Description:

Students get acquainted with the architecture of the database engine and typical user roles. They learn to design the structure of a smaller data store (including integrity constraints) using a conceptual model and then implement them in a relational database engine. They get acquainted with the SQL language and also with its theoretical basis - relational database model. They will get acquainted with the principles of relational database schema normalization. They understand the basic concepts of transaction processing and control of parallel user access to a single data source. At the end of the course, students will be introduced to alternative nonrelational database models.

Contents:

1. Basic principles of database systems, architectures of database management systems.
2. Conceptual, database, and physical level of view of data.
3. Conceptual data model. Basic constructs, expression of integrity constraints.
4. Relational data model. Relation, attributes, domains, relational database schema, relational algebra.
5. Introduction to the SQL language: basics of the SELECT statement, basics of the SQL DDL.
6. Design of a relational scheme by direct transformation from a conceptual scheme.
7. The SQL language - advanced querying: aggregation, nested queries, set operations.
8. The SQL language: parts DCL, DML, TCL.
9. Transactions, error recovery, parallel access coordination, data protection.
10. Functional dependencies, normal forms of relations, normalization of a relational scheme by decomposition.
11. Physical level of view of data. Indexes and their use in relational databases. Basics of SQL query optimization.
12. Nonrelational database models. Trends in databases.
13. Access of applications to a (relational) database. Introduction to the concept of software engineering.

Seminar contents:

1. Seminar: Introduction, project assignment.
2. Computer lab: Introduction to the environment and the tools.
3. Seminar: Conceptual data modeling.
4. Computer lab: SQL communication with a database engine, working with a conceptual modeler.
5. Seminar: Conceptual data modeling, relational algebra as a query language.
6. Computer lab: Working on projects, consultations.
7. Seminar: Relational algebra as a query language.
8. Computer lab: Working on projects, consultations.
9. Seminar: SQL.
10. Computer lab: Working on projects, consultations, project checkpoint.
11. Seminar: SQL.
12. Computer lab: Working on projects, presentations.
13. Seminar: Normalization of a schema, functional dependencies.

Recommended literature:

1. Coronel C., Morris S. : Database Systems: Design, Implementation, and Management (13th Edition). Cengage Learning, 2018. ISBN 978-1337627900.
2. Garcia-Molina H., Ulman D. J., Widom J. : Database systems: The Complete Book (2nd Edition). Pearson Education, 2009. ISBN 978-0131873254.
3. Harrington J.L. : Relational Database Design and Implementation (4th Edition). Morgan Kaufmann, 2016. ISBN 978-0128043998.

Abbreviations used:

Semester:

• W ... winter semester (usually October - February)
• S ... spring semester (usually March - June)
• W,S ... both semesters

Mode of completion of the course:

• A ... Assessment (no grade is given to this course but credits are awarded. You will receive only P (Passed) of F (Failed) and number of credits)
• GA ... Graded Assessment (a grade is awarded for this course)
• EX ... Examination (a grade is awarded for this course)
• A, EX ... Examination (the award of Assessment is a precondition for taking the Examination in the given subject, a grade is awarded for this course)

Weekly load (hours per week):

• P ... lecture
• C ... seminar
• L ... laboratory
• R ... proseminar
• S ... seminar