the issues that are involved when considering the loading of data into a 4
newly developed database system.
3
b) How might the process of data loading be automated?

b) What issues might arise as a database acquires more data over the course of its 3
lifespan?

Total: 10 Marks

Question 9

a) Outline FIVE (5) reasons for why an expanding organisation would consider 5
implementing a distributed database system.

b) Explain why integrity control is difficult in a distributed database. 3

c) Define the term federated database. 2

Total: 10 Marks

Question 10

a) Briefly explain the concept of time-variance and outline why it is important in a 4

data warehouse system. You should support your answer with ONE (1) example.

b) Identify and briefly explain FOUR (4) tasks that need to be performed during the 4
data acquisition phase of the development of a data warehouse.

c) State TWO (2) reasons why an organisation might choose to implement a data 2
warehouse.

Total: 10 Marks

End of Examination Paper

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Database Design and Development © NCC Education Limited 2016