CIS 9340 - Database Management Systems

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Books:
[required] Database Systems: A Practical Approach to Design, Implementation, and Management, by Thomas Connolly and Carolyn Begg.
[suggested] Fundamentals of Database Systems, by Ramez Elmasri, Shamkant B. Navathe

Objective:
To learn how databases work, and how to work with them.

Topics Include (tentative schedule):
(september)
# Evolution of database management systems (chap 1)
# Entity Relationship Modeling and Design (part 3, chap 11)
# Structured Query Language (chap 5, chap 6)

(october)
# Relational Algebra
# Database management and security

(november)
# Data organization and storage
# Transaction Processing, Concurrency Control and Recovery

(december)
# Client/Server, Distributed, Internet databases

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the skills to analyze business requirements and produce a viable model and implementation of a database to meet such requirements.

Office Hours:
Office Hours is set for Right After Class, or by appointment.

Homeworks:
There will be a homework for nearly every class.

Tests:
You will have at least a midterm and a final exam. There might also be a quiz or two. We'll have a review, etc.

In This Class:
Peer cooperation is encouraged, however, everyone must submit their own work. You will be expected to answer detailed questions about your assignments. (i.e.: if you didn't write them, I'll know.)

Attendance is not mandatory, but highly recommended. [you must attend at least a few times in the first few weeks, or you will be dropped from the class with a WU grade] Also, it would be VERY difficult to pass the class without regular attendence; you are responsible for catching up if you miss class.

All projects, assignments, homeworks, etc., will be submitted via the website. Do not print out nor e-mail me the assignments - they will promptly be trashed.

Grading:
Tentative grade breakup: ~25% for Midterm, ~35% for Projects, ~40% Final - These may change slightly depending on how well the class does in any of the above. (also, the "Project" grade includes things like quizes, homeworks, etc.)