Database Fundamentals
Knowledge expected for
students entering MIS 4663
Information Systems
Data
Process
Information
System
Infrastructure
Organization
The
SDLC
R
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&
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Problem Identification & Planning
Understanding the Current Situation
Selection of the Best Alternative
Business or Logical Requirements
Physical Design, Coding & Testing
Implementation
Maintenance
System
An inter-related set of components,
with identifiable boundaries,
working together for some
purpose.
Analysis
The process of identifying problems,
opportunities, requirements,
constraints, and resources.
Design
The business of finding a way to
meet the functional requirements
within the specified constraints
using the available technology.
Zachman Framework
Data
Ballpark
(Business Scope)
Owner
(Business Model)
Designer
(IS Model)
Builder
(Technology Model)
Detailed
(Technology
Specification)
Functional
System
Lists of entities
important to the
business
E-R Diagrams
(Entity Level)
E-R Diagrams
(Attribute Level)
Database
Design
Schema and
Sub-schema
Definition
Physical Tables
Processes
Lists of functions that
the business performs.
(BPM)
Functional
Hierarchy Diagram
Dataflow
Diagrams
Process Specifications
Program Code
Working
Application
Network
or
Technology
Overview of
technology
architecture.
Enterprise
communication
diagram
Distribution
Diagram
Configuration
Design
Configuration
Definition
Installed
Infrastructure
Systems Development Life Cycle
(SDLC)
Often called Waterfall Model
Iterative Process
Control cost and time
Budgets
Project timelines and deadlines
Works best with well understood systems
Employed on most large development projects.
Systems Development Life Cycle
(SDLC)
Problem Identification &Planning
Understanding Current Situation
Selection of Best Approach
Business or Logical Requirements
Physical Design, Coding and Testing
Implementation
Maintenance
Hoffer, George & Valacich
SDLC Criticisms
• Process Overhead
• Significant time and resource costs.
• Project Milestones
• Discourages iterative changes to higher level models in
light of lower level developments.
• Not suited for poorly understood systems.
• Difficult to apply if system requirements are not well
defined.
• Testing Methodology
• Bottom up testing may result in components that work
separately but not together.
Database Fundamentals
E/R Modeling
 Decompose a narrative description into a data
model that includes entities, relationships and
constraints
 Use the E/R paradigm to develop enterprise
(high level) models, conceptual models, and
relational models as needed
 Identify attributes and domain constraints for
them
Database Fundamentals
Normalization
 Decompose a database into 3NF relations
from an attribute set.
 Use normalization to recognize design errors
in existing databases
Database Fundamentals
SQL
 Create data access retrievals (SELECT
statements) from existing databases.
Single table queries with conditions (SELECT …
WHERE …)
Joins (SELECT … WHERE … KEY1 = KEY2)
Subset and group conditions (SELECT … WHERE
… GROUP BY … HAVING …)
Database Fundamentals
Access programming
 Create a multi table database including 1:m
and m:n relationships
 Create a program that includes forms,
reports, macros and navigation using controls
Database Fundamentals
For general use
DBMS operation
 Understand how database management
systems provide concurrency control,
 Understand backup and recovery using
commits and rollbacks and checkpoints
 Understand integrity and how it is managed
 Explain other DBMS functions