Database Technology

Topic 1: Introduction
Olaf Hartig
[email protected]
Outline
1. Basic Terminology
2. The Database Approach
3. Using a Database System

4. Logistics of the Course

Database Technology
Topic 1: Introduction 2
Basic Terminology
Most Basic Terminology
 Data: known facts that can be recorded
and that have implicit meaning

 Database: collection of related data (logically coherent)

• Represents some aspects of the real world (miniworld)
• Built for a specific purpose

 Examples of large databases

• Amazon.com's product data
• Data collection underlying Webreg

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Topic 1: Introduction 4
Example of
a Database

Example from “Fundamentals of Database Systems” by Elmasri and Navathe, Addison Wesley.
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Topic 1: Introduction 5
Terminology (cont'd)
 Database management system (DBMS)
• Collection of computer programs
• Enables users to create and maintain a database (DB)
• Supports concurrent access to a database by multiple users
and programs
• Protects the DB against unauthorized access and
manipulation
• Provides means to evolve the DB as requirements change

 Examples of database management systems

• IBM’s DB2, Microsoft’s Access, Microsoft’s SQL Server,
Oracle, SAP’s SQL Anywhere, MySQL, PostgreSQL

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Topic 1: Introduction 6
Database System

Figure from “Fundamentals of Database Systems” by Elmasri and Navathe, Addison Wesley.
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Topic 1: Introduction 7
The Database Approach
Pre-DBMS Data Management
 Used traditional file processing
• Each user defines and implements the files
needed for a specific software application

 As the application base grows

• many shared files
• a multitude of file structures https://www.goodfreephotos.com/albums/other-photos/boxes-and-boxes-moving-storage.jpg

• a need to exchange data among applications

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Topic 1: Introduction 9
Problems of Pre-DBMS Data Management

 Redundancy: multiple copies

 Inconsistency: independent updates
 Inaccuracy: concurrent updates https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2014/06/01/22/26/clutter-360058_960_720.jpg

 Incompatibility: multiple formats

 Insecurity: proliferation
 Inauditability: poor chain of responsibility
 Inflexibility: changes are difficult to apply

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Topic 1: Introduction 10
Database Approach
 Eventually recognized that data is a critical corporate
asset (along with capital and personnel)
• Need to manage the data in a more systematic manner

 Database approach: Use a single repository to maintain

data that is defined once and accessed by various users
• Addresses the
aforementioned problems

https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2017/06/12/04/21/database-2394312_960_720.jpg

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Topic 1: Introduction 11
Characteristics of the Database Approach
 Programs isolated from data through abstraction
• DBMS does not expose details of how (or where) data is
stored or how operations are implemented
• Programs refer to an abstract model of the data, rather
than data storage details
• Data structures and storage organization can be changed
without having to change the application programs
 Support of multiple views of the data
• Different users may see different views of the database,which
contain only the data of interest to these users
 Multi-user transaction processing
• Encapsulates sequence of operations to behave atomically
●
e.g., transferring funds

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Topic 1: Introduction 12
Characteristics of the Database Approach
 Data is self-describing
• Database system contains a database catalog with meta-data
that describes structure and constraints of the database(s)
• Database catalog used by DBMS, and by DB users who need
information about DB structure
• Example:

Example from “Fundamentals of Database Systems” by Elmasri and Navathe, Addison Wesley.
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Topic 1: Introduction 13
Using a Database System
Defining a Database
 Specifying the data types, structures, and constraints
of the data to be stored
 Uses a Data Definition Language (DDL)
 Meta-data: Database definition or descriptive information
• Stored by the DBMS in a database catalog or data dictionary

 Phases for designing a database:

• Requirements specification and analysis
• Conceptual design
• e.g., using the Entity-Relationship model
• Logical design
• e.g., using the relational model
• Physical design

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Topic 1: Introduction 15
Database System Design Process
 Two main activities:

• Database design
focuses on defining
the database

• Application design
focuses on the
programs and
interfaces that
access the
database
(out of scope
of this lecture)

Figure from “Fundamentals of Database Systems” by Elmasri and Navathe, Addison Wesley.
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Topic 1: Introduction 16
Example of Data Requirements
A taxi company needs to model their activities.
There are two types of employees in the company: drivers
and operators. For drivers it is interesting to know the date
of issue and type of the driving license, and the date of
issue of the taxi driver’s certificate. For all employees it is
interesting to know their personal number, address and the
available phone numbers.
The company owns a number of cars. For each car there is
a need to know its type, year of manufacturing, number of
places in the car and date of the last service.
The company wants to have a record of car trips. A taxi
may be picked on a street or ordered through an operator
who assigns the order to a certain driver and a car.
Departure and destination addresses together with times
should also be recorded.

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Topic 1: Introduction 17
Another Example
 Movie database: information concerning movies, actors, awards
 Data records
• Film
• Person
• Role
• Honors
 Define structure of each type of data record by specifying
data elements to include and data type for each element
• String (sequence of alphabetic characters)
• Numeric (integer or real)
• Date (year or year-month-day)
• Monetary amount
• etc.

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Topic 1: Introduction 18
 Using a Database
 Populating a DB: Inserting data to reflect the miniworld
• e.g., store data to represent each film, actor, role, director, etc
Film
title genre year director runtime budget gross Person
The Company name birth city
Men drama 2010 John Wells 104 15,000,000 4,439,063
Ben Affleck 1972 Berkeley
Lincoln biography 2012 Steven Spielberg 150 65,000,000 181,408,467
Alan Arkin 1934 New York
War Horse drama 2011 Steven Spielberg 146 66,000,000 79,883,359
Tommy Lee Jones 1946 San Saba
Argo drama 2012 Ben Affleck 120 44,500,000 135,178,251
John Wells 1957 Alexandria
Fire Sale comedy 1977 Alan Arkin 88 1,500,000 0
Steven Spielberg 1946 Cincinnati
Daniel Day-Lewis 1957 Greenwich
Honors
movie award category winner
Role
Lincoln Critic's Choice actor Daniel Day-Lewis
actor movie persona
Argo Critic's Choice director Ben Affleck
Lincoln Screen Actors Guild supporting actor Tommy Lee Jones Ben Affleck Argo Tony Mendez

Lincoln Screen Actors Guild actor Daniel Day-Lewis Alan Arkin Argo Lester Siegel

Lincoln Critic's Choice screenplay Tony Kushner Ben Affleck The Company Men Bobby Walker

Argo Screen Actors Guild cast Argo Tommy Lee Jones The Company Men Gene McClary

War Horse BMI Flim music John Williams Tommy Lee Jones Lincoln Thaddeus Stevens
Alan Arkin Fire Sale Ezra Fikus
Daniel Day-Lewis Lincoln Abraham Lincoln

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Topic 1: Introduction 19
Using a Database (cont'd)
 Populating a DB: Inserting data to reflect the miniworld
 Query: Interaction causing some data to be retrieved
• Uses a Query Language

 Examples of queries:
• List the cast of characters for Lincoln.
• Who directed a drama in 2012?
• Who directed a film in which he or she also played a role?
• What awards were won by War Horse?

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Topic 1: Introduction 20
Using a Database (cont'd)
 Populating a DB: Inserting data to reflect the miniworld
 Query: Interaction causing some data to be retrieved
• Uses a Query Language
 Manipulating a DB
• Querying and updating the DB to understand/reflect miniworld
• Generating reports
• Uses a Data Manipulation Language (DML)

 Examples of updates:
• Record that Argo won a Golden Globe award for best picture.
• Add another $395,533 to the gross earnings for Lincoln.
• Change the birthplace for Daniel Day-Lewis to London.
• Delete all data about the movie Fire Sale from the database.

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Topic 1: Introduction 21
Using a Database (cont'd)
 Populating a DB: Inserting data to reflect the miniworld
 Query: Interaction causing some data to be retrieved
• Uses a Query Language
 Manipulating a DB
• Querying and updating the DB to understand/reflect miniworld
• Generating reports
• Uses a Data Manipulation Language (DML)
 Application program
• Accesses DB by sending queries and updates to DBMS

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Topic 1: Introduction 22
Reorganizing a Database
 Changes the metadata rather than the data
 More drastic than data updates
• May require massive changes to the data
• May require changes to some application programs
 Uses the Data Definition Language (DDL) again
 Examples:
• Move director from FILM to a separate relation
DIRECTOR with columns for person and movie
• Change birth from yyyy to yyyy/mm/dd
• Split name in PERSON to separate surname from given names.
• Include data element movieID in FILM (to accommodate remakes
and other duplications of film title); update other relations
accordingly

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Topic 1: Introduction 23
Logistics of the Course
Topics and Intended Learning Outcomes
Course Topics
1. Introduction 7. Stored procedures
2. Relational databases and triggers
3. SQL 8. Data structures for DBs

4. EER modeling 9. Introduction to

Transaction Processing
5. Mapping of EER di-
agrams to relations 10. Concurrency Control

6. Functional dependencies 11. Database Recovery

and normalization 12. Query Processing

●
Attention: topics do not map 1-to-1 to lectures

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Topic 1: Introduction 25
After the course you should be able to ...
●
Design relational databases for different
types of example domains by first creating
a conceptual schema using the Enhanced
Entity-Relationship (EER) model and then
translating this conceptual schema into a
corresponding logical schema captured
in the relational data model.
●
Analyze and improve the quality of
given relational database schemas
based on the formal measure of
normal forms.

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Topic 1: Introduction 26
After the course you should be able to ...
●
Employ the SQL language to query and to modify several
example relational databases, as well as to create such
a database with a given relational database schema.
●
Compare the cost of finding and updating records in database
storage files when using different approaches to organize and
to index such files.
●
Apply basic techniques that DBMSs may use to identify and to
avoid problems that may occur when multiple users access a
database concurrently.
●
Apply recovery algorithms that DBMSs use to guarantee
persistence of data even in the case of system failures.

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Topic 1: Introduction 27
Logistics of the Course
Examination
Written Exam
●
After the course
●
Dates: see pointer at the course Website
●
Old example exam and a collection of old exam
questions (with solutions) on the course Website
●
Covers all topics of the course except for
topic 7 (triggers & stored procedures)

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Topic 1: Introduction 29
Four Assignments
1. SQL
2. Database design and EER modeling
3. Functional dependencies and normalization
4. BrianAir project, lab4a: initial design, lab4b: improved design
lab4c: implementation, lab4d: urkund analysis

●
Deadlines on the course Website
– hard deadlines for lab4a and lab4b
●
To be solved in pairs
– register with a lab partner in Webreg before the end of this week
●
Use MySQL server for lab1 and lab4c
– need access to MySQL server provided by LiU IT
– instructions on the course Website

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Topic 1: Introduction 30
Logistics of the Course
Organization
Structure of the Course
●
Schedule see the course Website
●
12 lectures
– Text book: Elmasri and Navathe. Fundamentals of
Database Systems, Addison Wesley, 7th edition.
●
9 lab sessions
– First two: focus on assignment #1
– Third one: focus on assignment #2
– Remaining six: focus on assignment #4c
(only three of these six lab sessions will be supervised)
●
3 teaching sessions
– First two: practice with functional dependencies
and normalization (related to assignment #3)
– Third one: Discussion of #4a hand-ins (mandatory!)

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Topic 1: Introduction 32
www.liu.se