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Database_Exam_Answers

The document provides comprehensive answers for a Database Design and Management exam, covering topics such as disadvantages of file processing systems, data independence, normalization, and various database operations. It includes explanations of key concepts like primary keys, candidate keys, and different normal forms, as well as comparisons between database models and characteristics of the database approach. Additionally, it discusses E-R diagrams, relational algebra operations, and decomposition in database design.

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20 views

Database_Exam_Answers

The document provides comprehensive answers for a Database Design and Management exam, covering topics such as disadvantages of file processing systems, data independence, normalization, and various database operations. It includes explanations of key concepts like primary keys, candidate keys, and different normal forms, as well as comparisons between database models and characteristics of the database approach. Additionally, it discusses E-R diagrams, relational algebra operations, and decomposition in database design.

Uploaded by

odexter629
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Comprehensive Answers for Database Design and Management Exam

PART - A (10 Cartesian Product 2 = 20 Marks)

1. What are the disadvantages of the File Processing System?


- Data Redundancy & Inconsistency: The same data is stored in multiple locations, leading to inconsistencies.
- Difficulty in Data Access: Each application has its own data format, making retrieval complex.
- Data Isolation: Data is stored in separate files, making retrieval difficult.
- Integrity Issues: Constraints like uniqueness and relationships are hard to enforce.
- Atomicity Issues: Transaction failures can leave the database in an inconsistent state.
- Security Concerns: Limited control over access permissions compared to a DBMS.

2. Define Data Independence.


- Data Independence allows modification of database schema without affecting application programs.
- Logical Data Independence: Changes in schema structure do not impact application programs.
- Physical Data Independence: Changes in storage structure do not impact schema structure.

3. What do you mean by instance & schema? Explain the difference.


- Instance: A snapshot of data stored in the database at a particular time.
- Schema: The overall structure and design of the database.
- Difference: Schema remains unchanged over time, while an instance changes frequently.

4. Give an example of the following relationships:


- Many-to-One: Multiple employees reporting to one manager.
- One-to-One: A person and their passport.
- One-to-Many: A teacher having multiple students.
- Many-to-Many: Students enrolled in multiple courses.

5. Differentiate between Cartesian Product and Natural Join.


- Cartesian Product: Returns all possible pairs of tuples from two relations, regardless of matching attributes.
- Natural Join: Combines two relations based on common attributes, removing duplicate columns.

6. Discuss about 2NF.


- A relation is in 2NF (Second Normal Form) if:
- It is in 1NF (First Normal Form).
- There are no partial dependencies (i.e., non-key attributes must depend on the whole primary key).

7. List the anomalies of 1NF.


- Insertion Anomaly: Adding a new record might require dummy values.
- Deletion Anomaly: Deleting a record might result in losing important data.
- Update Anomaly: Changing a value in one place requires multiple updates.
8. Which normal form is considered adequate for normal relational database design?
- Third Normal Form (3NF) is considered adequate as it eliminates transitive dependencies while preserving functional
dependencies.

9. Why do we need Normalization?


- Reduces Data Redundancy
- Eliminates Anomalies
- Improves Data Integrity
- Enhances Query Performance

10. What is a primary key and a candidate key?


- Primary Key: A unique identifier for each record.
- Candidate Key: A set of attributes that can uniquely identify a record; one is selected as the Primary Key.

PART - B (5 Cartesian Product 13 = 65 Marks)

11.a Draw an E-R diagram for a banking enterprise with almost all components and explain.
- Entities: Customer, Account, Loan, Transaction, Employee, Branch
- Relationships:
- A customer can have multiple accounts.
- A customer can apply for multiple loans.
- A branch handles multiple accounts and loans.
- Transactions are linked to accounts.

OR

11.b Compare the following:


- Network Model vs Hierarchical Model
| Feature | Network Model | Hierarchical Model |
|---------|--------------|--------------------|
| Structure | Graph-like (Many-to-Many) | Tree-like (One-to-Many) |
| Flexibility | More flexible | Less flexible |
| Relationship | Parent-child & many-to-many | Only parent-child |
| Query Processing | Complex | Simpler |

12.a Explain SELECT, PROJECT, Cartesian Product, and JOIN operations in relational algebra with an example.
- SELECT (SELECT): Filters rows based on conditions.
- PROJECT (PROJECT): Selects specific columns.
- Cartesian Product (Cartesian Product): Joins every row from one table to every row of another.
- JOIN (JOIN): Combines tables based on common attributes.

OR

12.b Describe the DML and DCL commands for the student's database.
- DML (Data Manipulation Language):
- INSERT INTO Students VALUES (...)
- UPDATE Students SET name = 'John' WHERE id = 101
- DELETE FROM Students WHERE id = 101
- SELECT * FROM Students
- DCL (Data Control Language):
- GRANT SELECT ON Students TO User1
- REVOKE UPDATE ON Students FROM User1

13.a (i) Discuss the main characteristics of the database approach and how it differs from the traditional file system.
- Characteristics:
- Data Abstraction
- Data Independence
- Efficient Query Processing
- Security & Integrity
- Concurrency Control
- Differences:
- Reduces Redundancy
- Enforces Data Integrity
- Supports Transactions

(ii) What are the three levels of abstraction in DBMS?


- Physical Level: How data is stored.
- Logical Level: What data is stored and relationships.
- View Level: How users interact with data.

14.a Illustrate multi-value dependency and fourth normal form (4NF) with an example.
- Multi-Value Dependency (MVD): If A ->-> B, A ->-> C, but B and C are independent.
- 4NF: A relation is in 4NF if it is in BCNF and contains no MVDs.
- Example:
- Student (ID, Course, Hobby) -> If courses and hobbies are independent, MVD exists.
- To achieve 4NF, separate into Student-Course and Student-Hobby tables.

15.a Describe in detail:


(i) Non-loss decomposition:
- Splitting a relation into two or more relations without losing information using natural joins.

(ii) Lossy decomposition:


- Data is lost when decomposing a table, happening when no common key is preserved.

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