Chapter 1: Database Systems

TRUE/FALSE
1. Data and information are essentially the same thing.
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2. Data proessing an !e as simple as organi"ing data to re#eal patterns.
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%. &e are no' said to !e entering the ()no'ledge age.*
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+. ,nformation implies familiarity- a'areness- and .nderstanding )no'ledge as it applies to an
en#ironment.
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5. Data onstit.te the !.ilding !lo)s of information.
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$. 0etadata present a more omplete pit.re of the data in the data!ase than the data itself.
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/. The only 'ay to aess the data in a data!ase is thro.gh the D10S.
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2. Data!ase programming lang.ages reei#e all appliation re3.ests and translate them into the omple4
operations re3.ired to f.lfill those re3.ests.
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5. The D10S re#eals m.h of the data!ase6s internal omple4ity to the appliation programs and .sers.
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17. 8ne disad#antage of the D10S is that it inreases the ris) of data se.rity !reahes.
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11. An operational data!ase is sometimes referred to as an enterprise data!ase.
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12. A data 'areho.se an store data deri#ed from many so.res.
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1%. The same data might !e sim.ltaneo.sly str.t.red and .nstr.t.red depending on the intended
proessing.
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1+. 9orporations .se only str.t.red data.
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15. :istorially- a man.al file system 'as omposed of a system of file folders and filing a!inets.
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1$. ,nitially the files 'ithin a omp.ter file system 'ere similar to man.al files.
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1/. Str.t.ral dependene e4ists 'hen it is possi!le to ma)e hanges in the file str.t.re 'itho.t affeting
the appliation program6s a!ility to aess the data.
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12. A 3.ery lang.age is a proed.ral lang.age.
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15. 8ne disad#antage of a data!ase system o#er pre#io.s data management approahes is inreased osts.
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27. 8ne ad#antage of a data!ase system o#er pre#io.s data management approahes is that the data!ase
system is onsidera!ly less omple4.
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MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. ;;;; is .sed to re#eal the meaning of data.
a. Ra' fats . Formatting
!. <no'ledge d. ,nformation
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2. A.rate- rele#ant- and timely information is the )ey to ;;;;.
a. data management . )no'ledge
!. good deision ma)ing d. .nderstanding
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%. ;;;; is the !ody of information and fats a!o.t a speifi s.!=et.
a. Data . <no'ledge
!. ,nformation d. A data!ase
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+. End>.ser data is ;;;;.
a. ra' fats a!o.t the end>.ser
!. ra' fats of interest to the end>.ser
. data a!o.t data
d. a.rate- rele#ant and timely information
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5. ;;;; pro#ide?s@ a desription of the data harateristis and the set of relationships that lin) the data
fo.nd 'ithin the data!ase.
a. A.eries . 0etadata
!. End>.ser data d. ,nformation
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$. The ;;;; ser#e?s@ as the intermediary !et'een the .ser and the data!ase.
a. D10S . end>.ser data
!. metadata d. programming lang.age
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/. The data!ase str.t.re in a D10S is stored as a ;;;;.
a. file . set of )eyB#al.e pairs
!. olletion of files d. olletion of 3.eries
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2. A?n@ ;;;; might !e 'ritten !y a programmer or it might !e reated thro.gh a D10S .tility program.
a. 3.ery . data!ase management system
!. operating system d. appliation program
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5. ;;;; e4ists 'hen different #ersions of the same data appear in different plaes.
a. Data inonsisteny . 1etter data integration
!. Data onsisteny d. ,mpro#ed deision ma)ing
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17. The response of the D10S to a 3.ery is the ;;;;.
a. ad ho 3.ery . 3.ery res.lt set
!. ad ho response d. integrated #ie' of the data
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11. A?n@ ;;;; data!ase is designed to s.pport a ompany6s day>to>day operations.
a. des)top . enterprise
!. 'or)gro.p d. transational
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12. A?n@ ;;;; data!ase is .sed !y an organi"ation and s.pports many .sers aross many departments.
a. des)top . enterprise
!. 'or)gro.p d. transational
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1%. A?n@ ;;;; data!ase s.pports a relati#ely small n.m!er of .sers ?.s.ally fe'er than 57@ or a speifi
department 'ithin an organi"ation.
a. des)top . enterprise
!. 'or)gro.p d. transational
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1+. A ;;;; data!ase s.pports data distri!.ted aross se#eral different sites.
a. single>.ser . entrali"ed
!. m.lti.ser d. distri!.ted
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15. A 'or)gro.p data!ase is a?n@;;;; data!ase.
a. single>.ser . enterprise
!. m.lti.ser d. distri!.ted
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1$. A des)top data!ase is a ;;;; data!ase.
a. single>.ser . 'or)gro.p
!. m.lti.ser d. distri!.ted
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1/. 0ost deision>s.pport data are !ased on historial data o!tained from ;;;;.
a. operational data!ases . enterprise data!ases
!. data 'areho.ses d. 'or)gro.p data!ases
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12. The ;;;; str.t.re is 3.ite different from that of an operational or transational data!ase.
a. data 'areho.se . enterprise data!ase
!. 'or)gro.p data!ase d. distri!.ted data!ase
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15. ;;;; data e4ist in the format in 'hih they 'ere olleted.
a. Str.t.red . Cnstr.t.red
!. Semistr.t.red d. :istorial
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27. ;;;; data e4ist in a format that does not lend itself to proessing that yields information.
a. Str.t.red . Cnstr.t.red
!. Semistr.t.red d. :istorial
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21. ;;;; data are the res.lt of formatting to failitate storage- .se and generation of information.
a. Str.t.red . Cnstr.t.red
!. Semistr.t.red d. :istorial
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22. 0ost data yo. eno.nter is !est lassified as ;;;;.
a. str.t.red . .nstr.t.red
!. semistr.t.red d. historial
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2%. &hih of the follo'ing is an e4ample of str.t.red dataD
a. A &e! page . A memo
!. An e>mail d. A spreadsheet
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2+. E0F data is ;;;;.
a. str.t.red . .nstr.t.red
!. m.ltistr.t.red d. semistr.t.red
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25. The organi"ation of the data 'ithin the folders in a man.al file system 'as determined !y ;;;;.
a. the date of reation . the title of the do.ments in the folder
!. its e4peted .se d. the data proessing speialist
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2$. A ;;;; is a logially onneted set of one or more fields that desri!es a person- plae- or thing.
a. data!ase . reord
!. ol.mn d. file
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2/. A ;;;; is a olletion of related reords.
a. data!ase . ol.mn
!. field d. file
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22. A ;;;; is a harater or gro.p of haraters that has a speifi meaning.
a. data!ase . reord
!. field d. file
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25. The phrase ;;;; refers to an organi"ation of omponents that define and reg.late the olletion-
storage- management and .se of data 'ithin a data!ase en#ironment.
a. data!ase management system . management system
!. data!ase management d. data!ase system
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%7. ;;;; relates to the ati#ities that ma)e the data!ase perform more effiiently in terms of storage and
aess speed.
a. Performane t.ning . A.ery aess
!. Data!ase design d. Data!ase management
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COMPLETION
1. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; is the res.lt of proessing ra' data to re#eal its meaning.
ANS: ,nformation
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2. To re#eal meaning- information re3.ires ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;.
ANS: onte4t
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%. Ra' data m.st !e properly ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; for storage- proessing and presentation.
ANS: formatted
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+. Data ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; is a disipline that fo.ses on proper generation- storage and retrie#al of
data.
ANS: management
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5. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; is data a!o.t data thro.gh 'hih the end>.ser data are integrated and
managed.
ANS: 0etadata
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$. A?n@ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; is a olletion of programs that manages the data!ase
str.t.re and ontrols aess to the data stored in the data!ase.
ANS:
D10S ?data!ase management system@
data!ase management system ?D10S@
data!ase management system
D10S
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/. A?n@ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; is a speifi re3.est iss.ed to the D10S for data manip.lation.
ANS: 3.ery
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2. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; data!ases fo.s primarily on storing data .sed to generate information
re3.ired to ma)e tatial or strategi deisions.
ANS: Analytial
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5. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; is a speial lang.age .sed to represent and manip.late
data elements in a te4t.al format.
ANS:
E0F ?E4tensi!le 0ar).p Fang.age@
E4tensi!le 0ar).p Fang.age ?E0F@
E4tensi!le 0ar).p Fang.age
E0F
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17. ,n early omp.ter file systems- a?n@ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; 'as hired to reate a
omp.ter>!ased system that 'o.ld tra) data and prod.e re3.ired reports.
ANS:
data proessing ?DP@ speialist
data proessing speialist
DP speialist
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11. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; e4ists 'hen it is possi!le to ma)e hanges in the data storage harateristis
'itho.t affeting the appliation program6s a!ility to aess the data.
ANS: Data independene
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12. The term ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; refers to sattered loations storing the same !asi data.
ANS: islands of information
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1%. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; e4ists 'hen different and onfliting #ersions of the same data appear in
different plaes.
ANS: Data inonsisteny
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1+. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; e4ists 'hen the same data are stored .nneessarily at different plaes.
ANS: Data red.ndany
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15. A?n@ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; de#elops 'hen all re3.ired hanges in the red.ndant data are not made
s.essf.lly.
ANS:
data anomaly
anomaly
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ESSAY
1. Desri!e 'hat metadata are and 'hat #al.e they pro#ide to the data!ase system.
ANS:
The metadata desri!e the data harateristis and the set of relationships that lin)s the data fo.nd
'ithin the data!ase. For e4ample- the metadata omponent stores information s.h as the name of eah
data element- the type of #al.es ?n.meri- dates- or te4t@ stored on eah data element- and 'hether the
data element an !e left empty. The metadata pro#ide information that omplements and e4pands the
#al.e and .se of the data. ,n short- metadata present a more omplete pit.re of the data in the
data!ase. Gi#en the harateristis of metadata- yo. might hear a data!ase desri!ed as a (olletion of
self>desri!ing data.*
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2. &hat are the ad#antages of ha#ing the D10S !et'een the end .ser6s appliations and the data!aseD
ANS:
:a#ing a D10S !et'een the end .ser6s appliations and the data!ase offers some important
ad#antages. First- the D10S ena!les the data in the data!ase to !e shared among m.ltiple appliations
or .sers. Seond- the D10S integrates the many different .sers6 #ie's of the data into a single all>
enompassing data repository.
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%. Dis.ss some onsiderations 'hen designing a data!ase.
ANS:
Proper data!ase design re3.ires the designer to identify preisely the data!ase6s e4peted .se.
Designing a transational data!ase emphasi"es a.rate and onsistent data and operational speed.
Designing a data 'areho.se data!ase emphasi"es the .se of historial and aggregated data. Designing
a data!ase to !e .sed in a entrali"ed- single>.ser en#ironment re3.ires a different approah from that
.sed in the design of a distri!.ted- m.lti.ser data!ase.
Designing appropriate data repositories of integrated information .sing the t'o>dimensional ta!le
str.t.res fo.nd in most data!ases is a proess of deomposition. The integrated data m.st !e
deomposed properly into its onstit.ent parts- 'ith eah part stored in its o'n ta!le. F.rther- the
relationships !et'een these ta!les m.st !e aref.lly onsidered and implemented so the integrated
#ie' of the data an !e re>reated later as information for the end .ser. A 'elldesigned data!ase
failitates data management and generates a.rate and #al.a!le information. A poorly designed
data!ase is li)ely to !eome a !reeding gro.nd for diffi.lt>to>trae errors that may lead to !ad
deision ma)ingHand !ad deision ma)ing an lead to the fail.re of an organi"ation. Data!ase design
is simply too important to !e left to l.). That6s 'hy ollege st.dents st.dy data!ase design- 'hy
organi"ations of all types and si"es send personnel to data!ase design seminars- and 'hy data!ase
design ons.ltants often ma)e an e4ellent li#ing.
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+. &hat are some reasons for st.dying file systemsD
ANS:
A !rief e4planation of the e#ol.tion of file system data proessing an !e helpf.l in .nderstanding the
data aess limitations that data!ases attempt to o#erome. Cnderstanding these limitations is rele#ant
to data!ase designers and de#elopers !ea.se data!ase tehnologies do not ma)e these pro!lems
magially disappearHdata!ase tehnologies simply ma)e it easier to reate sol.tions that a#oid these
pro!lems. 9reating data!ase designs that a#oid the pitfalls of earlier systems re3.ires that the designer
.nderstand these pro!lems and ho' to a#oid themI other'ise- the data!ase tehnologies are no !etter
?and are potentially e#en 'orseJ@ than the tehnologies and tehni3.es they ha#e replaed.
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5. Desri!e the fi#e types of .sers identified in a data!ase system.
ANS:
System administrators o#ersee the data!ase system6s general operations.
Data!ase administrators- also )no'n as D1As- manage the D10S and ens.re that the data!ase is
f.ntioning properly.
Data!ase designers design the data!ase str.t.re. They are- in effet- the data!ase arhitets. ,f the
data!ase design is poor- e#en the !est appliation programmers and the most dediated D1As annot
prod.e a .sef.l data!ase en#ironment. 1ea.se organi"ations stri#e to optimi"e their data reso.res-
the data!ase designer6s =o! desription has e4panded to o#er ne' dimensions and gro'ing
responsi!ilities.
System analysts and programmers design and implement the appliation programs. They design and
reate the data>entry sreens- reports- and proed.res thro.gh 'hih end .sers aess and manip.late
the data!ase6s data.
End .sers are the people 'ho .se the appliation programs to r.n the organi"ation6s daily operations.
For e4ample- sales ler)s- s.per#isors- managers- and diretors are all lassified as end .sers. :igh>
le#el end .sers employ the information o!tained from the data!ase to ma)e tatial and strategi
!.siness deisions.
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