Understanding Computers: Today and Tomorrow, 14th Edition
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Understanding Computers
Chapter Fourteen: Databases and Database Management
Systems
A Guide to this Instructor’s Manual:
We have designed this Instructor’s Manual to supplement and enhance your teaching
experience through classroom activities and a cohesive chapter summary.
This document is organized chronologically, using the same heading in brown that you see in
the textbook. Under each heading you will find (in order): Lecture Notes that summarize the
section, all Figures and Boxes found in the section, Teacher Tips, and Classroom Activities. Pay
special attention to teaching tips and activities geared towards quizzing your students,
enhancing their critical thinking skills, and encouraging experimentation within the software.
In addition to this Instructor’s Manual, our Instructor’s Resources CD also contains PowerPoint
Presentations, Test Banks, and other supplements to aid in your teaching experience.
For your students:
Our latest online feature, CourseCasts, is a library of weekly podcasts designed to keep your
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http://coursecasts.course.com, where they can download the most recent CourseCast onto their
mp3 player. Ken Baldauf, host of CourseCasts, is a faculty member of the Florida State
University Computer Science Department where he is responsible for teaching technology
classes to thousands of FSU students each year. Ken is an expert in the latest technology and
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Table of Contents
Chapter Objectives
What Is a Database?
Data Concepts and Characteristics
Database Classifications
Database Models
Databases and the Web
Glossary of Key Terms
End of Chapter Material
Chapter Quiz
2
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3
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5
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Chapter Objectives
Students will have mastered the material in Chapter Fourteen when they can:
 Explain what a database is, including common database terminology, and list some of the
advantages and disadvantages of using databases.
 Discuss some basic concepts and characteristics of data, such as data hierarchy, entity
relationships, and data definition.
 Describe the importance of data integrity, security, and privacy and how they affect database
design.
 Identify some basic database classifications and discuss their differences.
 List the most common database models and discuss how they are used today.
 Understand how a relational database is designed, created, used, and maintained.
 Describe some ways databases are used on the Web.
WHAT IS A DATABASE? (pg. 549)
LECTURE NOTES
 Explain that a database is a collection of related data that is stored and organized in a manner
so it can be retrieved as needed. The software used to create and manipulate a database is
called a database management system (DBMS).
 Discuss tables, fields, and columns and use Figure 14-1 to illustrate these concepts.
 Explain that a variety of individuals are involved with DBMS. Be sure to point out that often
one person takes on more than one role.
 Briefly discuss how databases have evolved over the years.
 Discuss the primary advantages and disadvantages of the database approach.
BOXES
 Ask the Expert: Arsen Pereymer, Co-Founder, appsbar.com (pg. 552)
 Inside the Industry: File Management Systems (pg. 554)
FIGURES
 Figure 14-1, Figure 14-2, Figure 14-3
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Class Discussion: Direct the student’s attention to the Inside the Industry box on page 554.
Ask the students to evaluate the issue of the fields that occur in multiple fields. Have them list
possible problems that might occur because of this duplication. As a class, determine which
fields could be eliminated in each table if a DBMS were used and how the tables would be
related together. Using your finished table design, determine how the information for the
query shown in Figure 14-1 (or the information needed to print an invoice) could be
extracted from these tables. Do the students see the advantages of using a DBMS?
2. Quick Quiz:
1. A column in a database in which customer names are stored would be referred to as a
______________________. (Answer: a)
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a. field
b. record
c. table
2. True or False: One advantage to the DBMS approach is a higher level of redundancy.
(Answer: False)
3. A specific field in a table that is used to uniquely identify the records in that table is called
a(n) ______________________. (Answer: primary key)
DATA CONCEPTS AND CHARACTERISTICS (pg. 555)
LECTURE NOTES
 Explain that the data in a database has a hierarchy and review characters, fields/columns,
records/rows, tables, and databases.
 Explain that an entity is something (person, object, place, event, etc.) of importance to an
organization. Entities that an organization wants to store data about become database tables.
Characteristics of entities are called attributes. Discuss the three basic relationships that exist
between entities: 1:1, O:M, and M:M.
 Discuss the data definition process and the various properties that can be assigned to a field.
 Explain that the data dictionary contains information about the data in a database (table
structures, passwords, relationships between tables, etc.)—this is called metadata. Stress that
the data dictionary monitors the application’s environment to ensure that no data is entered
or used in a conflicting way (e.g., data exceeding field length limits or operations trying to
combine numeric and character fields). Many database systems also use the data dictionary to
provide security for access and/or update.
 Discuss the importance of data integrity, validation, security, and privacy.
 Explain that arranging data for efficient retrieval is called data organization and contrast
indexed and direct organization.
BOXES
 Ask the Expert: Josh Shaul, Vice President of Product Management, Application Security, Inc.
(pg. 561)
 How It Works: Column Databases (pg. 563)
FIGURES
 Figure 14-4, Figure 14-5, Figure 14-6, Figure 14-7, Figure 14-8
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Class Discussion: If you have a PC connected to a computer projector, demonstrate how to
create a small table in a database program. Share the purpose of the table being created (such
as a product, realty, or movie inventory table) and ask students for input regarding the
necessary fields and the data types those fields should use. Discuss whether or not fields
containing numbers that don’t really represent numerical values—such as ZIP codes and
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phone numbers—should be numeric or text-based fields (Hint: If ZIP codes are text-based,
they are more easily combined with other address information and phone numbers can’t be
numeric because of the extra symbols around the area code and the computer may think a
number without an area code is a mathematical expression that should be subtracted). Show
how data can be entered into the table once the structure has been completed.
2. Quick Quiz:
1. Which of the following data types would be most appropriate to use for a field that
indicates whether or not a teacher is tenured? (Answer: c)
a. Number
b. Date/Time
c. Yes/No
2. True or False: Data validation procedures are used to ensure that data entered into a
database matches the specified type, format, and allowable value. (Answer: True)
3. The ______________________ contains metadata about the database tables in a database,
such as the data definitions. (Answer: data dictionary)
DATABASE CLASSIFICATIONS (pg. 564)
LECTURE NOTES
 Explain that databases can be classified in a variety of ways.
 Contrast single-user databases with multiuser database systems.
 Discuss client-server vs. n-tier database systems.
 Explain the difference between centralized and distributed database systems.
 Discuss the role of in-memory databases and how they differ from disk-based systems.
FIGURES
 Figure 14-9, Figure 14-10 Figure 14-11
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Critical Thinking Activity: Discuss the benefits and risks of a centralized vs. a distributed
database system and a disk-based vs. an in-memory database system. Make a list of
applications that are appropriate for these types of databases. Select one and discuss it in more
detail using the disadvantages for that database classification as a starting point. What
precautions could be used to lessen the risks associate with that type of database? If the
students were implementing a database for the chosen application, would they use the
selected type of database? Why or why not? What are the trade-offs (such as between speed
and security) that businesses must consider when determining what type of database to use
with an application?
2. Quick Quiz:
1. Which type of database system is beginning to be used in high-end systems where
performance is crucial? (Answer: a)
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a. In-memory databases
b. Disk-based databases
c. Single-user databases
2. True or False: With the n-tier database model, there is at least one middle piece of software
between the client and the server. (Answer: True)
3. With a(n) ______________________ database system, the databases used by the system are
all located on a single computer. (Answer: centralized)
DATABASE MODELS (pg. 566)
LECTURE NOTES
 Describe the hierarchical and network database models and explain that they are not widely
used today.
 Explain that the relational database management system (RDMS) is the most widely used
database model today.
 Discuss the steps involved with designing a relational database, such as identifying the
purpose of the database and what fields need to be included, the process of normalization, and
determining and developing the structure of each table.
 Describe how tables and forms can be used to enter data into a table, as well as to update it.
 Explain that tables can be related so that data can be retrieved and updated in more than one
table at a time. See Figure 14-16.
 Discuss how queries and reports are used to retrieve information from a relational database.
 Discuss object-oriented databases and how they are used today. Direct the students’ attention
to the object-oriented database example shown in Figure 14-19.
 Explain that some databases are hybrid databases, such as those that use the hybrid
XML/relational database model (direct the students’ attention to Figure 14-20).
 Discuss the purpose of a multidimensional database.
TEACHER TIP
When discussing queries and tables, be sure to stress that these objects just contain directions about
what table content will be displayed when the objects are run and that the actual data to be displayed
is reflective of the data that is currently in the table at the time that the query or report is run.
BOXES
 Ask the Expert: Kevin Scott, Vice President of Engineering, LinkedIn; Member-at-Large,
ACM Council (pg. 573)
 Trend: Databases in the Military (pg. 575)
FIGURES
 Figure 14-12, Figure 14-13, Figure 14-14, Figure 14-15, Figure 14-16, Figure 14-17, Figure 1418, Figure 14-19, Figure 14-20
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Class Discussion: If you have a PC connected to a computer projector, open an existing
relational database (such as the one used in the previous classroom activity or another you’ve
created) and demonstrate how to add, modify, and delete records. Next, show students how a
query can be created. Have students practice determining the appropriate query criteria by
telling them what records you’d like to retrieve (such as all products made by supplier X that
have less than 10 units in stock for a product table, for instance) and have them walk you
through selecting all of the necessary criteria. Run the query and look at the results with the
class to see if the appropriate records were displayed. If not, have the class try to find their
error. Repeat this a few times, as time and interest permits.
2. Quick Quiz:
1. Which of the following is the most widely used type of database today? (Answer: b)
a. Network
b. Relational
c. Object-oriented
2. True or False: With a centralized database system, the database data is divided among
several computers connected via a network. (Answer: False)
3. A(n) _______________________ is used to extract specific information from a database by
specifying particular conditions about the data to be retrieved. (Answer: query)
DATABASES AND THE WEB (pg. 576)
LECTURE NOTES
 Explain that databases are commonly used in conjunction with the Web. They can be used for
a variety of purposes, such as information retrieval (looking up products and various other
information), e-commerce (catalogs, shopping carts, supply chain management, data mining,
etc.), and dynamic Web pages (where the appearance and content of the Web page change
based on the user’s input).
 Explain that any software that connects two separate applications—such as the Web server
and the database in the example just mentioned—can be called middleware. Discuss several
types of middleware, such as CGI, ASP, and PHP.
BOXES
 Technology and You: Using Google Books Ngram Viewer (pg. 577)
FIGURES
 Figure 14-21, Figure 14-22
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Class Discussion: Run through the example in Figure 14-22 to illustrate how Web databases
work. Explain that this example is performing a search for a product on a Web site. The
request is converted into a query and passed on to the appropriate database; then the query
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results are displayed in Web page format. Discuss with the class the flow of data through this
systems and the middleware required to process this search request.
2. Quick Quiz:
1. Which of the following is an interface designed for a particular operating system or
application that can be used to make requests of that operating systems or program?
(Answer: a)
a. CGI
b. PHP
c. API
2. True or False: Databases are often used in conjunction with dynamic Web pages.
(Answer: True)
3. Software that connects two otherwise separate applications is referred to as
______________________. (Answer: middleware)
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GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS

Attribute (555)

Indexed organization (562)

Centralized database system (565)

In-memory database (IMDB) (566)

Client-server database system (564)

Metadata (558)

Column (549)

Middleware (578)

Data definition (556)

Multidimensional database (MDDB) (576)

Data dictionary (557)

Multiuser database system (564)

Data integrity (558)

Normalization (568)

Data privacy (561)

Object-oriented database management

Data security (560)

Data validation (558)

Primary key (551)

Database (549)

Query (571)

Database management system (DBMS)

Record (549)

Relational database management
(549)
system (OODBMS) (574)

Direct organization (563)


Distributed database system (565)
Entity (555)


Report (572)
Row (549)

Field (549)

Single-user database system (564)

Form (569)

Structured query language (SQL) (571)

Hybrid XML/relational database (575)

Table (549)

Index (562)
system (RDBMS) (567)
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END OF CHAPTER MATERIAL (solutions for the Review Activities and Projects are located
in the Chapter 14 Solutions file)

Summary: Summarizes the main concepts of the chapter-by-chapter objective. Includes all bolded
key terms in the chapter.

Review Activities: Helps students test their knowledge of the chapter concepts. Includes the
following:
 Key Term Matching. Includes 10 key terms from the chapter to match up with their
corresponding definitions.
 Self-Quiz. Includes five True/False and five Completion and/or Matching objective
questions. The answers to the Self-Quiz are included in the References and Resources
Guide at the end of the textbook.
 Exercises. Includes five Matching, Completion, and/or Short Answer questions.
 Discussion Question. Introduces a topic and some questions to start a class discussion
on that topic.

Projects: A total of eight projects are included in the following six categories. Projects that require
Internet access are marked with an Internet icon.
 Hot Topics. Includes a topic for students to research. Typically, they are asked to
submit a short summary of their findings.
 Short Answer/Research. Includes a topic for students to research. Typically, they are
asked to write a short summary of their findings.
 Hands On. Includes directions for a hands on activity that students need to perform.
Typically, they are asked to write a short summary of their experience.
 Ethics in Action. Includes a topic for students to research and form an opinion about.
Typically, they are asked to discuss their position in class, via an online class
discussion group, in a class chat room, or via a class blog, depending on the
instructor’s direction. They may also be asked to write a short paper expressing their
opinion.
 Presentation/Demonstration. Provides students with a topic to research or an activity
to perform. They are asked to present their findings to the class in the form of a
presentation, as well as to submit a written summary, if instructed.
 Web Activities. Directs students to go to the Web site that accompanies this text and
work the Student Edition Labs and Crossword Puzzle; watch the Video Podcasts and
Online Videos associated with the chapter; and explore the Further Exploration links
and the Flashcards. They are also instructed to review the Online Study Guide, and
then test themselves with the Key Term Matching and Beat the Clock games, and
then taking the Interactive Quiz.
Page 9
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Expert Insight On… Systems: This special feature, beginning on page 586, shares the opinions and
perspective of Stuart Feldman, this module’s Guest Expert from ACM and Google, on systems now
and in the future.
Reproducible Chapter Quiz
The Chapter Quiz on the following page may be reproduced to distribute to your students for
additional homework or an in-class quiz.
Top of Document
Page 10
Name:
______________
Course:
______________
Instructor: ______________
Chapter Quiz
Understanding Computers: Today and Tomorrow 14/e, Chapter 14
True/False
Instructions: Circle T if the statement is true or F if the statement is false.
T F 1.
A database table consists of fields and records.
T F 2.
Good data validation techniques can help improve data integrity.
T F 3.
An index is used to relate two tables together via a common field.
T F 4.
The structure of a database table contains the actual data in the database, such as the
customers’ names, addresses, and telephone numbers.
T F 5.
The most widely used type of database today is the multidimensional database.
Multiple Choice
Instructions: Select the best answer for each question and write the corresponding letter in the blank at
the left of each question.
______ 6.
Which of the following is NOT related to data security?
a. passwords
c. disaster-recovery plan e. row-level locking
b. hot site
d. user names
______ 7.
Which of the following refers to software used to connect two otherwise separate
applications?
a. query
c. DBMS
e. RDBMS
b. SQL
d. middleware
Matching
Instructions: Select the term that best matches each of the following statements and write the
corresponding letter in the blank at the left of each statement (all terms will not be used).
a. record
b. middleware
c. query
d. field
______ 8.
A request for information from a database.
______ 9.
A type of database software.
e. RDBMS
______ 10. A column in a database table.
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