Database Systems 622

Learner Guide Overview

  • Institution: Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology

  • Module: Database Systems 622

  • Year/Semester: Year 2, Semester 2

  • Website: richfield.ac.za

General Information

  • Registration: Registered with the Department of Higher Education as a Private Higher Education Institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997.

  • Copyright: All rights reserved; reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Table of Contents

  • Preface: Includes welcome message, module title, purpose, learning outcomes, method of study, lecture details, notices, prescribed materials, assessment criteria, and work readiness program.

  • Main Content: Covers Database Systems topics such as Transaction Management, Distributed Database Management Systems, Object-oriented Databases, and Database Connectivity.

Section A: Preface

  1. Welcome: Introduction to the Faculty of Information Technology and the course objectives.

  2. Title of Module: Database 622, NQF Level 5, 10 Credits.

  3. Purpose: Guide learners in designing, implementing, and managing database systems.

  4. Learning Outcomes: Understanding database concepts, data analysis, E-R models, normalization, SQL, joins, views, subqueries, schema.

  5. Method of Study: Emphasizes independent study and engagement in lectures and tutorials.

  6. Lectures and Tutorials: Follow campus-specific notices for schedules and required preparations.

  7. Notices: Keep up-to-date with assessments, assignments, and schedules displayed on notice boards.

  8. Prescribed Materials: Required textbooks and recommended readings.

Assessment Structure

  • Continuous Assessment: Two compulsory tests and one assignment per module.

  • Examination: Final two-hour exam covering all content.

  • Assessment Weightings: Continuous Tests - 40%, Assignment - 20%, Semester Exam - 60%.

Key Concepts in Assessment

  • Task Cues: Understand key terms like list, describe, analyze, evaluate for examinations.

  • Work Readiness Programme: Enhance soft skills, employment skills, life skills, and computing proficiency.

Section B: Database Topics

  1. Transaction Management: Concepts of ACID properties, concurrency, and locking mechanisms.

  2. Concurrency Control: Techniques to manage simultaneous access to database resources.

  3. Recovery: Methods for recovering from system failures or inconsistencies in databases.

  4. DBMS Implementation: Overview of installing and configuring a database management system.

  5. Application Links: Use of databases in programming environments and APIs.

  6. Data Warehousing: Understanding structures for data analysis and reporting.

Learning Outcomes for Specific Topics

  • Data Manipulation: Understanding relational algebra and operations in SQL.

  • Concurrency with Transactions: Learn about transaction schedules, uncommitted dependencies, and serializability.

  • Data Warehousing Architecture: Concepts for building and managing data warehouses for analytical processing.

Assignment Guidelines

  • Adhere to academic integrity, avoiding plagiarism and unauthorized use of others' work.

  • Understand different types of academic dishonesty including direct copying and modifying without referencing.