CS 338 Computer Applications in Business: Databases
Objectives
This course is designed primarily to meet the needs of students who are interested in the business or public sector of the economy. The course presents methods used for the storage, selection, and presentation of data.
Intended Audience
Though, by nature, this course will be of prime interest to students enrolled in the Business Administration and Chartered Accountancy options, many students may find this course a valuable addition to their academic plan. A parallel course, CS 348, is available for CS majors.
Related Courses
Prerequisites: One of CS230, 234, 246, 330; Not open to Computer Science students.
Antirequisite: CS 348, 448, ECE 456.
References
Fundamentals of Database Systems, 6th ed., R. Elmasri and S. Navathe, Addison Wesley, 2010.
Course notes are required. 3 hours of lectures per week. Normally available in Fall, Winter, and Spring. The recognition of data as a business resource, complementing money and people. Consequences of data mismanagement. The increase in database usage from a historical perspective. Enterprise modelling using Entity-Relationship diagrams. Corresponding database design using the relational model. Data definition, manipulation, and query using SQL. Alternative approaches, including relational algebra. The roles of the data administrator and database administrator. Benefits of data independence. Applications development. Implications of common query processing strategies on database design and on query formulation. Accommodating data dependencies and other constraints in database design. Volatile versus non-volatile memory. Transaction processing. Checkpoints and recovery. Security. Data redundancy revisited. Partitioning data to mirror organizational structure. Implications of remote data communication. Miscellaneous topics may be covered as time permits, such as: text, CAD/CAM, geographical and other applications; personal databases.Schedule
Notes
Outline
Introduction
(2-3 hours)
Models and Systems
(15 hours)
Database Design
(6-9 hours)
Integrity Concerns
(4-6 hours)
Distributed Databases
(2-3 hours)
Non-Traditional Databases
(0-3 hours)
