An Introduction to Database Systems

This textbook introduces the basic concepts of database systems. These concepts are presented through numerous examples in modeling and design. The material in this book is geared to an introductory course in database systems offered at the junior or senior level of Computer Science. It could also be used in a first year graduate course in database systems, focusing on a selection of the advanced topics in the latter chapters

MIS 420 Business Information Retrieval and Database Management

Course syllabus for MIS 420A Business Information Retrieval and Database Management Course description: Introduction to the management of database systems. Management problem solving will be related to the output of databases to include the development of business strategies, competitive analysis, internal analysis of cost, and other selected business subjects. Commercial software will be reviewed for performance and advantage. This course will cut across functional management lines and show a relationship between the external and internal environment and the business firm. The course is designed as an introduction to the design, operation and performance evaluation of databases. The role of databases as an integral part of management information systems, decision support systems, and expert systems is emphasized. Major part of the course is devoted to Relational Data Models; a basic introduction of the hierarchical and network models is included as part of the course. Topics covered include : Database Architecture, Conceptual and Physical Design of Databases, Database Environment, Database Administration, Database Security, Object-oriented Data Languages, Knowledge-Based systems, etc

Forensic flavour

Databases often receive an uninspired and uninterested response. The curriculum content of a database module generally involves the design of entity-relationship models, SQL programming, application development and advanced database applications such as data warehousing and data mining. These are often taught within the tired and relatively worn case studies of purchase order systems, retail or health care systems. However the current trend for crime scene investigation drama and the frequent stories in the news of personal tragedies involving incorrect data, missing data or data mix-up capture the attention of many. The truth is that crimes require data investigation and expert database witnesses to provide evidence and this requires database knowledge and skill. This project involved the introduction of a ‘forensic flavour’ to the teaching of databases as part of an undergraduate Computing Degree to students. The ‘forensic flavour’ involved introducing investigative and enquiry based learning techniques as well as selecting case studies based around real-life crimes and crime data. The learning objectives remained unchanged for the modules as did the curriculum content. The initial findings are that the students engaged on average 40% better and enjoyed the experience more

Introduction to Database Systems: Porting the Campus-Based Course to an Online Asynchronous Format

More and more courses are being ported to an asynchronous online format. Courses in which learning outcomes include mastery of a technology component, such as a database system, introduce additional challenges. This paper investigates student perceptions of the value of various types of instructional materials and methods for facilitating faculty contact utilized in an online introductory database course. The findings suggest that detailed online lecture notes have the most value with high ratings also given to narrated lecture notes and online interactive tutorials. Learning activities and assignments were also deemed to be extremely important with over eighty-nine percent of the students indicating preference for weekly assignments. The most common method used for faculty contact was email and students consistently cited that quick response turnaround and instructive feedback enhanced learning. In an online course, student learning can be enhanced by incorporating a variety of instructional materials and requiring students to frequently engage in structured learning activities

Performance issues in mid-sized relational database machines

Relational database systems have provided end users and application programmers with an improved working environment over older hierarchial and networked database systems. End users now use interactive query languages to inspect and manage their data. And application programs are easier to write and maintain due to the separation of physical data storage information from the application program itself. These and other benefits do not come without a price however. System resource consumption has long been the perceived problem with relational systems. The additional resource demands usually force computing sites to upgrade existing systems or add additional facilities. One method of protecting the current investment in systems is to use specialized hardware designed specifically for relational database processing. \u27Database Machines\u27 provide that alternative. Since the commercial introduction of database machines in the early 1980\u27s, both software and hardware vendors of relational database systems have claimed superior performance over competing products. Without a STANDARD performance measurement technique, the database user community has been flooded with benchmarks and claims from vendors which are immediately discarded by some competitors as being biased towards a particular system design. This thesis discusses the issues of relational database performance measurement with an emphasis on database machines, however; these performance issues are applicable to both hardware and software systems. A discussion of hardware design, performance metrics, software and database design is included. Also provided are recommended guidelines to use in evaluating relational database systems in lieu of a standard benchmark methodology

MIS 370 Management Information Systems

Course syllabus for MIS 370 Management Information Systems Course description: Provides an overview of business data processing and management information systems. Covers introductory concepts of systems analysis techniques, nature of computer applications in business, problem solving, and discusses the future of computer technology. Includes an introduction to and use of database software in business related problems, and the integration of applications software

MIS 610 Information Systems for Managers

Course syllabus for MIS 610A Information Systems for Managers Course description: Provides an overview of business data processing and management information systems. Covers introductory concepts of systems analysis techniques, nature of computer applications in business, problem solving, and discusses the future of computer technology. Includes an introduction to and use of database software in business-related problems, and the integration of applications software

Costs and Benefits of Quality Systems: Case Study

The variety of quality systems is a very important and an actual theme in the agri-food sector. These quality systems are only partly acknowledged by different quality standard organizations, but customers within the supply chain demand them. Enterprises, which supply different customers and export abroad this, face the problem that they have to deal with several standards and implement them within the enterprise as well as take part in several systems audits and certifications. The economic problem consists of determining the most efficient introduction of a quality system or a combination of quality systems in the enterprise. The emphasis of the work lies in the development of a framework for the benchmarking of quality systems at all stages of the agri-food production and an allocation and operationalisation of cost and benefit categories. A concept including the database “QualintSys” was developed during a PhD-thesis to estimate the costs and benefits of quality systems.Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Farm Management, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Industrial Organization,