QUESTION BANK

SUBJECT: DBMS
BCA IST SEM
Q1. Compare and contrast traditional file systems with database management systems (DBMS).
Highlight the advantages of the DBMS approach.
Q2. Describe the three-schema architecture in a database management system (DBMS). Explain
each of the three schemas (internal, conceptual, and external).

Q3. What are the desirable characteristics of an ideal data processing system? List and briefly
explain at least five characteristics.

Q4. Describe the structure of a traditional file-based system. What are some of the main
drawbacks associated with using this type of system?

Q5. Explain the concept of data dependency. How does it impact data integrity and management
in traditional file systems?

Q6. Define a database. How does it differ from traditional file storage systems?

Q7. What is a Database Management System (DBMS)? Discuss its primary functions and
advantages over traditional file systems.

Q8. Explain logical database design. How does it differ from conceptual data modeling?

Q9. What are the essential characteristics of a database system? Discuss how each characteristic
contributes to effective data management.

Q10. Define the Entity-Relationship (ER) model and its components. Explain the concepts of
entities, attributes, and relationships, and their roles in the ER model.

Q11. What are attributes in the E-R model? Differentiate between simple and composite
attributes, single-valued and multivalued, stored and derived attributes with examples.

Q12.Describe relationships in the E-R model. How do you define and represent different types of
relationships (one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many)?

Q13. What is generalization in the context of the E-R model? Provide an example illustrating
how generalization can be used in database design.

Q14.Explain specialization in the E-R model. How does specialization enhance the
representation of data? Provide an example.
Q15.Discuss the importance of specifying constraints in the E-R model. What types of
constraints can be specified, and why are they important for database integrity?

Q16. Define generalization and specialization in the context of the E-R model. How do these
concepts enhance the representation of complex data structures? Provide examples for each.

Q17. Define the relational model in the context of a database management system (DBMS).
Describe its key components, including relations, attributes, tuples, and domains.

Q18.Explain the basic components of the relational model. What are the main operators used in
relational algebra? Provide examples of how each operator functions.

Q19. Discuss the integrity rules in the relational model. What are the differences between entity
integrity and referential integrity?

Q20. Explain the requirements for a relation to be in First Normal Form (1NF). Provide an
example of a table that is not in 1NF and demonstrate how to convert it to 1NF.

Q21. Define normalization. Describe the different normalization forms (1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF,
4NF, 5NF) in the context of database design.
Q22. Define SQL and explain its significance in database management. What are the main
categories of SQL commands?

Q23.Describe the Data Definition Language (DDL) aspect of SQL. What are some common
DDL commands, and how are they used in database creation and management?

Q24.Explain the Data Manipulation Language (DML) aspect of SQL. What are the key DML
commands, and how do they facilitate data manipulation in a database?

Q25.Discuss the INSERT command in SQL. Provide examples of how to insert records into a
table, including the use of default values and NULLs.

Q26. Explain the UPDATE command in SQL. How can it be used to modify existing records?
Provide an example that demonstrates its usage with a WHERE clause.

Q27. What is the purpose of the SELECT statement in SQL? Explain the syntax and provide
examples of simple SELECT queries.
Q28. Explain the concept of subqueries in SQL. How are they different from joins? Provide
examples of both to illustrate their differences.
Q29. Describe the various types of joins (INNER JOIN, LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN, FULL
JOIN) in SQL. Provide examples for each type to demonstrate their usage.
Q30. QWhat is a correlated subquery in SQL? How does it differ from a regular subquery
Q31 a).Explain the UNION clause in SQL.Provide an example.
b) Discuss the EXISTS operator in SQL. How is it used in subqueries?
Q32. Define PL/SQL and its role in database programming. What are some advantages of using
PL/SQL over standQard SQL?

Q33. Describe stored functions and stored procedures in PL/SQL. What are the differences
between them? Provide examples of how each can be implemented.

Q34. Define transaction processing in the context of database systems. What are the key
properties of transactions, commonly referred to as the ACID properties?

Q35. Define what a transaction is in the context of a database system. Explain the ACID
properties of a transaction. How do they ensure data integrity?

Q36. Discuss various concurrency control techniques. Compare and contrast optimistic
concurrency control and pessimistic concurrency control.

Q37. Describe the concept of locking in concurrency control. What types of locks are commonly
used, and how do they help manage access to shared resources?

Q38. What is database recovery? Discuss the different recovery techniques used in database
management systems to ensure data integrity after a failure.