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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 Introduction
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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
CS 348
Course Introduction
Spring 2015
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Textbook
Database Management Systems, 3rd Edition.
Raghu Ramakrishnan and Johannes Gehrke
McGraw Hill, 2000.
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Course Introduction
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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
Spring 2015
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