Module Identifier CS27420  
Module Title COMMERCIAL DATABASE APPLICATIONS  
Academic Year 2006/2007  
Co-ordinator Mr Rhys Parry  
Semester Semester 2 (Taught over 2 semesters)  
Other staff Mr Rhys Parry, Professor Christopher J Price, Mr Richard C Shipman  
Co-Requisite CS27020  
Course delivery Lecture   up to 20 hours  
  Seminars / Tutorials   11 two hour practical sessions  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Assessment Assessment is through 3 pieces of practical work, all of which will involve the use of a commercial DBMS :   
Semester Assessment Assignment 1 (mainly formative)  10%
Semester Assessment Assignment 2 (mainly formative)  10%
Semester Assessment Assignment 3. This will involve a report of 6,000 words reflecting on what was achieved, as well as practical programming work.  80%
Supplementary Assessment This will be through 1 practical assignment equivalent to Assignment 3.  100%
Further details http://www.aber.ac.uk/compsci/ModuleInfo/CS27420  

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Describe and work through the stages of the database application lifecycle.

2. Describe and work through the stages of the database application lifecycle.

3. Create a logical and physical database design for a database application supporting multiple views, .using advanced database design techniques.

4. Implement a database system using the enterprise database application (such as oracle) for a typical commercial database application.

5. Use procedural programming languages (Oracle PL/SQL) to manipulate an Enterprise class database such as Oracle.

Aims

Our present module offerings in database systems concentrate on the practical construction of simple databases in Access (level 1) and on the theoretical aspects of relational databases (module CS27310 at level 2). This module will expand the students knowledge of databases in three directions:?

It will significantly expand their practical experience of building databases, grounding that experience in the application of a commercial database tool (for example, Oracle).

It will provide material that will enable the students to grasp the commercial potential of database technology, and understand how to apply it in specific business situations.

It will advance their knowledge of SQL programming.

Brief description

This module provides the understanding and skills necessary to build commercial database systems. This is done through studying commercial case studies of database systems and through the experience of building database systems in a commercial tool such as Oracle.

Content

Introduction and business based case studies (3 lectures)

Commercial database application lifecycle: database planning; determining the requirements and defining the system; conceptual, logical and physical database design; application design; DBMS selection; implementation and data conversion; testing and maintenance. (8 lectures; 6 practicals)

Stored procedures; PL/SQl; Java. (1 lecture; 2 practicals)

Standard interfaces: Report generators; form generators; integral web and application servers; RDBMS facilities.(2 lectures; 2 practicals)

Functions of a multi-user database management system: concurrency control; recovery services; transaction support; integrity services. (4 lectures)

Performance issues: Monitoring and tuning databases; denormalisation; security of database systems. (4 lectures)

Module Skills

Problem_solving Deciding on an appropriate design when building a commercial database application  
Research skills Students will be required to acquire further knowledge from books and on-line sources  
Communication Assessed on other modules during the second year (CI22120).  
Improving own Learning and Performance The assessed coursework requires students to develop their understanding of issues associated with the module.  
Team work Assessed on other modules during the second year (CI22120).  
Information Technology The module is IT focused. Students will use computer tools to develop and run their applications  
Application of Number No  
Personal Development and Career planning The module gives students a wider view of the computing industry and potential careers.  
Subject Specific Skills Methodological skills, design skills, programming skills  

Reading Lists

Books
** Recommended Text
David M. Kroenke (2000) Database Processing: Fundamentals, design and implementation. 7th. Prentice Hall, London
Peter Rob, Carlos Coronel (2001) Database Systems: Design, Implementation, and Management 5th. Thomson 061906269X
Thomas Connolly and Carolyn Begg. (1998) Database Systems: A practical Approach to Design, Implementation and Management. 3rd. Addison-Wesley 0321181050
Thomas M Connolly and Carolyn E. Begg. (2003) Database Solutions: A step-by-step approach to building databases. 2nd. Addison-Wesley 0321173503

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 5