OVERVIEW

The knowledge of a data management system requires not only to deepen models, languages ​​and techniques to logically design and use a database but also to gain expertise about the database management system in order to be able to effectively and efficiently manage it. The administration skills include aspects of physical design and optimization, transactions management, and definition of access control policies.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Objective of the course is to train administrator of database management systems, with a spectial reference to relational systems. The student will acquire skills related to advanced design and administration of a database. In particular, he/she will learn how, given a document of requirement specification, including the system workload, it is possible to : optimize the logical schema and the external schema of a database; design the physical schema; tune system performance;  manage concurrent transaction execution; define access control policies.

TEACHING METHODS

Class and projects, additional activities through AulaWeb.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Introduction

Storage structures and query processing

Storage structures and indexes.
Internal representation for queries and execution plans.
Physical design for relational databases.
Logical and external database schema optimization.
Schema and query tuning.

Transactions

Transactions for concurrency management and recovery.
ACID properties. Lock-based techniques. Isolation levels.
Concurrency and recovery tuning.

Access control

Discretional and mandatory models.
Grant and Rekove, authorizations through views.
Role-based models.

Laboratory

Exercises on some topics presented in the course

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barbara Catania, Giovanna Guerrini, Elena Ferrari. Sistemi di Gestione Dati - Concetti e Architetture. CittaStudi Edizioni, Utet Libreria, De Agostini Scuola, 2006.

Additionally:

    Material provided during classes.
    On-line material.

Additional bibliography:   

Dennis Elliott Shasha, Philippe Bonnet. Database tuning: principles, experiments, and troubleshooting techniques.Morgan Kaufmann, 2003.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

BARBARA CATANIA (President)

MAURA CERIOLI

LAURA DI ROCCO

GIOVANNA GUERRINI

LESSONS

Class schedule

DATABASES

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Written test and oral examination. The oral examination includes a discussion about the solutions provided by the student to the projects proposed during the semester and a more general oral exam on all the topics proposed in the course.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Details on how to prepare for the examination and the degree of knowledge required for each topic will be provided during the lessons.

The written exam consists of a set of closed questions on basic topics of the course. The goal of this test is to verify the understanding of the main issues addressed during the lessons.

The oral examination will consist of: (i) an in-depth discussion of the solutions developed by the student to the proposed projects - 3 in total -, in order to assess not only whether the student has reached an appropriate level of knowledge, but also whether she/he  has acquired the ability to critically analyze issues relating to the administration of a data management system, discussed in class; (Ii) theoretical questions and / or practices on the addressed topics, with particular reference to matters on which deficiencies have been highlighted in the written test or the project development.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

To successfully follow this course, you must have given the exam of the Databases course .