Advanced Database Management Systems

Time Constrained Assignment (TCA)

SPRING 2022
Level 6
Time 48 hours
Weighting 60%
Word count 2400
Structure Candidates must answer all FIVE (5)
questions. All questions are worth 20
marks.
Learning Outcomes assessed 1,2,3,6
TCA release date and time Monday 20 June 2022 9am UK time
TCA submission date and time Wednesday 22 June 2022 9am UK time

Instructions to Candidates:
This is a 48-hour, open book, Time Constrained Assignment (TCA). You may use
notes, texts or resource materials.
• You must familiarise yourself with the Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism
Policy relating to this programme and ensure that you acknowledge all the sources
which you use in your work. The policy is available to access though your
programme handbook.

• You must complete the Statement and Confirmation of Own Work, which is
available in the Additional Materials section of the VLE.

• Please make a note of the recommended word count. You could lose marks if you
write 10% more or less than this.

• You must submit a digital copy of this online examination through the VLE virtual
learning environment. Media containing viruses, corrupted media, or media which
cannot be run directly, will result in a fail grade being awarded for this module.

• Diagrams may be word processed or drawn by hand and then uploaded using a
scanner or a clear photograph if necessary.

• Manipulating the word count through hiding text in diagrams could be penalised.

• All electronic media will be checked for plagiarism.

Time: 48 Hours
 Answer all FIVE (5) questions

Marks
Question 1

The table below is part of an employee database for a sales company:

Table: Employee

EmpNo EmpName Salary Job

1 Ernest Adeko 60000 Senior Manager

2 Julia Tolu 30000 Sales Rep

3 Satpal Singh 30000 Sales Rep

4 Vincent 45000 Area Manager

Goddard

a) Derive the result of the following relational algebra queries:

(i)  EmpName (Salary<=50000 Job ≠ “Area Manager (Employee)) 2

2
(ii) Salary(Job = “Senior Manager”(Employee))

b) Produce a relational expression that shows the jobs and salaries for all Area Managers. 2

c) Discuss the similarities and differences between relational calculus and relational 14
algebra.

Total: 20 Marks

Questions continue on the next page

Page 2 of 5
Advanced Database Management Systems © NCC Education Limited 2022
 Marks
Question 2

Product Number: 90901

Product Name: Standard Light Rose Fitting
Product Type Code: EL
Product Type Name: Electrical

Supplier Number Suppliers Name Supplier’s Price Main Supplier

Product Ref No Y/N ?
099 Xavier Fittings WB09 £3 Y
0100 D Fittings 98383 £3.50 N
0101 H Edgerton B010 £3.75 N
098 Crambornes Br 7 £3.99 N
078 Jamison 8383 £3.99 N

Above is a form used by a firm to keep track of different suppliers which supply the same part to
them. Supplier’s Product Ref No is the references number given to the part by the supplier. Main
Supplier Y/N indicates whether this is the preferred supplier of the part to the firm.

a) Using the technique you are familiar with:

i) Normalise the above form to Third Normal Form (3NF) showing each of the stages of 7
normalisation.

ii) List the resulting entities. 3

b) Explain, with the use of an example, how normalisation deals with multi-valued 5
dependenices.

c) With the use of an example explain how higher forms of normalisation deal with the 5
problem of loss-less joins.

Total: 20 Marks

Questions continue on the next page

Page 3 of 5
Advanced Database Management Systems © NCC Education Limited 2022
 Marks
Question 3
A theatre production company has asked you to design a database for them. They have
outlined their data needs.
Data is structured around a production, which is a particular play that will be put on at a
particular venue. Note that a venue might have more than one production located at it over
time. Productions are classified by type such as ‘Comedy’, ‘Tragedy’ and ‘Farce’.
Every production has a number of staff classified by type. Staff have costumes. A costume
may be used by more than one member of staff during a production.
The objects used in a production are known as ‘props’. Props are assigned to productions. A
prop might be used on more than one production over time.

a) Draw an entity relationship diagram to reflect the information you have been given 14
(YOU DO NOT NEED TO include attributes in the diagram).

b) Using sensible assumptions identify all the primary and foreign keys for this diagram. 6

Total: 20 Marks

Marks
Question 4
Critically assess the claim that Object Oriented Database technologies overcome the 20
weaknesses of Relational Database Management systems.

Total: 20 Marks

Questions continue on the next page

Page 4 of 5
Advanced Database Management Systems © NCC Education Limited 2022
 Marks
Question 5
Read the following scenario and then answer the question below:

Borges University keeps student records on its Student Records System, a multi-user
relational database. This holds information such as the local authority that the student
originated in, the type of school that they attended as well as their modules, grades and
eventually their final degree classification. Once students have left, their record is kept on the
live system for two years before being archived to a Student Archive System which is a
duplicate of the student record system in terms of its structure.

The Alumni (former student) Office sends out a magazine to all ex-students and keeps
information about them such as what they have done since leaving the university and what
their current job is. The Alumni Office has built itself a small stand-alone database, with data
being gathered from a report from the Student Archive System and from a regular
questionnaire it sends out to ex-students.

In order to make decisions about the allocation of resources, the government has asked that
the university provide information on certain trends. The government needs to know how
current students are progressing, and what sort of jobs past students got and how this is
affected by such factors as their local authority, their school, and what degree subject they
followed.
20

Critically assess the advantages and disadvantages that the implementation of a data
warehouse might have for Borges University.

Total: 20 Marks

End of Paper

Page 5 of 5
Advanced Database Management Systems © NCC Education Limited 2022