ISY1002 (ISY103) – Activity Sheet Week 1 Activity Sheet Week 1 – Introduction to Databases Objectives: Introduction to the Unit. This week you will gain some general understanding about Databases and...

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ISY1002 (ISY103) – Activity Sheet Week 1 Activity Sheet Week 1 – Introduction to Databases Objectives: Introduction to the Unit. This week you will gain some general understanding about Databases and what are the various advantages of using Databases. How did the databases evolve and various components of DBMS environment? Activity – 1: Read your unit guide and make note of important assessments for this unit across the semester. Log on to Moodle and see if you can access ISY1002 unit on Moodle and you can access e-text. Activity – 2: Discuss each of the following terms: (a) data (b) database (c) database management system (d) database application program (e) data independence (f) security (g) integrity (h) views. Activity – 3: Describe the approach taken to the handling of data in the early file-based systems. Discuss the disadvantages of this approach. Activity – 4: Describe the main characteristics of the database approach and contrast it with the file-based approach. Activity – 5: Discuss how the five components of the DBMS environment relate to each other. Activity – 6: Discuss the roles of the following personnel in the database environment: (a) Data administrator (b) Database administrator (c) Logical database designer (d) Physical database designer (e) Application developer (f) End-users. Activity – 7: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of DBMSs. Key Questions: Write down the answers to the following questions. 1. Differentiate between Data and Information. 2. List the five components of the DBMS Environment. 3. List at least 3 advantages and disadvantages for DBMS. 2 | Page Lab 3: Client/Server Architecture Database Design & Development – Activity Sheet Week 4 Activity Sheet Week 4 – Entity Relationship Modelling Objectives: This week you will gain understanding about ER modelling and how are ERDs drawn using Crow’s foot notations. Also, this week you will explore more on Relationships. Though it is your choice for which tool you would like to use to create your ERD. In this lab you can use the online tool by going to gliffy.com or any other of your choice that you have already downloaded or are using. In the lab we may be able not be able to finish all the activities. Remaining activities, you must take as homework and work for its solution at home. Activity – 1: Why is the ER model considered a top-down approach? Describe the four basic components of the ER model. Activity – 2: The ER model uses a number of notations and tags to represent different concepts. Outline how the basic ER components are represented in an ER diagram. Activity – 3: Describe what attributes represent in an ER model and provide examples of simple, composite, single-value, multi-value, and derived attributes. PAGE 1 Lab 3: Client/Server Architecture Database Design & Development – Activity Sheet Week 3 Activity Sheet Week 3 – Relational Database Model Objectives: This week you will gain an understanding about Relationships in Relational Database Model. This week is spent understanding what keys are and how they help in maintaining Entity integrity and referential Integrity. Use the e-text where possible to answer the following: Activity – 1: Describe the main purpose(s) and activities associated with each stage of the database system development lifecycle. Activity – 2: Discuss what a user view represents in the context of a database system. Activity – 3: A database developer normally uses several fact-finding techniques during a single database project. The five most commonly used techniques are examining documentation, interviewing, observing the business in operation, conducting research, and using questionnaires. Describe each fact-finding technique and identify the advantages and disadvantages of each. PAGE 1 Activity Sheet Week 2 Activity Sheet Week 2 – Database Environment Objectives: This week you will gain understanding about Data Models and why they are important. We will further understand various components of Data Models, DBMS Architecture. Use the e-text to complete the following: Activity – 1: What is meant by the term ‘client-server architecture’ and what are the advantages of this approach? Compare client-server architecture with two other architectures. Activity – 2: To address the issue of data independence, the ANSI-SPARC three-level architecture was proposed. Compare and contrast the three levels of this model. 1 | Page