Database Systems Spring 2013

Objectives: The course provides an in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of database systems. It focuses on the relational data model and covers the following topics: relational algebra and calculus, SQL, relational database design, conceptual database design, physical database design, query processing and optimization, and transactions. The aims of this course are to learn the basic concepts underlying a database system; to understand how these concepts are implemented in concrete systems; and to get hands-on experience in using a database system.

Teaching Format and Exam: The course consists of lectures and exercises. The weekly exercises are an important part of the course. The assessment consists of the successful completion of 9 out of 12 exercises and the successful participation at the final exam. Both parts have to be passed independently. Exercises are only valid for the current year. The exams of the previous years can be found here: 2010, 2011, 2012. At the exam you are allowed to use one A4 sheet with your personal notes and a pocket calculator. The exam will take place on Tuesday, June 18, 10:15 - 12:00 in BIN-1-B.01. For official information, please check VVZ.

The exam inspection will take place on the July, 15th at 14.00 in BIN-2.E.23. If you plan to inspect your exam please send an email to Anton Dignös.

Textbook and Lecture Notes: The textbook of the course is Database Systems---Models, Languages, Design, and Application Programming, Sixth Edition, Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe, Pearson Education, 2010. The lecture notes for this course will become available as we progress through the semester.

Exercises: The exercises will take place on two different time slots. The first time slot takes place on Tuesday 12.00-13.45 and will be taught by Katerina Papaioannou (BIN-2.A.01, English). The second time slots takes place on Wednesday 14:00-15:45 and will be taught by Francesco Cafagna (BIN-2.A.01, English) and Anton Dignös (BIN-0.B.06, German). The solved exercises have to be returned, in printed version, at the latest at the end of the first lecture session (i.e., Tuesday at 12:00, usually one week later). The group assignment is provided in this list. If you are not on the list, please contact one of the assistants.

Office hours: By prior arrangement with your exercise group assistant.

The lectures take place TU 10:15-12:00 and WE 12:15 - 13:45 in room BIN 2.A.01. Syllabus and slides:

• SL01, Database Systems, 1up, 4up
• SL02, The Relational Model, 1up, 4up
• SL03, SQL, 1up, 4up
• SL04, Constraints, Triggers, Views, DB programming, 1up, 4up
• SL05, Relational Database Design, 1up, 4up
• SL06, Conceptual Database Design, 1up, 4up
• SL07, Physical DB Design, 1up, 4up
• SL08, Query Processing and Optimization, 1up, 4up
• SL09, Transactions, Concurrency, and Recovery, ,
• SL10, Summary, 1up, 4up

A PostgreSQL account will be created for every registered student. You can connect to PostgreSQL via pgAdmin3 (tutorial).
For the exercises we use the Mondial database (relational schema, create statements, insert statements, ER-diagram).

The results of previous exercises can be found here: Group Cafagna, (PDF, 16 KB) Group Papaioannou, Group Dignös.

Leftover exercises can be picked up from the office of the responsible assistant!

^**There is no exercise on wednesday, 01.05.2013. Students of all groups are encouraged to attend the exercise group on tuesday, 30.04.2013 held by Katerina Papaioannou in BIN-2.A.01.

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