Summary of DataSys+ Materials

The Value of Data

 Data is a valuable asset like physical business assets.

 Difference between data and information:

o Data = raw facts (e.g., temperature readings).

o Information = processed data (e.g., temperature trends).

 Data-driven decision-making: Capturing, correlating, and reporting

data helps businesses optimize operations.

Structured Data

 Stored in tables, commonly in spreadsheets or relational databases.

 Relational databases create relationships between tables (e.g.,

AdventureWorks database schema).

 Unstructured data includes images, videos, and documents, making

up the majority of real-world data.

 Semi-structured data exists between structured and unstructured

formats.

Tabular Data & Databases

 Spreadsheets store single-table data, but relational databases

organize multiple tables efficiently.

 Database structure:

o Fields (columns) store attributes (e.g., first name, last name).

o Records (rows) store specific instances.

Key/Value Pairs

 A flexible, semi-structured data model used in key-value stores.

  Each key maps to one or more values, useful in applications
requiring quick lookups.

 Example: DynamoDB storing employee skills with variable attributes.

Relational Databases

 Primary Keys: Unique identifiers for each record (e.g., CustomerID).

 Foreign Keys: Create relationships between tables, maintaining

referential integrity.

OLTP & OLAP

 OLTP (Online Transaction Processing) supports real-time business

transactions (e.g., store purchases).

 OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) aggregates data for analysis

(e.g., business reports).

 Data Warehouses consolidate transactional data for insights.

 Data Marts focus on department-specific analytics.

 Data Lakes store raw, unstructured data.

Non-Relational Databases

 Key-Value Stores (e.g., DynamoDB): Fast lookups.

 Column-Oriented Databases (e.g., Cassandra): Optimize analytical

queries.

 Graph Databases (e.g., Neo4j): Manage relationships between

entities.

 Document Stores (e.g., MongoDB): Handle JSON/XML data.

 Multi-Model Databases (e.g., CosmosDB): Support multiple storage

models.

Structured Query Language (SQL)

  DDL (Data Definition Language): Defines database structure (e.g.,
CREATE, ALTER, DROP).

 DML (Data Manipulation Language): Works with data (e.g.,

SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE).

SELECT Statement & Querying

 Basic Syntax:
SELECT column_names FROM table_name;

 Sorting Results: Use ORDER BY column_name ASC/DESC;

 Filtering Data: Use WHERE clauses (AND, OR for multiple conditions).

 Aggregation Functions:

o COUNT(), SUM(), AVG(), MIN(), MAX() for summarizing data.

String Manipulation & Working with Dates

 Concatenation (+ operator): Combines text fields.

 Date Functions:

o YEAR(date), MONTH(date), DAY(date), DATEDIFF(date1, date2).

 Derived Values: Calculating values (e.g., age from birthdate).

Set Operations

 UNION: Combines result sets, removing duplicates.

 INTERSECT: Returns common records from two queries.

 EXCEPT: Returns records in one set but not in another.

Join Operations

 INNER JOIN: Returns matching records in both tables.

 LEFT JOIN: Includes all records from the left table, even without
matches.
  RIGHT JOIN: Includes all records from the right table.

 FULL OUTER JOIN: Includes all records from both tables.

Transactions & ACID Model

 Atomicity: All operations succeed or fail as a unit.

 Consistency: Transactions maintain valid database states.

 Isolation: Transactions execute independently.

 Durability: Changes persist despite failures.

Triggers & Stored Procedures

 Triggers: Execute automatically when data changes (e.g., logging

modifications).

 Stored Procedures: Predefined SQL scripts for reusable database

operations.

 Functions: Return specific values or datasets for queries.

Review Questions

1. What is the difference between data and information?

o Data are raw facts, while information is processed data with

context.

2. What is the purpose of a primary key in a database?

o A primary key uniquely identifies each record in a table.

3. How does OLTP differ from OLAP?

o OLTP supports real-time business transactions, while OLAP is

used for data analysis and reporting.

4. What is a key-value store, and when is it used?

 o A key-value store is a type of NoSQL database that maps keys to
values for quick lookups, often used in caching and session
management.

5. What are the key functions of SQL?

o SQL is used to define, manipulate, and query structured data in

relational databases.

6. How does an INNER JOIN work?

o It retrieves matching records from two tables based on a

common key.

7. What are aggregate functions in SQL? Give examples.

o Functions that summarize data, e.g., COUNT(), SUM(), AVG(),

MIN(), MAX().

8. What does the ACID model stand for in databases?

o Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability.

9. What is the purpose of a stored procedure?

o A stored procedure is a precompiled SQL script used for

performing complex operations efficiently.

10. How do triggers function in a database?

o Triggers automatically execute specific actions in response to

events like INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE operations.