Unit-I: Introduction to DBMS

May 2024

1. Define Database Management System (DBMS). What are the major components of this
system? Explain each component. (Page 8, Q.8)
2. What is an ER Diagram? Draw an ER Diagram for railway reservation. (Page 41, Q.57)

Nov 2023

3. Discuss the role of the following in representing information about the real world in a
database:
○ DDL and DML
○ The buffer manager
○ The data model (Page 23, Q.33)
4. Describe the structure of a DBMS. If your operating system is upgraded to support new
functions on OS files (e.g., the ability to force some sequence of bytes to disk), which
layer(s) of the DBMS would you have to rewrite to take advantage of these new
functions? (Page 10, Q.13)

Unit-II: SQL and Relational Model

May 2024

1. Compare Object-Oriented, Network, and Relational Data Models with examples. (Page
55, Q.71)
2. What are integrity constraints? Explain various types of integrity constraints with suitable
examples. (Page 65, Q.18)
3. Discuss in detail the SELECT, PROJECT, and UNION operators with suitable examples.
(Page 102, Q.52)
4. Write SQL queries to implement aggregate functions using a student database. (Page
97, Prob.6)

Nov 2023

5. Consider the following employee relation:

○ Write SQL queries for:
1. Fetch the Dept_ID whose average salary is higher than 4000.
2. Fetch the Dept_ID whose average salary of male employees is higher
than 2000.
 3. Fetch the Name of all employees whose Manager_ID is '1'.
4. Fetch the Name of all employees of Dept_ID as '103' and their
Manager_ID is '1'.
5. Fetch the name, salary, and Dept_ID of the employee getting the
second-highest salary.
6. Fetch the E_ID and name of employees who are getting a salary higher
than employee 'F'.
7. Fetch the Dept_ID of employees who are getting a salary higher than
employee 'E'. (Page 94, Prob.4)

Unit-III: Functional Dependencies and Normalization

May 2024

1. How to compute the closure of a set of functional dependencies? Explain with a suitable
example. (Page 139, Q.20)
2. What is a multi-valued dependency? State and explain the fourth normal form based on
this concept. (Page 160, Q.40)
3. Identify the candidate keys and the highest normal form of the relation R(ABCDEF) with
the given functional dependencies:
○ A → BC
○ C→E
○ E→F
○ F → AB (Page 148, Prob.7)
4. Compute the minimal (canonical) cover for the relation R(WXYZ) with the following
functional dependencies:
○ X→W
○ WZ → XY
○ Y → WXZ (Page 144, Prob.2)

Nov 2023

5. Identify the candidate key and highest normal form of the relation R(E, F, GH) given the
functional dependencies:
○ E→F
○ F→G
○ H → G (Page 146, Prob.5)
6. Consider a relation R(ABCD) with the functional dependencies:
○ A→B
○ B→C
○ C→D
○ D→A
 ○ Determine if the decomposition into subrelations R1(AB), R2(BC), and R3(CD)
preserves dependencies. (Page 163, Prob.9)

Unit-IV: Transaction Management and Concurrency

Control
May 2024

1. Explain Concurrency Control with Locking Methods. (Page 214, Q.53)

2. List and explain various issues while transactions are running concurrently in DBMS.
(Page 202, Q.41)
3. Explain the concept of recoverability in DBMS. Show a recoverable schedule consisting
of two transactions. (Page 228, Q.70)
4. Consider the following transactions with two data items, A and B. Show the precedence
graph for the given concurrent schedule and find the equivalent serial schedule. (Page
188, Q.19)

Nov 2023

5. Discuss the transaction states (Active, Partially Commit, Commit, Failure, and
Terminated) with reference to the given transaction example. (Page 181, Q.9)
6. Discuss the issues that may arise with the interleaved execution of transactions T1 and
T2. (Page 204, Q.42)
7. Draw the precedence graph for the given concurrent schedule and determine if it is
conflict serializable. (Page 187, Q.18)
8. Illustrate the concept of the Two-Phase Locking protocol and its variants with an
example. (Page 211, Q.51)

Unit-V: Advanced Topics in DBMS

May 2024

1. What is Cursor Management? Explain nested and parameterized cursors. (Page 297,
Q.58)
2. What is a Distributed Database System? How is it different from a centralized database
system? Give the uses of distributed systems. (Page 263, Q.18)

Nov 2023
 3. Write short notes on any two:
○ (a) Oracle Application Express (Page 252, Q.9)
○ (b) Specialization vs Generalization (Page 43, Q.59)
○ (c) Temporal vs Multimedia Databases (Page 241, Q.84)
○ (d) Triggers (Page 89, Q.43)

Or hai abhii!!!

Unit 1: DBMS Concepts and Architecture

Year 2024:

1. Discuss the role of the following in representing information about the real world
in a database (i) DDL and DML (ii) The buffer manager (iii) The data model.
2. Describe the structure of a DBMS. If your operating system is upgraded to support
new functions on OS files (e.g., the ability to force some sequence of bytes to disk),
which layer(s) of the DBMS would you have to rewrite to take advantage of these new
functions?
3. What is an ER diagram? Draw an ER diagram for railway reservation.
4. Discuss the concept of Generalization, Aggregation, and Specialization in the
context of the Entity-Relationship model.
5. Illustrate schema transformation from an ER diagram to relational tables.

Year 2023:

1. Define Database Management System (DBMS): What are the major components of
this system? Explain each component.
2. What is an Entity-Relationship (ER) Diagram? Explain how it is used in database
design with an example.
3. Describe the differences between the Object-Oriented Data Model, Network Data
Model, and Relational Data Model with examples.
4. Explain the concept of Data Independence with respect to a DBMS.
5. Discuss the advantages of a database system over the traditional file processing
systems.

Year 2022:
 1. Explain the concept of Database Schemas and Instances.
2. Differentiate between the traditional file system and database system.
3. What is Data Independence? Discuss its types.
4. Define and discuss the concept of Entity Types, Attributes, and Relationships in
the context of ER modeling.
5. Draw an ER diagram for a library management system, and convert it into a relational
schema.

Year 2021:

1. Discuss the functions of a Database Administrator (DBA) and Designer.

2. What is the difference between Generalization, Specialization, and Aggregation in
ER modeling? Provide examples.
3. What is a Database Schema? Explain its role in data management.
4. Explain the significance of an ER diagram in transforming real-world data into a
database model.
5. Describe the process of transforming an ER diagram into relational tables.

Year 2020:

1. Explain the concept of Data Models and compare the Object-Oriented, Network, and
Relational models with examples.
2. What are the different types of relationships in ER diagrams? Explain them with
examples.
3. Describe the concept of Entity and Attributes in the ER model.
4. What is the importance of data independence in a DBMS?
5. What are the various types of Keys in the Relational Data Model? Explain with
examples.

Important Questions Based on Analysis (from all years):

● Describe the structure of a DBMS and the role of its major components. This is
often asked in different variations across years.
● Discuss the advantages of DBMS over traditional file processing systems: This
question is key for understanding the fundamental importance of DBMS.
● Define and discuss the concept of Data Independence, as it's central to DBMS
functioning.
● Explain the transformation from ER diagrams to relational tables: This has
appeared in various formats and is a critical skill in database design.
● Differentiate between Data Models: This question keeps reappearing in some form,
focusing on relational, object-oriented, and network data models.
 ● Discuss Entity-Relationship modeling concepts like Generalization, Specialization,
and Aggregation, as they are fundamental for database design and are frequently
tested.

Unit 2: Relational Model and Algebra

Year 2024:

1. Explain the Relational Model in DBMS. Discuss its components and how relations are
represented.
2. What are the types of keys in the Relational Model? Explain Primary, Candidate, and
Foreign Keys with examples.
3. Write the relational algebra expressions for the following queries:
○ Find all employees who work in the 'Sales' department.
○ List all customers who have ordered more than 5 items.
4. Define and explain the concept of joins in relational algebra. Illustrate with an
example.
5. What are Relational Integrity Constraints? Discuss the role of Domain, Entity, and
Referential Integrity Constraints.

Year 2023:

1. Explain the structure of a relation in a relational database model.

2. Write relational algebra expressions to implement the following:
○ Retrieve all students who scored above 80 in a particular subject.
○ Find the names of employees working in the 'HR' department who earn more
than $5000.
3. Discuss the different types of relational operations (selection, projection, union,
intersection, difference, and join).
4. What are the types of constraints in the Relational Model? Explain with examples.
5. What is normalization? Discuss the different normal forms in relational database
design.

Year 2022:

1. Explain the concept of functional dependency and its significance in the Relational
Model.
2. What is normalization? Explain the process of normalization and discuss the various
normal forms (1NF, 2NF, and 3NF).
3. Write relational algebra expressions for the following:
 ○ Retrieve the names of employees who have been assigned to a project and have
worked more than 30 hours.
4. Discuss the concept of referential integrity constraints and how they ensure
consistency in a database.
5. What are the advantages of using relational algebra? Provide an example.

Year 2021:

1. Explain the concept of a relation and its components in the relational model.
2. What are the different types of relational operations in relational algebra? Explain
each with an example.
3. Define and explain the difference between primary key, foreign key, and candidate
key in a relational database model.
4. Write relational algebra expressions for the following:
○ Find employees who have not worked on any project.
○ Retrieve the names of students who are enrolled in more than two courses.
5. What is the significance of normalization? Explain the difference between 1NF, 2NF,
and 3NF.

Year 2020:

1. What are the basic operations of relational algebra? Provide an example for each
operation.
2. Discuss the various types of keys used in relational databases and explain their
significance with examples.
3. Define functional dependency and discuss its role in relational database design.
4. Write relational algebra queries to implement the following:
○ Retrieve the names of students who have scored more than 90% in their final
exams.
○ Find the details of employees working in the 'Marketing' department.
5. Explain the concept of a relation schema and how it is used in the relational model.

Important Questions Based on Analysis (from all years):

● Explain the Relational Model and discuss its components: Relations, tuples, attributes,
and how relations are represented. This fundamental question appears frequently.
● Define and explain the types of keys (Primary, Candidate, and Foreign Keys), which is
tested in different years with various variations.
● Write relational algebra expressions for common database queries. This type of
question is consistently asked in different formats to test practical understanding.
● Discuss normalization and the various normal forms (1NF, 2NF, and 3NF):
Normalization is a key concept that has appeared regularly in different years.
 ● Explain the different relational operations (selection, projection, union, intersection,
difference, join) with examples. This is a key question in understanding relational
algebra.
● Discuss the role of functional dependencies in relational design. This is an essential
concept that has been tested repeatedly.

Unit 3: SQL and Relational Database Design

Year 2024:

1. Write SQL queries to implement the following:

○ Retrieve the names of all employees who have worked on a specific project.
○ List the details of all products that have a price greater than $500.
2. Explain the different types of joins in SQL. Illustrate with examples for INNER JOIN,
LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN, and FULL OUTER JOIN.
3. What are the different types of constraints in SQL? Explain with examples: Primary
Key, Foreign Key, Unique, Check, and Default.
4. What is a subquery in SQL? Write a query to find all employees who earn more than
the average salary in their department.
5. Discuss the concept of transaction control in SQL. Explain COMMIT, ROLLBACK,
and SAVEPOINT with examples.

Year 2023:

1. Write SQL queries to implement the following:

○ Retrieve the names of employees who work in a department and have a salary
greater than a specified amount.
○ Display all orders where the order amount is greater than $100.
2. Explain the concept of a subquery and provide an example for using subqueries with
SELECT, INSERT, and UPDATE operations.
3. What are aggregate functions in SQL? Explain COUNT, AVG, SUM, MAX, and MIN
with examples.
4. Describe the different types of JOIN operations in SQL. Provide examples of INNER
JOIN, LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN, and FULL OUTER JOIN.
5. What is a view in SQL? Explain how to create and use a view in SQL with an example.

Year 2022:

1. Write SQL queries to perform the following tasks:

○ Retrieve the names and salaries of employees who earn more than $5000.
○ List all customers who have placed an order but have not made a payment.
2. What are the advantages of using subqueries in SQL? Write a query to find the
maximum salary in each department using a subquery.
 3. Discuss the different types of SQL constraints such as UNIQUE, PRIMARY KEY,
FOREIGN KEY, CHECK, and DEFAULT.
4. Explain the concept of normalization and its importance in relational database design.
5. What are stored procedures in SQL? Explain how to create and use stored
procedures with an example.

Year 2021:

1. Write SQL queries to implement the following:

○ Retrieve the details of employees who have worked on multiple projects.
○ Find all customers who have not made a purchase in the last 6 months.
2. What are the different types of joins in SQL? Explain each type with an example.
3. What is a view? Explain its creation and usage with an example.
4. Write SQL queries to calculate the total sales for each product in a given date
range.
5. What are transactions in SQL? Discuss their properties (ACID) and explain the
commands COMMIT and ROLLBACK.

Year 2020:

1. Write SQL queries to implement the following:

○ Retrieve the employee details for those who work in a specific department and
earn a salary above a certain threshold.
○ List all orders with their corresponding products.
2. Discuss the different types of JOIN operations in SQL. Provide examples for INNER
JOIN, LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN, and OUTER JOIN.
3. What is a subquery? Provide an example of a subquery used in the SELECT clause to
retrieve data from one table.
4. Explain the use of aggregate functions in SQL. Write a query using COUNT, AVG,
and SUM to get data about employees.
5. What are the different types of SQL constraints? Explain how to use constraints in
table creation and modification.

Important Questions Based on Analysis (from all years):

● SQL queries for retrieving specific data: Questions asking to write SQL queries for
real-life scenarios (e.g., retrieving employee details, orders, and customers) appear
frequently across all years. These are the most practical and commonly tested.
● Joins in SQL (INNER JOIN, LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN, FULL OUTER JOIN): This
concept is tested regularly, with questions asking to explain and use these joins in SQL
queries.
● Subqueries: Subqueries have been consistently tested in various forms, including using
subqueries in SELECT, WHERE, and INSERT/UPDATE statements.
 ● Aggregate Functions: COUNT, AVG, SUM, MAX, and MIN are regularly asked in
relation to summarizing data.
● SQL Constraints (Primary Key, Foreign Key, Unique, Check, Default): Questions on
constraints are vital for database design and are frequently asked in different formats.
● Transaction Control (COMMIT, ROLLBACK, SAVEPOINT): Transaction control and
ACID properties are frequently tested for understanding how transactions work in SQL.
● Stored Procedures and Views: Questions on how to create and use views and stored
procedures in SQL appear with some regularity.

Unit 4: Relational Database Design, Normalization, and Optimization

Year 2024:

1. Explain the concept of normalization. What are the different normal forms? Illustrate
with examples for 1NF, 2NF, and 3NF.
2. What is denormalization? When would you use it in a database design? Explain with
examples.
3. Write a SQL query to find the second highest salary from a table of employee
salaries.
4. Explain functional dependency and its role in normalization. How is it used in
different normal forms?
5. Discuss the concept of indexing in databases. What are the types of indexes and
how do they improve query performance?

Year 2023:

1. What are the different types of normal forms? Explain 1NF, 2NF, and 3NF with
examples.
2. What is the purpose of normalization? Discuss how normalization reduces
redundancy and improves data integrity.
3. Explain the differences between clustering index and non-clustering index.
Illustrate with examples.
4. What is BCNF? How does it differ from 3NF? Provide an example to explain.
5. How would you optimize a query for better performance? Discuss query optimization
techniques with examples.

Year 2022:

1. What is the importance of normalization in relational database design? Explain

1NF, 2NF, and 3NF with examples.
2. What is a surrogate key? When would you use a surrogate key instead of a natural
key? Provide examples.
 3. Write a SQL query to update employee records based on specific criteria (e.g.,
increasing salary for employees who meet certain conditions).
4. Explain the difference between candidate keys and primary keys. Provide examples
from a relational database.
5. What are the common techniques used for query optimization? Discuss the use of
indexing and query rewriting.

Year 2021:

1. Explain the different types of normal forms. Describe 1NF, 2NF, 3NF, and BCNF with
suitable examples.
2. What is functional dependency? How does it relate to normalization?
3. Discuss the concept of indexing in databases. What are the advantages of using
indexing, and when is it beneficial?
4. What is the role of a primary key in a relational database? How is it used in the
context of foreign keys and relationships?
5. Explain query optimization in relational databases. What are some common
techniques to optimize SQL queries for faster performance?

Year 2020:

1. Describe the normalization process and explain 1NF, 2NF, and 3NF with examples.
2. What are functional dependencies in relational databases? How do they affect
normalization?
3. What are candidate keys and primary keys? Explain their role in relational database
design.
4. Explain indexing in databases. Discuss the types of indexes and how they improve
performance in query execution.
5. What is the significance of BCNF? Explain how it addresses the shortcomings of 3NF
with an example.

Important Questions Based on Analysis (from all years):

● Normalization (1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF): These topics are frequently tested, with
questions asking to explain normalization and its different forms (especially 1NF, 2NF,
3NF, and BCNF). Expect questions that ask for examples of normalization in database
design.
● Functional Dependency and Normalization: Questions regarding functional
dependency and how it plays a role in normalization are very common. Expect to see
questions requiring you to explain and apply functional dependencies.
● Indexing in Databases: This topic has appeared in almost every year’s paper.
Questions on types of indexes (clustering, non-clustering) and their advantages in query
optimization are essential.
 ● Primary Key, Candidate Key, and Foreign Key: Key concepts related to relational
database design and their differences (especially primary key vs. candidate key) are
tested often.
● Query Optimization: Questions on query optimization techniques, including indexing
and query rewriting, are regularly asked to check your understanding of improving
database performance.
● Denormalization: Denormalization is another important concept, with questions asking
when and why it is used in a database system.

Unit 5: Transaction Management, Concurrency Control, and Recovery

Year 2024:

1. Explain the ACID properties of a transaction. How do these properties ensure the
reliability of database systems?
2. What is the significance of locking in concurrency control? Discuss different types
of locks in database management systems.
3. Explain the concept of deadlock in a database system. How can deadlocks be
prevented or handled?
4. What is a checkpoint in database recovery? How does it assist in the recovery
process after a crash?
5. Write a SQL query to demonstrate transaction control commands like COMMIT,
ROLLBACK, and SAVEPOINT.

Year 2023:

1. What is a transaction in the context of a database? Explain the various transaction

states with examples.
2. Discuss different types of concurrency control techniques used in databases. How
do they ensure data consistency?
3. What is the Two-Phase Locking protocol (2PL)? Explain its significance in
concurrency control.
4. Describe the concept of transaction recovery. How does the database ensure
consistency after a failure?
5. Explain the differences between pessimistic and optimistic concurrency control
techniques. Discuss their applications.

Year 2022:

1. What is the role of the transaction log in database recovery? How does it help in
ensuring database integrity?
2. Define the concept of isolation in the context of transactions. How do isolation
levels affect the outcome of transactions?
 3. What is a schedule in database management? Explain the difference between serial
and non-serial schedules.
4. Discuss the impact of a failure during a transaction on the database system. How
does the system recover from such failures?
5. Explain the concept of atomicity in transactions. Provide an example where
atomicity ensures correctness.

Year 2021:

1. What is a transaction? Explain the different transaction properties using real-world

examples.
2. What is concurrency control? Discuss the importance of concurrency control in
multi-user database systems.
3. Explain the concept of serializability in database transactions. How is it achieved in
a concurrent environment?
4. What are the different types of failure in a database system? How does recovery
work in each type of failure?
5. Discuss the differences between a write-ahead log and a rollback segment in
database recovery techniques.

Year 2020:

1. What is the significance of the ACID properties in transactions? Explain how each
property is implemented in a DBMS.
2. What is concurrency control, and why is it necessary in databases? Explain with
examples.
3. Explain the Two-Phase Locking (2PL) protocol. How does it ensure serializability?
4. What are recovery techniques in databases? Explain different recovery mechanisms
with examples.
5. What is the role of the transaction manager in a DBMS? Explain its responsibilities in
ensuring transaction consistency.

Important Questions Based on Analysis (from all years):

● ACID Properties (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability): Questions related to

the ACID properties are highly common, especially regarding their significance and
implementation in database systems.
● Concurrency Control (Locking, Two-Phase Locking, Pessimistic/Optimistic
Techniques): Questions regarding concurrency control mechanisms, including the
Two-Phase Locking protocol, are asked every year.
● Transaction Isolation Levels and Recovery: Questions related to isolation levels (e.g.,
Read Committed, Serializable) and the importance of recovery techniques, including
checkpointing and transaction logs, appear frequently.
● Transaction Failure and Recovery Mechanisms: Questions about failure types (e.g.,
transaction failure, system crash) and how transactions are recovered after failure are
commonly asked.
● Deadlock and Deadlock Handling: Questions about deadlocks and techniques for
detecting, preventing, or recovering from deadlocks are tested regularly.
● Transaction Control (Commit, Rollback, Savepoint): Transaction control commands
and their usage are often included in practical or theoretical questions.