Case Study: DBMS - 10 Small Case Studies

SMALL CASE STUDIES

1. A publishing company produces scientiic boo!s on "arious sub#ects. The boo!s are $ritten
by authors $ho speciali%e in one particular sub#ect. The company employs editors $ho& not
necessarily being specialists in a particular area& each ta!e sole responsibility or editing one or
more publications. A publication co"ers essentially one o the specialist sub#ects and is normally
$ritten by a single author. 'hen $riting a particular boo!& each author $or!s $ith on editor& but
may submit another $or! or publication to be super"ised by other editors. To impro"e their
competiti"eness& the company tries to employ a "ariety o authors& more than one author being a
Specialist in a particular sub#ect.
(. A )eneral *ospital consists o a number o speciali%ed $ards +such as Maternity& ,aediatry&
-ncology& etc.. Each $ard hosts a number o patients& $ho $ere admitted on the
recommendation o their o$n ), and conirmed by a consultant employed by the *ospital. -n
admission& the personal details o e"ery patient are recorded. A separate register is to be held to
store the inormation o the tests underta!en and the results o a prescribed treatment. A number
o tests may be conducted or each patient. Each patient is assigned to one leading consultant
but may be e/amined by another doctor& i re0uired. Doctors are specialists in some branch o
medicine and may be leading consultants or a number o patients& not necessarily rom the
same $ard.
1. A database is to be designed or a Car 2ental Co. +C2C.. The inormation re0uired includes a
description o cars& subcontractors +i.e. garages.& company e/penditures& company re"enues
and customers. Cars are to be described by such data as3 ma!e& model& year o production&
engine si%e& and uel type& number o passengers& registration number& purchase price& purchase
date& rent price and insurance details. It is the company policy not to !eep any car or a period
e/ceeding one year. All ma#or repairs and maintenance are done by subcontractors +i.e.
ranchised garages.& $ith $hom C2C has long4term agreements. Thereore the data about
garages to be !ept in the database includes garage names& addresses& range o ser"ices and
the li!e. Some garages re0uire payments immediately ater a repair has been made5 $ith others
C2C has made arrangements or credit acilities. Company e/penditures are to be registered or
all outgoings connected $ith purchases& repairs& maintenance& insurance etc. Similarly the cash
inlo$ coming rom all sources 4 car hire& car sales& insurance claims 4 must be !ept o ile.C2C
maintains a reasonably stable client base. 6or this pri"ileged category o customers special
credit card acilities are pro"ided. These customers may also boo! in ad"ance a particular car.
Case Study: DBMS - 10 Small Case Studies
These reser"ations can be made or any period o time up to one month. Casual customers must
pay a deposit or an estimated time o rental& unless they $ish to pay by credit card. All ma#or
credit cards are accepted. ,ersonal details +such as name& address& telephone number& dri"ing
licence& number. about each customer are !ept in the database.
7. A database is to be designed or a college to monitor students8 progress throughout their
course o study. The students are reading or a degree +such as 9A& 9A +*ons. MSc& etc. $ithin
the rame$or! o the modular system. The college pro"ides a number o modules& each being
characterised by its code& title& credit "alue& module leader& teaching sta and the department
they come rom. A module is co4ordinated by a module leader $ho shares teaching duties $ith
one or more lecturers. A lecturer may teach +and be a module leader or. more than one module.
Students are ree to choose any module they $ish but the ollo$ing rules must be obser"ed3
some modules re0uire pre4re0uisites modules and some degree programmes ha"e compulsory
modules. The database is also to contain some inormation about students including their
numbers& names& addresses& degrees they read or& and their past perormance +i.e. modules
ta!en and e/amination results..
5. A sot$are company has constructed a relational database to !eep trac! o its computers.
Most o the computers remain on the company:s premises& in $hich case a list o pro#ects that
are authorised to use the computers is maintained. +Some specialised computers may be shared
by se"eral pro#ects. A pro#ect typically re0uires access to se"eral computers.. The database
must also record the members o sta assigned to each pro#ect. A member o sta is assigned to
only one pro#ect at a time. Some computers are loaned to members o sta or use at home.
6aculty e0uipment is sent to the supplier or repairs.
Unortunately& the database $as designed by someone $ith "ery little !no$ledge o relational
theory. This person decided to hold all inormation in a single table $ith the ollo$ing schema3
E0uipment+Mach;<um& Type& Man& Mod;<um& -n;,rem& Location&
=,;ID& ,;<ame& Mgr;ID& Start;Date& End;Date& Auth;,eriod& =Sta;ID& Sta;<ame&
Sta;2oom>>& -n;loan?& Sta;ID& Sta;<ame& Sta;2oom& 6or;2epair?& 6ault& Supp;ID&
Supp;<ame& Supp;Add& Supp;,hone.
2epeated groups are enclosed in =>. The meaning to be attached to indi"idual attributes is gi"en
belo$3
1. Mach;<um A uni0ue identiier or each computer.
(. Type ,C& Mac& 'or!station etc
1. Man& Mod;<um The name o the manuacturer and the model number.
Case Study: DBMS - 10 Small Case Studies
7. -n;,rem? @es i on premises5 <o other$ise.
A. Location 2oom <umber& i on premises.
B. ,;ID& ,;<ame ID and the name o the pro#ect
C. Mgr;ID Sta ID o the pro#ect manager
D. Start;Date& End;Date Start and end dates o the pro#ect.
E. Auth;,eriod The period during $hich a pro#ect is authorised to use the e0uipment. <ote that
this may or may not coincide $ith the entire duration o the pro#ect
1F. =Sta;ID& Sta;<ame& Sta;2oom > The ID& name and room number o the sta member to
$hom the e0uipment is loaned.
11. 6or;2epair? @es& i the machine is a$ay or repair5 <o other$ise.
1(. 6ault 6ault description& i the computer is a$ay or repair.
11. Supp;ID& Supp;<ame& Supp;Add& Supp;,hone ID& name& address and telephone number
o the supplier.
Decompose the abo"e relation into 1<6 relations& ta!ing care to identiy primary and oreign !eys
in all relations.
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