DBMS Interview Questions With Answers-Database

Management System Most Common Interview

Question
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Dear 5rien6s .o6ay i am provi6ing you some Database management system 7DBMS8
interview 9uestions:.hose who are ,ooking /or a job in the te;hni;a, ba;kgroun6 wi,,
/in6 use/u, an6 a,, those who wants to ,earn basi; DBMS ;on;epts wi,, go through a,,
this 9uestions an6 their respe;tive answers:
Q0<S.I=> 14
What is 6atabase?
A>SW<24
A 6atabase is a ,ogi;a,,y ;oherent ;o,,e;tion o/ 6ata with some inherent meaning!
representing some aspe;t o/ rea, wor,6 an6 whi;h is 6esigne6! bui,t an6 popu,ate6
with 6ata /or a spe;i/i; purpose:
Q0<S.I=> "4
What is DBMS?
A>SW<24
? 2e6un6an;y is ;ontro,,e6:
? 0nauthori@e6 a;;ess is restri;te6:
? *rovi6ing mu,tip,e user inter/a;es:
? <n/or;ing integrity ;onstraints:
? *rovi6ing ba;kup an6 re;overy:
Q0<S.I=> 4
What is a Database system?
A>SW<24
.he 6atabase an6 DBMS so/tware together is ;a,,e6 as Database system:
Q0<S.I=> A4
Disa6vantage in 5i,e *ro;essing System?
A>SW<24
? Data re6un6an;y 1 in;onsisten;y:
? Di//i;u,t in a;;essing 6ata:
? Data iso,ation:
? Data integrity:
? Con;urrent a;;ess is not possib,e:
? Se;urity *rob,ems: :
Q0<S.I=> B4
Des;ribe the three ,eve,s o/ 6ata abstra;tion?
A>SW<24
.he are three ,eve,s o/ abstra;tion4
? *hysi;a, ,eve,4 .he ,owest ,eve, o/ abstra;tion 6es;ribes how 6ata are store6:
? Cogi;a, ,eve,4 .he neDt higher ,eve, o/ abstra;tion! 6es;ribes what 6ata are store6 in
6atabase an6 what re,ationship among those 6ata:
? Eiew ,eve,4 .he highest ,eve, o/ abstra;tion 6es;ribes on,y part o/ entire 6atabase:
Q0<S.I=> F4
De/ine the Gintegrity ru,esG
A>SW<24
.here are two Integrity ru,es:
? <ntity Integrity4 States that ?*rimary key ;annot have >0CC va,ue?
? 2e/erentia, Integrity4 States that ?5oreign Hey ;an be either a >0CC va,ue or
shou,6 be *rimary Hey va,ue o/ other re,ation:
Q0<S.I=> &4
What is eDtension an6 intension?
A>SW<24
<Dtension -It is the number o/ tup,es present in a tab,e at any instan;e: .his is time
6epen6ent:
Intension I It is a ;onstant va,ue that gives the name! stru;ture o/ tab,e an6 the
;onstraints ,ai6 on it:
Q0<S.I=> J4
What is System 2? What are its two major subsystems?
A>SW<24
System 2 was 6esigne6 an6 6eve,ope6 over a perio6 o/ 1$&A-&$ at IBM San )ose
2esear;h Center : It is a prototype an6 its purpose was to 6emonstrate that it is
possib,e to bui,6 a 2e,ationa, System that ;an be use6 in a rea, ,i/e environment to
so,ve rea, ,i/e prob,ems! with per/orman;e at ,east ;omparab,e to that o/ eDisting
system:
Its two subsystems are
? 2esear;h Storage
? System 2e,ationa, Data System:
Q0<S.I=> 1#4
Kow is the 6ata stru;ture o/ System 2 6i//erent /rom the re,ationa, stru;ture?
A>SW<24
0n,ike 2e,ationa, systems in System 2
? Domains are not supporte6
? <n/or;ement o/ ;an6i6ate key uni9ueness is optiona,
? <n/or;ement o/ entity integrity is optiona,
? 2e/erentia, integrity is not en/or;e6
Q0<S.I=> 114
What is Data In6epen6en;e?
A>SW<24
Data in6epen6en;e means that ?the app,i;ation is in6epen6ent o/ the storage
stru;ture an6 a;;ess strategy o/ 6ata?: In other wor6s! .he abi,ity to mo6i/y the
s;hema 6e/inition in one ,eve, shou,6 not a//e;t the s;hema 6e/inition in the neDt
higher ,eve,:
.wo types o/ Data In6epen6en;e4
? *hysi;a, Data In6epen6en;e 4 Mo6i/i;ation in physi;a, ,eve, shou,6 not a//e;t the
,ogi;a, ,eve,:
? Cogi;a, Data In6epen6en;e 4 Mo6i/i;ation in ,ogi;a, ,eve, shou,6 a//e;t the view
,eve,:
>=.<4 Cogi;a, Data In6epen6en;e is more 6i//i;u,t to a;hieve
Q0<S.I=> 1"4
What is a view? Kow it is re,ate6 to 6ata in6epen6en;e?
A>SW<24
A view may be thought o/ as a virtua, tab,e! that is! a tab,e that 6oes not rea,,y eDist
in its own right but is instea6 6erive6 /rom one or more un6er,ying base tab,e: In
other wor6s! there is no store6 /i,e that 6ire;t represents the view instea6 a
6e/inition o/ view is store6 in 6ata 6i;tionary:
+rowth an6 restru;turing o/ base tab,es is not re/,e;te6 in views: .hus the view ;an
insu,ate users /rom the e//e;ts o/ restru;turing an6 growth in the 6atabase: Ken;e
a;;ounts /or ,ogi;a, 6ata in6epen6en;e: :
Q0<S.I=> 14
What is Data Mo6e,?
A>SW<24
A ;o,,e;tion o/ ;on;eptua, too,s /or 6es;ribing 6ata! 6ata re,ationships 6ata
semanti;s an6 ;onstraints:
Q0<S.I=> 1A4
What is <-2 mo6e,?
A>SW<24
.his 6ata mo6e, is base6 on rea, wor,6 that ;onsists o/ basi; obje;ts ;a,,e6 entities
an6 o/ re,ationship among these obje;ts: <ntities are 6es;ribe6 in a 6atabase by a set
o/ attributes:
Q0<S.I=> 1B4
What is =bje;t =riente6 mo6e,?
A>SW<24
.his mo6e, is base6 on ;o,,e;tion o/ obje;ts: An obje;t ;ontains va,ues store6 in
instan;e variab,es with in the obje;t: An obje;t a,so ;ontains bo6ies o/ ;o6e that
operate on the obje;t: .hese bo6ies o/ ;o6e are ;a,,e6 metho6s: =bje;ts that ;ontain
same types o/ va,ues an6 the same metho6s are groupe6 together into ;,asses:
Q0<S.I=> 1F4
What is an <ntity?
A>SW<24
It is a LthingM in the rea, wor,6 with an in6epen6ent eDisten;e:
Q0<S.I=> 1&4
What is an <ntity type?
A>SW<24
It is a ;o,,e;tion 7set8 o/ entities that have same attributes:
Q0<S.I=> 1J4
What is an <ntity set?
A>SW<24
It is a ;o,,e;tion o/ a,, entities o/ parti;u,ar entity type in the 6atabase:
Q0<S.I=> 1$4
What is an <Dtension o/ entity type?
A>SW<24
.he ;o,,e;tions o/ entities o/ a parti;u,ar entity type are groupe6 together into an
entity set:
Q0<S.I=> "#4
What is Weak <ntity set?
A>SW<24
An entity set may not have su//i;ient attributes to /orm a primary key! an6 its
primary key ;ompromises o/ its partia, key an6 primary key o/ its parent entity! then
it is sai6 to be Weak <ntity set:
Q0<S.I=> "14
What is an attribute?
A>SW<24
It is a parti;u,ar property! whi;h 6es;ribes the entity:
Q0<S.I=> ""4
What is a 2e,ation S;hema an6 a 2e,ation?
A>SW<24
A re,ation S;hema 6enote6 by 27A1! A"! ?! An8 is ma6e up o/ the re,ation name 2
an6 the ,ist o/ attributes Ai that it ;ontains: A re,ation is 6e/ine6 as a set o/ tup,es:
Cet r be the re,ation whi;h ;ontains set tup,es 7t1! t"! t! N! tn8: <a;h tup,e is an
or6ere6 ,ist o/ n-va,ues tO7v1!v"! N! vn8:
Q0<S.I=> "4
What is 6egree o/ a 2e,ation?
A>SW<24
It is the number o/ attribute o/ its re,ation s;hema:
Q0<S.I=> "A4
What is 2e,ationship?
A>SW<24
It is an asso;iation among two or more entities:
Q0<S.I=> "B4
What is 2e,ationship set?
A>SW<24
.he ;o,,e;tion 7or set8 o/ simi,ar re,ationships:
Q0<S.I=> "F4
What is 2e,ationship type?
A>SW<24
2e,ationship type 6e/ines a set o/ asso;iations or a re,ationship set among a given set
o/ entity types:
Q0<S.I=> "&4
What is 6egree o/ 2e,ationship type?
A>SW<24
It is the number o/ entity type parti;ipating:
Q0<S.I=> "J4
What is Data Storage I De/inition Canguage?
A>SW<24
.he storage stru;tures an6 a;;ess metho6s use6 by 6atabase system are spe;i/ie6 by
a set o/ 6e/inition in a spe;ia, type o/ DDC ;a,,e6 6ata storage-6e/inition ,anguage:
Q0<S.I=> "$4
What is DMC 7Data Manipu,ation Canguage8?
A>SW<24
.his ,anguage that enab,e user to a;;ess or manipu,ate 6ata as organise6 by
appropriate 6ata mo6e,:
? *ro;e6ura, DMC or Cow ,eve,4 DMC re9uires a user to spe;i/y what 6ata are nee6e6
an6 how to get those 6ata:
? >on-*ro;e6ura, DMC or Kigh ,eve,4 DMC re9uires a user to spe;i/y what 6ata are
nee6e6 without spe;i/ying how to get those 6ata:
Q0<S.I=> #4
What is EDC 7Eiew De/inition Canguage8?
A>SW<24
It spe;i/ies user views an6 their mappings to the ;on;eptua, s;hema:
Q0<S.I=> 14
What is DMC Compi,er?
A>SW<24
It trans,ates DMC statements in a 9uery ,anguage into ,ow-,eve, instru;tion that the
9uery eva,uation engine ;an un6erstan6:
Q0<S.I=> "4
What is Query eva,uation engine?
A>SW<24
It eDe;utes ,ow-,eve, instru;tion generate6 by ;ompi,er:
Q0<S.I=> 4
What is DDC Interpreter?
A>SW<24
It interprets DDC statements an6 re;or6 them in tab,es ;ontaining meta6ata:
Q0<S.I=> A4
What is 2e;or6-at-a-time?
A>SW<24
.he Cow ,eve, or *ro;e6ura, DMC ;an spe;i/y an6 retrieve ea;h re;or6 /rom a set o/
re;or6s: .his retrieve o/ a re;or6 is sai6 to be 2e;or6-at-a-time:
Q0<S.I=> B4
What is Set-at-a-time or Set-oriente6?
A>SW<24
.he Kigh ,eve, or >on-pro;e6ura, DMC ;an spe;i/y an6 retrieve many re;or6s in a
sing,e DMC statement: .his retrieve o/ a re;or6 is sai6 to be Set-at-a-time or Set-
oriente6:
Q0<S.I=> F4
What is 2e,ationa, A,gebra?
A>SW<24
It is pro;e6ura, 9uery ,anguage: It ;onsists o/ a set o/ operations that take one or two
re,ations as input an6 pro6u;e a new re,ation:
Q0<S.I=> &4
What is 2e,ationa, Ca,;u,us?
A>SW<24
It is an app,ie6 pre6i;ate ;a,;u,us spe;i/i;a,,y tai,ore6 /or re,ationa, 6atabases
propose6 by <:5: Co66: <:g: o/ ,anguages base6 on it are DSC AC*KA! Q0<C:
Q0<S.I=> J4
Kow 6oes .up,e-oriente6 re,ationa, ;a,;u,us 6i//er /rom 6omain-oriente6 re,ationa,
;a,;u,us
A>SW<24
.he tup,e-oriente6 ;a,;u,us uses a tup,e variab,es i:e:! variab,e whose on,y permitte6
va,ues are tup,es o/ that re,ation: <:g: Q0<C
.he 6omain-oriente6 ;a,;u,us has 6omain variab,es i:e:! variab,es that range over the
un6er,ying 6omains instea6 o/ over re,ation: <:g: ICC! D<D0C<:
Q0<S.I=> $4
What is norma,i@ation?
A>SW<24
It is a pro;ess o/ ana,ysing the given re,ation s;hemas base6 on their 5un;tiona,
Depen6en;ies 75Ds8 an6 primary key to a;hieve the properties
? Minimi@ing re6un6an;y
? Minimi@ing insertion! 6e,etion an6 up6ate anoma,ies:
Q0<S.I=> A#4
What is 5un;tiona, Depen6en;y?
A>SW<24
A 5un;tiona, 6epen6en;y is 6enote6 by P - between two sets o/ attributes P an6 -
that are subsets o/ 2 spe;i/ies a ;onstraint on the possib,e tup,e that ;an /orm a
re,ation state r o/ 2: .he ;onstraint is /or any two tup,es t1 an6 t" in r i/ t1'P( O t"'P(
then they have t1'-( O t"'-(: .his means the va,ue o/ P ;omponent o/ a tup,e
uni9ue,y 6etermines the va,ue o/ ;omponent -:
Q0<S.I=> A14
When is a /un;tiona, 6epen6en;y 5 sai6 to be minima,?
A>SW<24
? <very 6epen6en;y in 5 has a sing,e attribute /or its right han6 si6e:
? We ;annot rep,a;e any 6epen6en;y P A in 5 with a 6epen6en;y - A where - is a
proper subset o/ P an6 sti,, have a set o/ 6epen6en;y that is e9uiva,ent to 5:
? We ;annot remove any 6epen6en;y /rom 5 an6 sti,, have set o/ 6epen6en;y that is
e9uiva,ent to 5:
Q0<S.I=> A"4
What is Mu,tiva,ue6 6epen6en;y?
A>SW<24
Mu,tiva,ue6 6epen6en;y 6enote6 by P - spe;i/ie6 on re,ation s;hema 2! where P
an6 - are both subsets o/ 2! spe;i/ies the /o,,owing ;onstraint on any re,ation r o/ 24
i/ two tup,es t1 an6 t" eDist in r su;h that t1'P( O t"'P( then t an6 tA shou,6 a,so
eDist in r with the /o,,owing properties
? t'D( O tA'P( O t1'P( O t"'P(
? t'-( O t1'-( an6 tA'-( O t"'-(
? t'Q( O t"'Q( an6 tA'Q( O t1'Q(
where 'Q O 72-7P 0 -88 (
Q0<S.I=> A4
What is Coss,ess join property?
A>SW<24
It guarantees that the spurious tup,e generation 6oes not o;;ur with respe;t to
re,ation s;hemas a/ter 6e;omposition:
Q0<S.I=> AA4
What is 1 >5 7>orma, 5orm8?
A>SW<24
.he 6omain o/ attribute must in;,u6e on,y atomi; 7simp,e! in6ivisib,e8 va,ues:
Q0<S.I=> AB4
What is 5u,,y 5un;tiona, 6epen6en;y?
A>SW<24
It is base6 on ;on;ept o/ /u,, /un;tiona, 6epen6en;y: A /un;tiona, 6epen6en;y P - is
/u,, /un;tiona, 6epen6en;y i/ remova, o/ any attribute A /rom P means that the
6epen6en;y 6oes not ho,6 any more:
Q0<S.I=> AF4
What is ">5?
A>SW<24
A re,ation s;hema 2 is in ">5 i/ it is in 1>5 an6 every non-prime attribute A in 2 is
/u,,y /un;tiona,,y 6epen6ent on primary key:
Q0<S.I=> A&4
What is >5?
A>SW<24
A re,ation s;hema 2 is in >5 i/ it is in ">5 an6 /or every 5D P A either o/ the
/o,,owing is true
? P is a Super-key o/ 2:
? A is a prime attribute o/ 2:
In other wor6s! i/ every non prime attribute is non-transitive,y 6epen6ent on
primary key:
Q0<S.I=> AJ4
What is BC>5 7Boy;e-Co66 >orma, 5orm8?
A>SW<24
A re,ation s;hema 2 is in BC>5 i/ it is in >5 an6 satis/ies an a66itiona, ;onstraint
that /or every 5D P A! P must be a ;an6i6ate key:
Q0<S.I=> A$4
What is A>5?
A>SW<24
A re,ation s;hema 2 is sai6 to be in A>5 i/ /or every Mu,tiva,ue6 6epen6en;y P -
that ho,6s over 2! one o/ /o,,owing is true
? P is subset or e9ua, to 7or8 P- O 2:
? P is a super key:
Q0<S.I=> B#4
What is B>5?
A>SW<24
A 2e,ation s;hema 2 is sai6 to be B>5 i/ /or every join 6epen6en;y R21! 2"! N! 2nS
that ho,6s 2! one the /o,,owing is true
? 2i O 2 /or some i:
? .he join 6epen6en;y is imp,ie6 by the set o/ 5D! over 2 in whi;h the ,e/t si6e is key
o/ 2:
I wi,, hope by going through this a,, 9uestions your DBMS ;on;epts wi,, get strong: