MODULE WISE QUESTION BANK

Module 1:
1.What are the main characteristics of database approach over the file processing
approach?
2. What are the responsibilities of DBA and database designers?
3. List the advantages and disadvantages of DBMS? Discuss any five advantages by
comparing with file system?
4. Define the terms
a. Data
b. Database
c. Metadata
d. Data Model
e. Canned transactions
f. Database designers
5. Discuss the main characteristics of database approach. How does it differ from the
traditional file system?
6. What is meant by “persistent storage for program objects” explain.
7. Explain the advantages of DBMS.
8. List the different types of end users.
9. Explain different categories of data models? (06 marks)
10. Explain the three-schema architecture? (06 marks)
11. What is data independence? Bring out different types of independence. (06 marks)
12. List the differences between logical and physical data independence (05 marks)
13. Define the following and explain with an example each. (05 marks)
a. Snapshot b) Intension c) Extension d) Schema construct
14. Define schema and instance. (04 marks)
15. What are the problems associated with three schema architecture. (02 marks)
16. Why would you choose a database system over flat files. When would make
Sense not to use database system.
17. Explain the typical components module of a DBMS with neat diagram. (10 marks)
18. With neat diagram explain the operation of two-tier client/server architecture for the
RDBMS? (08 marks)
19. What are the data base utilities list few functions that utilities perform. (08 marks)
20. Discuss the criteria used to classify DBMS. (06 marks)
21. Define the terms: DDL, DML and DCL with examples. (06 marks)
22. Define and explain the importance of database catalog and explain the internal storage
format of a catalog with example. (06 marks)
23. Discuss different types of user friendly interfaces and the types of users who typically use
each?
24. What is an attribute? Explain the different types of attributes that occur in ER-Model with
Examples. Write their corresponding notations? (14 marks)
25. Discuss the conventions for displaying the ER schema as an ER diagram. (04 marks)
26. List out the notations for ER-diagram and their meaning. (10 marks)
27. With a neat diagram explain the phases of database design. (08 marks)
28. What are the structural constraints on a relationship type? Explain with
Examples? (05 marks)
29. What is a weak entity type? Explain the role of partial key in design of
weak entity type? (05 marks)
30. Define/Explain the following terms with examples:
Recursive relationship.
Weak entity type.
Atomic attributes.
Participation constraint.
Cardinality ratio.
Ternary relationship.
Entity.
Strong entity.
Composite attribute.
One to many relationship.
Weak entity set. (2x11 marks)
31. Define and explain partial key with example. (04 marks)
32. What is meant by recursive relationship? Explain the importance of
role Names in recursive relationship with example. (08 marks)
33. What is the concept of weak entity type used in data modeling? Define owner entity type
and identifying relationship type. (06 marks)
34. Describe how to map the following in ER-model to schema
i) Strong entity
ii)One to one relationship (10marks)
35. What is cardinality ratio and its types? (04marks)
36. Draw and ER Diagram for company database.
37. Draw an ER Diagram for Bank database.
38. Draw an ER Diagram for University Database.
39. Draw an ER Diagram for Movies Database.
Module 2:
1. Define the following terms as they apply to the relational model of data: domain, attribute, n-
tuple.
2. List and explain characteristics of relations.
3. Define attribute. Explain with an example the types of attribute.
4. What is the difference between a key and a superkey?
5. Discuss the entity integrity and referential integrity constraints. Why each is considered
important?
6. Define foreign key. What is this concept used for?
7. Define primary key, candidate key.
8. Define the following terms as they apply to the relational model of data: relation schema,
relation state, degree of a relation, relational database schema, and relational database state
9. What are the basic operations that can change the states of relations in the database? Explain
how basic operations deal with constraint violations?
10. Explain briefly violations in entity integrity constraint, key and referential integrity
constraints with example.
11. What is a transaction? How does it differ from an Update operation?
12. List and explain with an example the various basic relational algebra operations
13. Discuss various types of set theory operations with example.
14. Explain all types of outer join operations in relational algebra. Demonstrate the advantage of
outer join operation over the inner join operation.
15. Explain recursive closure operations with example.
16. Explain aggregate functions and grouping with example.
17. Considering the following schema
Sailors(sid, sname, rating, age)
Boats(bid, bname, color)
Reserves(sid, bid, day)
Write a relational algebra queries for the following:
i)Find the names of sailors who have reserved boat#103
ii) Find the names of sailors who have reserved a red boat
iii)Find the names of sailors who have reserved a red or green boat
iv) Find the names of sailors who have reserved all boats
18. Describe the steps of an algorithm for ER- to -relational mapping with suitable example.
Module 3:
1. What is the need of normalization?
2. What is normalization?
3. What are Informal Design Guidelines for Relation Schemas.
4. What are the advantages of normalization?
5. What are normalization rules?
6. Explain insertion, deletion and modification anomalies. Why are they considered bad?
Illustrate with example.
7. What is functional dependency?
8. Explain the types of functional dependency?
9. Explain 1NF,2NF and 3NF with example?
10. Given a relation R( A, B, C, D) and Functional Dependency set FD = { AB → CD, B → C
}, determine whether the given R is in 2NF? If not convert it into 2 NF.
11. How to go from 1nf to 2nf to 3nf?
12. What is the difference between 2nf and 3nf?
13. What is the difference between 4nf and multivalued dependency?
14.What is multivalued dependency and how it can be removed?
15.What is BCNF in the dbms and why we use it ?
16.What is trivial and non-trivial multivalued dependency?
17. How to convert table in to BCNF?
18. What are key features of Join Dependencies ?
19. What is Join dependency ?
20. What is Fifth Normal Form?
21. Which normal form deals with join dependency?
22. Why do we use join dependency in 5nf?
23. What are key features of Join Dependencies ?
24. What is Join dependency ?
25. What is Fifth Normal Form?
26. Which normal form deals with join dependency?
27. Why do we use join dependency in 5nf?
28. What is schema change statement?
29. What are the basic Retrieval Queries in SQL?
30. What are the various Attribute Data Types and Domains in SQL?
31. What is Pattern Matching in SQL ?
32. Explain different constraints in SQL?
33. Explain Key and Referential Integrity Constraints with example?
34. Explain advantages of SQL?
35.Differentiate between HAVING and WHERE clause in SQL?
36.Explain check and foreign key in SQL?
37.Explain substring comparision in sql?
 Module 4:
1.

2. Consider the following schema and write the relational algebra expressions for the queries given below:
SAILORS(Sid, Sname, rating, age)
BOATS(bid, bname, color)
RESERVES(sid, bid,day)
(i) Find names of sailors who reserved green boat
(ii) Find the colors of boats reserved by “Ramesh”
(iii) Find names of sailors who have reserved a red or a green boat.
(iv) Find the “sids” of sailors with age over 20 who have not registered a red boat. 22.

3. Consider the following relations for a database that keeps track of business trips of sales persons in a sales
office:
Salesperson (Salespersonid, Name, Start-year, Dept-no)
Trip (Salespersonid, from, to, Departure-date, Return-date, trip-id)
Expense (trp-id, AccountNo, Amount)
Specify the foreign keys for the above schema. Then specify the following queries in relational
algebra.
Give the details (all attributes of trip relation) for trip that exceeded 10,000/- in expenses.
Print the ‘Salespersonid’ and ‘Name’ of the salespersons who took trips to ‘delhi’.
Print the total trip expenses incurred by the salesman with Salespersonid = ‘504’.

4. Consider the following relational database schema

Student (Student-id,Sname,major,GPA)
Faculty (Faculty-id,fname,dept,designation,salary)
Course (Course-id,Cname,Faculty-id) Enrol (Course-id,Student-id,grade)

5.Write the following queries in SQL:

a.List the names of all students enrolled for the course “IS6T1” and have received “A” grade.
b.List all the departments having an average salary of above Rs. 10,000.
c.Give a 20% raise to salary of all faculty.
d.List the names of all faculty members beginning with “P” and ending with letter “A”.
e. Add ‘John’ as an employee with id = 99, and Major =’Maths’ GPA=’B’.
f. Retrieve the faculty who gets the second highest salary.
6. What is view in SQL? How is it defined?
7. Concurrency control is needed in transaction? Justify. Illustrate with example.
8. Describe the various states of transaction execution with the suitable diagram.
9. With a neat state transition diagram, discuss the different states of transaction.
10. Define serial and parallel schedule. Outline the desirable properties of transaction.
11. What are ACID properties? Explain.
12. Check whether each schedule is serializable? If a schedule is serializable then, model its equivalent serial
schedule.
T1:R1(X); R1(Z); W1(X);
T2:R2(X); R2(Y); W2(Z); W2(Y);
T3:R3(X); R3(Y); W3(Y);
S1: R1(X); R2(Z); R1(Z); R3(X); R3(Y); W1(X); W3(Y); R2(Y); W2(Z); W2(Y);
S2: R1(X); R2(Z); R3(X); R1(Z); R2(Y); R3(Y); W1(X); W2(Z); W3(Y); W2(Y);
13. How Serializibilty is used for Concurrency Control
14. What is a schedule? Explain with an example conflict serializable schedule.
15. Explain transaction support in SQL.
 Module 5
1. Discuss the problems of deadlock and starvation, and the different approaches to dealing with these
problems.
2. Describe the wait-die and wound-wait protocols for deadlock prevention.
3. Describe the cautious waiting, no waiting, and timeout protocols for deadlock prevention.
4. What is a timestamp? How does the system generate timestamps?
5. Discuss the timestamp ordering protocol for concurrency control. How does strict timestamp ordering
differ from basic timestamp ordering?
6. How do optimistic concurrency control techniques differ from other concurrency control techniques?
Why are they called validation or certification techniques? Discuss the typical phases of an optimistic
concurrency control method.
7. What is the two-phase locking protocol? How does it guarantee serializability?
8. What are some variations of the two-phase locking protocol? Why is strict or rigorous two-phase
locking often preferred?
9. What is snapshot isolation? What are the advantages and disadvantages of concurrency control methods
that are based on snapshot isolation?
10. How does the granularity of data items affect the performance of concurrency control? What factors affect
selection of granularity size for data items?
11. What is multiple granularity locking ? What are the types of locks?
12. What are the rules to be followed in multiple granularity locking protocol?
13. For which types of applications were NOSQL systems developed?
14. What are the main categories of NOSQL systems? List a few of the NOSQL systems in each category.
15. What are the main characteristics of NOSQL systems in the areas related to data models and query
languages?
16. What are the main characteristics of NOSQL systems in the areas related to distributed systems and
distributed databases?
17. What is the CAP theorem? Which of the three properties (consistency, availability, partition tolerance)
are most important in NOSQL systems?
18. What are the similarities and differences between using consistency in CAP versus using consistency in
ACID?
19. For which types of applications were NOSQL systems developed?
20. What are the main categories of NOSQL systems? List a few of the NOSQL systems in each category.
21. What are the main characteristics of NOSQL systems in the areas related to data models and query
languages?
22. What are the main characteristics of NOSQL systems in the areas related to distributed systems and
distributed databases?
23. What is the CAP theorem? Which of the three properties (consistency, availability, partition tolerance)
are most important in NOSQL systems?
24. What are the similarities and differences between using consistency in CAP versus using consistency in
ACID?
25. What are the data modeling concepts used in MongoDB? What are the main CRUD operations of
MongoDB?
26. Discuss how replication and sharding are done in MongoDB
27. Discuss the data modeling concepts in DynamoDB.
28. Describe the consistent hashing schema for data distribution, replication, and sharding. How are
consistency and versioning handled in Voldemort?