INFS 614: Database Management Systems


Course Syllabus

Fall 2015

The latest syllabus with information specific to the course is available via the Blackboard Learning System (mymason.gmu.edu). The website is updated frequently.

Course Information

Lectures: Tuesday 7:20-10:00pm / Art and Design Building - Room 2026

Professor: Dr. Cristina Boicu (Cascaval)
      Email:  ccascava@gmu.edu   
      Office hours: Tuesday 6:00-7:00pm, Engineering Building Room 5306

Course Description

Information Systems (INFS)
INFS 614      Database Management

Prerequisite(s): INFS 501, 515, 519, and SWE 510, or equivalent.

Introduces database systems, emphasizing study of database models and languages and practice of database design and programming. Topics include Entity-Relationship model, relational model and its formal query languages, SQL, theory of relational database design, and object-oriented and logic-based databases.

References

Required Textbook

Database Management Systems, Third Edition

Authors:  Raghu Ramakrishnan,  Johannes Gehrke

ISBN-13: 9780072465631,  ISBN: 0072465638

Edition:  3rd

Pub Date:  2003

Publisher:  McGraw-Hill

 

Recommended Textbook

Oracle 10g Programming: A Primer, by Rajshekhar Sunderraman

Publisher: Addison-Wesley; 1st Edition (May 09, 2007) ISBN-10: 0321463048

 

Course Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students will acquire:

·                 Knowledge of fundamental concepts of file and database management;

·                 Knowledge of database design principles, and ability to model real-world environments using the ER model;

·                 Knowledge of the formal principles of the relational database model and its query languages, and ability to design relational databases and express queries in the relational algebra and calculus;

·                 Knowledge of the Structured Query Language (SQL) and database programming principles, and ability to author SQL queries and implement Java database applications using the Oracle database system;

·                 Experience in the complete database creative process: from database design, to database construction, to database programming.

Grading

Final grades will be determined based on the following components:

 

Homework Assignments

 

20%

Project

15%

Midterm

30%

Final Exam

35%

 

Midterm and Final Exam
The midterm and final exam are closed books, see the class schedule for the exam weeks. Make up exams and incompletes will not be given for this class.

Homework
Homework writing assignments will be posted on the Blackboard account. Working on the homework is very important to develop a deep understanding of the course topics. Proper documentation and typed homework is required. Homework is due at the beginning of class on the due date. All Oracle homework assignments must run properly on the GMU Oracle instance running in the labs.

Computer Project
The project will consist in designing and implementing a database of your selection on specific real applications (e.g., education, finance, medical and retail), based on which a report will be developed. More detailed requirements will be given in the assignments.

Class Participation
Class attendance, active participation in discussions and in-class problem solving is very important. Please let the instructor know in advance if you expect to be absent for any reason. If you must miss a class due to an emergency or documented illness, email the instructor as soon as possible. You are still responsible for any material covered, assignments given, and homework due during the missed classes unless pre-approved by the instructor.

Schedule of Classes 

Week

Date

Topic

Chapter

HW assigned

HW

due

Project

due

1

9/1

Introduction

Chapter 1

 

 

 

2

9/8

The ER Model

Chapter 2

1

 

3

9/15

The Relational Model

Chapter 3

 

 

 

4

9/22

Relational Algebra

Sections 4.1-4.2

2

1

 

5

9/29

Relational Algebra and Calculus

 Chapter 4

 

 

Topic selection

6

10/6

SQL:  Basics

Sections 5.1-5.3

3

 2

 

7

10/13

Columbus Day - Monday classes meet Tuesday. Tuesday classes do not meet this week

 

 

 

 

8

10/20

Midterm Review

 

 

3

 

9

10/27

Midterm Exam 

 

Topic revision

10

11/3

SQL:  Nested Queries

Section 5.4

4

 

11

11/10

SQL:  Aggregate Queries

Null Values, Outer Joins, Constraints

Sections 5.5-5.7

Query selection

12

11/17

Functional Dependencies

Sections 19.1-19.3

 5 

  4

 

13

11/24

Normal Forms - Normalization

Sections 19.4-19.6 

 

 

 

14

12/1

Schema Refinement

 

 

 5

Final report

15

12/8

Final Review

 

 

 

16

12/15

Final Exam

 

 

 

 

 

Computer Resources:

This course uses the VSE Oracle database server. Please refer to the Oracle FAQ on http://labs.vse.gmu.edu for instructions on activating your account and accessing the server. You will have to connect through a VPN tunnel if you are off campus or using campus wireless. Information on connecting through VPN can be found in the VPN FAQ on http://labs.vse.gmu.edu. The campus VPN option is the simplest to set up. If you are using the VSE OpenVPN link and Windows Vista or later Windows versions, please follow the special instructions in the FAQ.

o   VSE: labs.vse.gmu.edu

o   Computer lab Engineering Building Room 1506: http://labs.ite.gmu.edu/

o   Oracle: Your Oracle accounts should be automatically assigned to you once you are registered in the class.  For further information use the VSE labs guide on how to use Oracle with examples

Honor Code Statement

Collaboration on homework is permitted; copying of solutions is not. The work you hand in should be your own. Please check the Mason Honor Code at http://www.gmu.edu/academics/catalog/9798/honorcod.html,
and the CS Department policies http://cs.gmu.edu/wiki/pmwiki.php/HonorCode/HomePage.