slides - the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science

Introduction to the Course
Alexandra Roatiş
David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science
University of Waterloo
CS 348
Introduction to Database Management
Spring 2015
CS 348
Course Introduction
Spring 2015
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Course Objectives
• To study databases from three viewpoints:
• the database user,
• the database designer,
• the database manager.
Teach the use of a database management system (DBMS) by
treating it as a black box, focusing only on its functionality and
its interfaces.
• Sub-objectives:
understand the principles of relational database management
systems and their languages – SQL
2 learn the methodology for building applications on top of database
management systems – data modeling
3 learn issues related to the management of large-scale DBMSs –
performance monitoring, tuning, security, privacy
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Course Content
Why do we use databases?
• functionality provided by a Database Management System
• database models
How do we use a DBMS?
• relational model, foundational query languages, SQL
• application programming
• transactions and concurrency
How do we design a database?
• Entity-Relationship (ER) modeling
• dependencies and constraints
• redundancy and normal forms
How do we administer a DBMS?
• security and authorization
• physical design/tuning
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Course Introduction
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Textbook
Database Management Systems, 3rd Edition.
Raghu Ramakrishnan and Johannes Gehrke
McGraw Hill, 2000.
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Course Logistics
Web Site
• www.cs.uwaterloo.ca/ aroatis/cs348
Discussion
• piazza.com/uwaterloo.ca/spring2015/cs348/home
Evaluation
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CS 348
Three assignments (40%)
Midterm exam (20%)
Final exam (40%)
To pass the course you must pass: the weighted
average of the assignments and the weighted average
of the exams.
Course Introduction
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