Modulewise Question Bank

Module 1:

1. Define the following terms:

a. Data base
b. Canned transaction
c. Data model:
d. Meta data:
e. Data base designer
2. Explain the characteristics of data base approach.
3. What are the responsibilities of data base administrators?
4. Explain the typical components of a DBMS with a neat diagram.
5. Define and explain the following terms with an example for each.
6. What is meant by “persistent storage for program objects”. Explain.
7. Briefly discuss the advantages of using the DBMS.
8. Explain the component modules of DBMS and their interaction, with help of a diagram.
9. Discuss the main Characteristics of the database approach. How does it differ from
Traditional file systems?
10. Explain the difference between Logical and physical data Independence?
11. Explain the Operation of Two-Tier Client/Server architecture for
12. Discuss Various Components of a DBMS with a neat diagram.
13. List and explain the main Characteristics of Database approach?
14. Briefly explain the advantages of Object Oriented Systems?

Entity-Relationship Model
1. List the summary of the notations for ER diagrams. Include symbols used in ER diagram
and their meaning.
2. With respect to ER model explain with example.
3. Explain how role names are assigned in case of recursive relationships? Illustrate this
concept with an example.
4. What is meant by partial key? Explain.
5. Define an entity and an attribute, explain the different types of attributes that occur in an
ER diagram model, with an example.
6. Define the following with an example
Weak entity types
Cardinality ratio
Ternary relationship
Participation constraints
7. Design an ER Diagram for keeping track of Information about Bank Database, Taking
into account 4 entities?
8. Describe how to map the following Scenario’s in ER Model to schema, with suitable
example: ?
9. Define and explain Partial Key, with example?
10. What is meant by recursive relationship? Bring out the importance of role names in
recursive relationship, with an example?
11. Explain Specialization and generalization with example.
Module 2:

1. List and explain the characteristics of relations. (6 Marks)

2. What is meant by integrity constraint? Explain the importance of referential integrity
constraint. How referential integrity constraint is implemented in SQL? (10 Marks)
3. Explain foreign key and its importance. Can a foreign key exist only for a single table?
Explain. (5 Marks)
4. Define the following terms with an example for each: (i) Super key (ii) Domain (iii) Tuple
(iv) NULL (v) relational schema
5. Briefly discuss the different types of update operations on relational database. Show an
example of a violation of referential integrity in each of the update operation. (8 Marks)
6. What is a valid state and invalid state with respect to a database?
7. Define: i) domain constraint ii) semantic integrity constraint iii) functional dependency
constraint.
8. List the set theory operations used in relational data model. Explain any 2 with example. (6
Marks)
9. List the various types of inner join operations. Explain.
10. How can intersection operator be implemented using UNION and MINUS operators? (3
Marks)
11. Write short notes on query tree.
12. What is OUTER JOIN? Explain the types of outer join.
13. Explain how to design a relational database using ER to relational mapping. 14. Explain
the various UNARY relational operations. 15. Explain the binary relational operation
JOIN. 16. Discuss the various types of JOIN operations. Why is theta join required? (5/6
Marks) 17. Explain the SELECT and PROJECT operations in relational algebra. (5
Marks)
Relational Model and Relational Algebra
1. Define the following terms with an example for each. (JUN/JULY 2009)
i)Superkey ii)Tuple iii)Domain iv)Nulls v)Relational Schema
2. Define the following terms with an example for each.Explain:
i) Domain constraint ii) Semantic integrity constraint iii)Functional dependency constraint
3. Define referential integrity constraint. Explain the importance of referential integrity
constraint. How is this constraint implemented in SQL
4. Explain:
a. Domain constraint
b. Semantic integrity constraint .
c. Functional dependency constraint
5. Discuss the characteristics of a relation, with an example
6. Briefly discuss the different types of update operations on relational database. show an
example of a violation of referential integrity in each of the update operation
7. What is valid state and an invalid state,with respect to a Database.
8. List the characteristics of relation? Discuss any one?
9. Discuss Various types of Inner Join Operations?
10. Explain Foreign key and its importance. Can foreign key exist, only for single table
explain?
11. How an Intersection Operator can be implemented using Union and Minus operator?

SQL – 1
1. Given the schema
EMP ( Fname, Lname, SSN, Bdate, Address, Sex, Salary, SuperSSN,Dno)
DEP T(Dname, Dnumber, MgrSSN, MGrstartdate)
DEPT-LOC (Ploc,Dnum)
DEPT(Dnumber, Dloc)
PROJECT(Pname, Pnumber, Plocation)
WORKS-ON (ESSN,PNo,Hours)
Give the relation algebra expression for the following:
i. List ‘CSE’ department details.
ii)List female employees from Dno=20 earning more than 50000
iii. Retrieve the first name, last name and salary of all employees who work in departmental
number 50
iv. Retrieve the name of the manager of each department.
v. Retrieve the name and address of all employees who work for sports department
2. With respect to SQL, explain with example.
1 Drop table
2 Alter table
3. Explain IN and EXISTS operations with an example.
4. How does SQL implement the entity integrity constraints of relational Data Model?
Explain with an example
5. Consider the following two tables T1 and T2 show the result of the
following operations.
a. T1∞T1.p = T2. A T2
b. T1∞T1. Q=T2. B T2
c. T1∞T 1.p= T2.A T2
d. T1UT2
6. Explain with an example ,the basic constraints that can be specified ,when you create a
table in SQL
7. Explain how group By clause works? What is the difference between WHERE and
Having? In many cases, we want to apply the aggregate functions to subgroups of tuples
in a relation Each subgroup of tuples consists of the set of tuples that have the same value
for the grouping attribute(s)
8. How does SQL implement the entity integrity constraints of relational Data Model?
Explain with an example?
9. Explain all possible options that are specified when referential integrity constraint is
violated using suitable example for all options
10. Write queries in SQL for the following
a. Select all EMPLOYEE SSNs , and all combinations of EMPLOYEE SSN and
DEPARTMENT DNAME ?
b. Show the resulting salaries if every employee working on the 'ProductX' project is
given a 10 percent raise.

Module 3
1. Distinguish between static and dynamic SQL.
2. What is meant by static SQL? How it differs from dynamic SQL?
3. How are the nulls represented in database system?
4. What are aggregate functions?
5. What is the purpose of group by clause in the SELECT statement?
6. What are views? How they are created?
7. What do you mean by integrity constraints ?
8. Which subdivision of SQL is used to put values in tables and which one to create tables ?
9. Differentiate between SQL commands DROP TABLE and DROP VIEW.
10. What is the difference between WHERE and Having Clause ?
11. Discuss the various type of join operations ? Why are these join required.
12. How are exceptions handled in PL/SQL? Give some of the internal exceptions' name
13. What are stored-procedures? And what are the advantages of using them.
14. What are cursors give different types of cursors.
Module 4
1. What is normalization?
2. What are Armstrong rules? How do we say that they are complete and/or sound
3. Explain the codd’s rules for relational database design.
4. Explain Functional dependency and Trivial functional dependency with examples.
5. Explain the term Distributed DBMS and Client-Server DBMS
6. Define the relational data model.
7. What is Functional Dependency?
8. What do you mean by redundancy ?How this can be avoided ?
9. When is a functional dependency F said to be minimal?
10. What is Multivalued dependency?
11. What is Lossless join property?
12. What is Fully Functional dependency?
13. What is lossy decomposition?
14. What is transitive dependency?
15. What is 1NF, 2NF, 3NF and BCNF (Boyce-Codd Normal Form)?
16. Explain Closure of Set of Functional dependency and Closure of Attribute sets
17. Explain Canonical cover and Extraneous Attributes with examples.
18. What do you understand by dependency preservation?

Module 5

1. What are the different phases of transaction?

2. What are the ACID properties of a transaction? a. What do you mean by isolation? Why is
it important? Give an example. b. What do you mean by consistency? Why is it important?
Give an example. c. What do you mean by atomicity? Why is it important? Give an
example. d. What do you mean by durability? Why is it important? Give an example.
3. List out the states of a transaction.
4. Discuss the immediate update recovery technique is both single and multiuser
environment.
5. Explain the purpose of checkpoint mechanism. How often should checkpoints be
performed
6. List and explain various types of specialized locking techniques used in DBMS
7. Why is concurrency control needed? Explain lost update, Inconsistent retrievals and
Uncommitted dependency anomalies.
8. What is a deadlock ? How can a deadlock occur ? explain.
9. Briefly explain one deadlock prevention algorithm.
10. What if time stamping is used ? Explain briefly
11. What is two-phase locking and how does it guarantee serializability ?
12. Discuss the concurrency control mechanism in detail using suitable example.
13. Differentiate between Two phase locking and Rigorous two-phase locking.
14. How can deadlocks be avoided when using 2PL?
15. How Share and exclusive locks differ ?Explain.
16. How precedence graph can be used to detect deadlock ?
17. What is a system log ? What is the purpose of the system log in system recovery ?
18. What do you understand by distributed databases? Give the various advantages and
disadvantages of distributed database management system.
19. What is database recovery? Why backups are important?
20. What are transaction logs?
21. What do you mean by rollback?
22. What is the difference between volatile and non volatile storage?
23. What are redo and undo logs?
24. What is a timestamp? State its advantages.
25. What is shadow paging? State its advantages
26. What are the methods used to prevent the system from dead lock?
27. What is database recovery? Why backups are important?
28. Explain shadow paging recovery scheme in detail.
29. Define BCNF. How does it differ from 3NF? What is it considered a stronger from of
3NF? Explain with neat diagram
30. What are the design goals good database design? Is it always possible to achieve these
goals? If some of these goals are not achievable, what alternate goals should you aim for
and why?
31. Explain Serial and Non-serial schedules with examples
32. What is a transaction? Explain with an example
33. Discuss the different types of transaction failures. What is meant by catastrophic failure?
34. List and explain the desirable properties of transactions
35. What is meant by transaction rollback? Why is it necessary to check for cascading
rollback? Which recovery techniques do not require rollback?
36. What is shadow paging scheme? Where is it used?
37. What is multiversion technique of concurrency control? Describe with the help of an
example. Will this scheme result in rollback and /or deadlock? Justify your answer.
38. Describe the write-ahead logging protocol.