Scribd
Upload
15 views

Adv Databases Questions (Set 1)

Uploaded by

RorlundKennedy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
15 views

Adv Databases Questions (Set 1)

Uploaded by

RorlundKennedy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Advanced Database Systems Lecturer: John Maina.

Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology


Advanced Database Management Systems Sample Questions [Set 1].
Question One
a) Define the following terms as used in a database [12 Marks]
i.) Concurrency.
ii.) Pessimistic locking.
iii.) Deadlock.
iv.) Commit.
v.) Data Model
b) Discuss the two-phase commit protocol as used in distributed database concurrency control.
[4 marks]
c) Distinguish between an SQL statement that run successfully and a committed transaction.
[3 Marks]
d) Discuss the importance of the following components of a database. [12 Marks]
i.) Recovery management.
ii.) Security management.
iii.) Transaction management.
iv.) Concurrency control.
e) Discuss using suitable example how the following are achieved:
i.) Horizontal fragmentation.
ii.) Vertical fragmentation. [6 marks]
f) Discuss the rules that one has to satisfy when performing fragmentation [6 marks]
g) Explain the meaning of the following SQL statement. [3 marks]
Select rent_pm + deposit_amount
From least;
Question Two
a) Explain any THREE advantages of object databases [6 marks]
b) Briefly explain the steps involved in query processing [4 marks]
c) Briefly discuss the concepts of data warehousing and data mining [4 marks]
d) Explain the factors that led to the development of Data warehousing and Data mining.
[4 marks]
e) With respect to database transaction management explain the following terms.
i.) Atomicity.
ii.) Consistency.
iii.) Isolation.
iv.) Durability. [8 marks]

© John Maina 2008. 1 Sample Questions Set 1


Advanced Database Systems Lecturer: John Maina.

f) Using suitable illustration for each, differentiate between the following as used in
concurrency control.
i.) Schedule.
ii.) Serial schedule.
iii.) Serializable schedule [6 marks]
g) Differentiate between the following terms:
i.) Wait-die protocol and wound-wait protocol.
ii.) Share lock and exclusive lock. [4 marks]
h) Using a suitable illustration explain the necessary condition for a transaction to be:
i.) Rolled backward.
ii.) Rolled forward. [4 marks]
i) At the very basic, a distributed database system offers the following objectives.
i.) Location transparency.
ii.) Local autonomy
Explain with reference to how each objective abstract a distributed system. [4 marks]
Question Three
a) Briefly explain the objectives of query processing. [4 marks]
b) Describe with examples, the types of problem that occur in a multi-user environment when
concurrent access to the database is allowed. [6 marks]
c) State the two-phase locking protocol and clearly discuss how it overcomes all the
concurrency anomalies. [6 marks]
d) By first outlining the procedure, test whether the following schedules are conflict serializable
i.) Read_Item(T1, X), Read_Item (T2, X), Write_Item (T1, X)
Write_Item (T2, X), Commit (T1), Commit (T2)
ii.) Read_Item (T1, X), Write_Item (T1, X), Read_Item (T2, X)
Write_Item (T2, X), Commit (Ti), Commit (T2)
[8marks]
e) Discuss four different techniques used to secure a database. [8marks]
f) Discuss Client/Server architecture under the following headings.
i.) Client–Centric systems (fat-client)
ii.) Server–Centric systems (thin-client) [4 marks]
g) List and explain any three advantages and three disadvantages of using database systems.
[9 marks]
Question Four
a) List and explain three types of update anomalies that might result in tables that have
redundant data. [6 marks]
b) Differentiate between the following:– [6 marks]

© John Maina 2008. 2 Sample Questions Set 1


Advanced Database Systems Lecturer: John Maina.

i.) Full functional dependency and Partial functional dependency.


ii.) Linking and Importing a table.
iii.) Check box and Option button (operational difference)
c) Define the following terms as used in the process of database design and creation.
i.) Functional Dependency.
ii.) Transitive Dependency.
iii.) Normalization. [6 marks]
d) Briefly explain the when a table is said to be in: –
i.) First Normal Form.
ii.) Second Normal Form.
iii.) Third Normal Form. [6 marks]
Question Five
a) A table called tblEmployee has the following fields: –
Employee ID, First Name, Second Name, Date of Birth, Gender, Marital Status, Religion and
Salary.
Write SQL statements to do each of the following.
i.) Retrieve all records [include all fields] from the table. [2 marks]
ii.) Retrieve the Employee ID, First Name, Second Name, Date of Birth, Gender and Marital
Status. First Name and Second Name should be combined and assigned the caption
Employee Name. [3 marks]
iii.) Retrieve Employee ID, First Name, Second Name, Salary, Allowance and Gross from the
table. NB: The allowance is 35% of the Salary and the Gross is the sum of salary and
Allowance. [4 marks]
b) Give the full name for the Acronym SQL. [1 mark]
c) A table called tblStudents has the following fields: –
Adm No, First Name, Second Name, Date of Birth, Gender, Religion, Course and Fee Paid.
Write SQL statements to do each of the following.
i.) Retrieve Adm No, First Name, Second Name and Gender for all IT students [2 marks]
ii.) Retrieve Adm No, First Name and Second Name for all female Christians. The records
should be sorted by First Name in descending order. [4 marks]
iii.) Retrieve records for all students with a fee balance greater or equal to 10000. NB: The
fee payable is 80000. [3 marks]

* * * * * All the best – John Maina * * * * *

© John Maina 2008. 3 Sample Questions Set 1

You might also like