DHANALAKSHMI SRINIVASAN UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

PART-A
1. Define database management system?
Database management system (DBMS) is a collection of interrelated data and a te programs to
access those data.
2. What are the responsibilities of a DBA?
The role includes the development and design of database strategies, monitoring and Improving
database performance and capacity, and planning for future expansion requirements. They may
also plan, co-ordinate and implement security measures to safeguard the database.
3. What is data base management system?
A database management system (DBMS) is a software package with computer programs that
control the creation, maintenance, and the use of a database
DBMSs may use a variety of database models, such as the relational model object model, to
conveniently describe and support applications.
A DBMS provides facilities for controlling data access, enforcing data integrity managing
concurrency control, recovering the database after failures and restoring it from backup files, as
well as maintaining database security.
4. List any eight applications of DBMS.
a) Banking
b) Airlines
c) Universities
d) Credit card transactions
e) Tele communication
f) Finance
g) Sales
h) Manufacturing
i) Human resources
5. What are the disadvantages of file processing system?
The disadvantages of file processing systems are
a) Data redundancy and inconsistency
b) Difficulty in accessing data
c) Data isolation
d) Integrity problems
e) Atomicity problems
f) Concurrent access anomalies
6. What are the advantages of using a DBMS?
The advantages of using a DBMS are
a) Controlling redundancy
b) Restricting unauthorized access
c) Providing multiple user interfaces
d) Enforcing integrity constraints.
e) Providing hackup and recovery
 DHANALAKSHMI SRINIVASAN UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

7. Compare file systems versus DBMS?

The main differences between a file processing system and a DBMS are:
DBMS FILE SYSTEM
Collection of data and set of programs to Abstraction to store, retrieve and update a
access those data set of files
Repetition of data can be reduced Repetition of data cannot be reduced
Inconsistency of data can be avoided. Inconsistency of data cannot be avoided.
Data can be shared easily Data cannot be shared easily.
The data can be accessed from the Data independence cannot be provided to
database through physically as well as access the data
logically.
It gives fast response to information It gives slow response to information
request because the data are integrated request
into a single database
It restricts unauthorized access Lack of security
Data can be accessed by multiple users at Problem in concurrency control.
same point of time
I provides hack up of data and restores the It does not provide hack up and data
database to its original state after database recovery. The data may loss if the
failure operation is failed.

8. Give the levels of data abstraction?

a) Physical level-Describes how the data are actually stored.
b) Logical level-Describes what data are stored and what relationships exist among those data
c) View level Describes the part of entire database
9. What is data model?
Data model is a collection of conceptual tools the describing data, data relationships, data
semantics and consistency constraints.
10. What are the types of data models?
a) Entity relationship model
b) Relational model
c) Hierarchical model
d) Network model
e) Object based data model (Object Oriented & Object relational)
11. What is an entity relationship model?
The entity relationship model is a collection of basic objects called entities and relationship
among those objects. An entity is a thing or object in the real world the distinguishable from
other objects.
12. What is storage manager?
A storage manager is a program module that provides the interface between the low b data
stored in a database and the application programs and queries submitted to the system
 DHANALAKSHMI SRINIVASAN UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

13. What are the components of storage manager?

The storage manager components include
a) Authorization and integrity manager
b) Transaction manager
c) File manager
d) Buffer manager
14. What is the purpose of storage manager?
The storage manager is responsible for the following
a) Interaction with the file manager
b) Translation of DML Commands in to low level file system
c) Storing, retrieving and updating data in the database
15. List the data structures implemented by the storage manager.
The storage manager implements the following data structure
a) Data files
b) Data dictionary
c) Indices
16. What are the components of query processor?
a) DDL interpreter
b) DML compiler
c) Query evaluation
17. Mention the database users?
Database users are differentiated by the way they expect to interact with the system
Application programmers-interact with system through DML, calls
Sophisticated users-form requests in a database query language
Specialized users -write specialized database applications that do not fit into the traditional data
processing framework
Naive users-invoke one of the permanent application programs that have been written
previously. For example, people accessing database over the web, bank sellers, and clerical staff
etc.
18. What are the functions of Database administrator?
a) Schema definition
b) Storage structure and access method definition
c) Schema and physical organization modification
d) Granting user authority to access the database
e) Specifying integrity constraints
f) Monitoring performance and responding to changes in requirements
19. What is a data dictionary?
A data dictionary is a data structure which stores meta data about the structure of the database
(i.e) the schema of the database.
PART-B
1. Explain the drawbacks of traditional file processing systems with examples.
2. With the help of a block diagram explain the basic architecture of a database management system.
3. What are the different data models present and explain briefly?
4. How does DBMS provide data abstraction? Explain the concept of data independence
 DHANALAKSHMI SRINIVASAN UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

5. With a neat diagram describe the overall system structure of DBMS.

6. Draw and explain three-tier schema architecture of database system.
ER MODELLING
1. What is an entity relationship model?
The entity relationship model is a collection of basic objects called entities and relationship
among those objects. An entity is a thing or object in the real world that is distinguishable from
other objects.
2. What are attributes? Give examples.
An entity is represented by a set of attributes. Attributes are descriptive properties possessed by
each member of an entity set.
Example: Possible attributes of customer entity are customer name, customer id, Customer
Street, customer city.
3. What is an entity?
An entity is an object that exists and is distinguishable from other objects.
Example: specific person, company, event, plant
4. Define the terms:
i) Entity set
ii) Relationship set
Entity set: The set of all entities of the same type is termed as an entity set.
Relationship set: The set of all relationships of the same type is termed as a relationship set.
5. Define single valued and multivalued attributes.
Single valued attributes:
Attributes with a single value for a particular entity are called single valued attributes.
Multivalued attributes:
Attributes with a set of value for a particular entity are called multivalued attributes.
6. What are stored and derived attributes?
Stored attributes:The attributes stored in a data base are called stored attributes.
Derived attributes: The attributes that are derived from the stored attributes are called derived
attributes.
7. Define null values.
In some cases a particular entity may not have an applicable value for an attribute or if we do
not know the value of an attribute for a particular entity. In these cases null value is used.

8. What does the cardinality ratio specify?

Mapping cardinalities or cardinality ratios express the number of entities to which another entity
can be associated. Mapping cardinalities must be one of the follow- ing:

One to one
One to many
Many to one
Many to many
 DHANALAKSHMI SRINIVASAN UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

9. Define the terms:

(i) Key attribute
ii) Value set
Key attribute: An entity type usually has an attribute whose values are distinct from each
individual entity in the collection. Such an attribute is called a key attribute.
Value set: Each simple attribute of an entity type is associated with a value set that specifies the
set of values that may be assigned to that attribute for each individual entity.
10. Define weak and strong entity sets?
Weak entity set: entity set that do not have key attribute of their own are called weak entity
sets.
Strong entity set: Entity set that has a primary key is termed a strong entity set.
11. Explain the two types of participation constraint.
Total: The participation of an entity set E in a relationship set R is said to be total if every entity
in E participates in at least one relationship in R.
Partial: If only some entities in E participate in relationships in R, the participation of entity set E
in relationship R is said to be partial
12. Define the terms Generalization and Aggregation?
Generalization is a containment relationship that exists between a high-level Entity set and one
or more low-level entity set.
Aggregation is an abstraction through which relationships are treated as higher-level entities.

13. What is ER diagram?

An entity-relationship diagram is a data modeling technique that creates a graphical
representation of the entities, and the relationships between entities, within an information
system.
14. What are the steps involved in creating in ERD?
a) Identify the entities.
b) Find the relationships
c) Identify key attributes for every entity
d) Draw the ERD.
PART –B

1. Explain about Entity Relationship Model with ER diagrams and examples.

2. Draw an E-R diagram for
i. Student Management Systems
ii. Hospital Management Systems
iii. Library Management Systems …etc