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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2006/2007
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Home : College of Science and Engineering : School of Informatics (Schedule O) : Database Systems

Database Systems (VS1) (U03533)

? Credit Points : 10  ? SCQF Level : 9  ? Acronym : INF-3-DBS-V

Databases are essential to maintaining the information base in almost all modern business enterprises and to electronic commerce. They are also becoming increasingly important as a fundamental tool in much scientific research. Some knowledge of databases is now essential in any of these areas. The study of databases draws on several areas of
computer science: logic, algorithms, programming languages and operating systems.

This course is an introduction to the principles underlying the design and implementation of databases and database management systems. It will cover the languages that have been developed for relational databases, their implementation and optimisation. It will also introduce some recent developments in databases including
object-oriented, object-relational systems, semistructured data and the relationship between databases and XML. The bare essentials of transaction processing will also be covered.

Entry Requirements

? This course is only available to part year visiting students.

? This course is a variant of the following course : U01901

? Pre-requisites : Successful completion of Year 2 of an Informatics Single or Combined Degree, or equivalent by permission of the School. Students are expected to have taken a basic course in logic and discrete mathematics.

Subject Areas

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

First Class Information

Date Start End Room Area Additional Information
26/09/2006 14:00 14:50 Room G.11, William Robertson Building Central

All of the following classes

Type Day Start End Area
Lecture Tuesday 14:00 15:50 Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of relational database schema design by employing the concepts of normal forms and entity-relationship diagrams.
- Demonstrate knowledge of querying relational databases by using SQL.
- Demonstrate knowledge of query evaluation by describing and implementing database algorithms.
- Demonstrate knowledge of recent advances in database systems by identifying the connection between traditional relational databases and other data models and/or query languages.
- Demonstrate knowledge of concurrency control by describing transactional semantics.

Assessment Information

Written examination 75%
Assessed assignments 25%

Exam times

Diet Diet Month Paper Code Paper Name Length
1ST December - - 2 hour(s)

Contact and Further Information

The Course Secretary should be the first point of contact for all enquiries.

Course Secretary

Mr Neil McGillivray
Tel : (0131 6)50 2701
Email : Neil.McGillivray@ed.ac.uk

Course Organiser

Dr Perdita Stevens
Tel : (0131 6)50 5195
Email : perdita.stevens@ed.ac.uk

Course Website : http://www.inf.ed.ac.uk/teaching/courses/

School Website : http://www.informatics.ed.ac.uk/

College Website : http://www.scieng.ed.ac.uk/

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