XT 3352 - DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

INTRODUCTION TO DBMS
UNIT - I

PART – A – 2 Marks

1. What is database?
A database is logically coherent collection of data with some inherent meaning, representing
some aspect of real world and which is designed, built and populated with data for a specific
purpose.

2. Define Database Management System.

A Database management System consists of a collection interrelated data and set of programs to
access those data. The collection of data, usually referred to as the database, contains information
about one particular enterprises

3. Advantages of DBMS?
□ Redundancy is controlled
□ Unauthorized access is restricted.
□ Providing multiple user interface
□ Enforcing integrity constraints.
□ Providing backup and recovery.
4. Disadvantages in File Processing System.
□ Data redundancy & inconsistency
□ Difficult in accessing data
□ Data isolation
□ Data integrity
□ Concurrent access is not possible.
□ Security Problems.
5. Define Data independence.
The ability to modify a schema definition in only level without affecting a Schema definition in
the next higher level is called data independence.

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6. Define Data Models and list the types of Data Model.
Underlying the structure of database is the data model: a collection of conceptual tools for
describing data, data relationships, data semantics and consistency constraints. The various data
model that have been proposed fall in to three different groups: Object-based logical model,
record-based logical model and physical model.

7. What is E-R model?

The entity-relationship data model is based on perception of a real world that consists of a
collectionof basic objects, called entities and of relationships among these object

8. Define entity and entity set.

An entity is a “thing” or “object” in the real world that is distinguisgble from other objects. For
example, each person in an entity. The set of all entities of the same type are termed and entity
set
9. What is Weak entity set?
An entity set may not have sufficient attributes to form a primary key, and its primary key
compromises of its partial key and primary key of its parent entity, the its is said to be Weak
Entity set.

10. Define relationship and relationship set.

A relationship is an association among several entities. For example, a depositor relationship
associated a customer with each account. The set of all relationships of the same type are termed
a relationship set.

11.What is object Oriented Model?

The model is based on collection of object. An objects contains values stored in instance
variables with in the object. An object also contains bodies of code that operate on the object.
These bodies of code are called methods. Objects that contain same type of values and the same
methods are grouped together into classes.
12. Define Relational model.
The relational model uses a collection of tables to represent both data and the relationships
among those data. Each table has multiple columns, and each columns has a unique name.

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 13. Define Network model.
Data in the networks model are represented by collection of records and relationships among
data are represented by links, which can be viewed as pointers. The records in the database are
organized as collections of arbitrary graphs.

14. Define Hierarchical Model

The hierarchical model is similar to the network models in the sense that data and relationship
among data are represented by records and links respectively. It differ from the network model
in that the records are organized as collection of trees rather that arbitrary graphs.
15. Define attributes.
Entities are described in a database by a set of attributes. For example, the attributes ccount-number
and balance describe one particular account in a bank.
16. Define mapping constraints.
An E-R enterprise schema may define certain constraints to which the contents of a database must
conform. Two of the most important types of constrains are mapping cardinalities: express the
number of entities to which another entity can be associated via relationship set.
17. What is relationship? Give examples
A relationship is an association among several entities.
Example: A depositor relationship associates a customer with each account that he/she has.
18.Define the terms i) Entity set ii) Relationship set
Entity set: The set of all entities of the same type is termed as an entity set.
Relationship set : The set of all relationships of the same type is termed as a relationship set.
19.Define single valued and multi valued attributes.
Single valued attributes: attributes with a single value for a particular entity are called single
valued attributes. Example : Roll No.
Multi valued attributes : Attributes with a set of value for a particular entity are called
multivalued attributes. Ex. : Mobile number
20.What are derived attributes?
Derived attributes: The attributes that are derived from the stored attributes are called derived
attributes. Ex. : Age which is derived from DOB
21. What are composite attributes?
Composite attributes can be divided in to sub parts. Ex.: Name (FirstName, MiddleName,
LastName)
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22. Define null values.
In some cases a particular entity may not have an applicable value for an attribute or if we do not
know the value of an attribute for a particular entity. In these cases null value is used.

23. Define the terms i) Entity type ii) Entity set

Entity type: An entity type defines a collection of entities that have the same attributes.
Entity set: The set of all entities of the same type is termed as an entity set.
24. What is meant by the degree of relationship set?
The degree of relationship type is the number of participating entity types.
25. What does the cardinality ratio specify?
Mapping cardinalities or cardinality ratios express the number of entities to which another
entity can be associated. Mapping cardinalities must be one of the following:
• One to one
• One to many
• Many to one
• Many to many
26. Define weak and strong entity sets.
Weak entity set: entity set that do not have key attribute of their own are called
weak entity sets. Strong entity set: Entity set that has a primary key is termed a strong entity set.
27.What are the two types of participation constraint.
􀁸 Total: The participation of an entity set E in a relationship set R is said to be total if every entity
in E participates in at least one relationship in R.
􀁸 Partial: if only some entities in E participate in relationships in R, the participation of entity set
E in relationship R is said to be partial.
28. List four significant differences between a file-processing system and a DBMS.
Answer: Some main differences between a database management system and a file-
processing system are:
• Both systems contain a collection of data and a set of programs which access that data. A
database management system coordinates both the physical and the logical access to the
data, whereas a file-processing system coordinates only the physical access.
• A database management system reduces the amount of data duplication by ensuring that a
physical piece of data is available to all programs authorized to have access to it,whereas

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data written by one program in a file-processing system may not be readable by another
program.
• A database management system is designed to allow flexible access to data (i.e., queries),
whereas a file-processing system is designed to allow predetermined access to data (i.e.,
compiled programs).
• A database management system is designed to coordinate multiple users accessing the
same data at the same time. A file-processing system is usually designed to allow one or
more programs to access different data files at the same time. In a file-processing system, a
file can be accessed by two programs concurrently only if both programs have read-only
access to the file.
29. Difference between a weak and a strong entity set:
A strong entity set has a primary key. All tuples in the set are distinguishable by that key.
A weak entity set has no primary key unless attributes of the strong entity set on which it
depends are included. Tuples in a weak entity set are partitioned according to their
relationship with tuples in a strong entity set. Tuples within each partition are
distinguishable by a discriminator, which is a set of attributes.

30. Define the concept of aggregation.

Aggregation is a process that represents a relationship between a whole object and its
component parts. It is an abstraction through which relationships are treated as higher-level
entities.
31. What do you mean by Data Modeling?
A data model is a collection of conceptual tools for describing data, data relationships,
data semantics, and consistency constraints.
Some of the most popular data models are :
1. Entity Relationship Model (ER)
2. Relational Model
3. Object-oriented Data Model
4. Semi-structured data model (XML)

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 PART B : 15 MARKS

1. Explain in detail about the following Database System Architectures :

a) Centralized and client- server systems (8)
b) Distributed and Network types (7)
2. With neat sketches, explain in detail about the Server system Architectures.
(15)
3. With neat sketches, explain in detail about the Parallel Systems Architectures.
(15)
4. Explain in detail about the various types of data models. (8)
5. Explain in detail about the various concepts used in Entity –Relationship(E-R)
Model. (15)
6. Explain in detail about the additional concepts in Extended E-R model(EER
model). (8)