QUESTION

1:
What is
database
?
ANSWER:
A
database
is a
logically
coherent
collection
of data
with some
inherent
meaning,
representi
ng some
aspect of
real world
and which
is
designed,
built and
populated
with data
for a
specific
purpose.
QUESTION
2:
What is
DBMS?
ANSWER:
?
Redundan
cy is
controlled.
?
Unauthori
sed access
is
restricted.
?
Providing
multiple
user
interfaces.
?
Enforcing
integrity
constraint
s.
?
Providing
backup
and
recovery.
QUESTION
4:
What is a
Database
system?
ANSWER:
The
database
and DBMS
software
together
is called
as
Database
system.
QUESTION
5:
Disadvant
age in File
Processing
System?

ANSWER:
? Data
redundanc
y&
inconsiste
ncy.
? Difficult
in
accessing
data.
? Data
isolation.
? Data
integrity.
?
Concurren
t access is
not
possible.
? Security
Problems.
.
QUESTION
6:
Describe
the three
levels of
data
abstractio
n?
ANSWER:
The are
three
levels of
abstractio
n:

? Physical
level: The
lowest
level of
abstractio
n
describes
how data
are
stored.
? Logical
level: The
next
higher
level of
abstractio
n,
describes
what data
are stored
in
database
and what
relationshi
p among
those
data.

? View
level: The
highest
level of
abstractio
n
describes
only part
of entire
database.
QUESTION
7:
Define the
"integrity
rules"
ANSWER:
There are
two
Integrity
rules.
? Entity
Integrity:
States
that ?
Primary
key
cannot
have NULL
value?
?
Referentia
l
Integrity:
States
that ?
Foreign
Key can
be either
a NULL
value or
should be
Primary
Key value
of other
relation.

QUESTION
8:
What is
extension
and
intension?
ANSWER:
Extension
-It is the
number of
tuples
present in
a table at
any
instance.
This is
time
dependent
.
Intension
- It is a
constant
value that
gives the
name,
structure
of table
and the
constraint
s laid on
it.

QUESTION
9:
What is
System R?
What are
its two
major
subsystem
s?

ANSWER:
System R
was
designed
and
developed
over a
period of
1974-79
at IBM
San Jose
Research
Center . It
is a
prototype
and its
purpose
was to
demonstra
te that it
is possible
to build a
Relational
System
that can
be used in
a real life
environme
nt to solve
real life
problems,
with
performan
ce at least
comparabl
e to that
of existing
system.
Its two
subsystem
s are
?
Research
Storage
? System
Relational
Data
System.
QUESTION
10:
How is the
data
structure
of System
R different
from the
relational
structure?
ANSWER:
Unlike
Relational
systems in
System R
? Domains
are not
supported
?
Enforceme
nt of
candidate
key
uniquenes
s is
optional
?
Enforceme
nt of
entity
integrity is
optional

?
Referentia
l integrity
is not
enforced
QUESTION
11:
What is
Data
Independe
nce?

ANSWER:
Data
independe
nce
means
that ?the
applicatio
n is
independe
nt of the
storage
structure
and
access
strategy
of data?.
In other
words,
The ability
to modify
the
schema
definition
in one
level
should not
affect the
schema
definition
in the
next
higher
level.

Two types
of Data
Independe
nce:
? Physical
Data
Independe
nce :
Modificatio
n in
physical
level
should not
affect the
logical
level.
? Logical
Data
Independe
nce :
Modificatio
n in
logical
level
should
affect the
view level.
NOTE:
Logical
Data
Independe
nce is
more
difficult to
achieve
QUESTION
12:
What is a
view? How
it is
related to
data
independe
nce?
ANSWER:
A view
may be
thought of
as a
virtual
table, that
is, a table
that does
not really
exist in its
own right
but is
instead
derived
from one
or more
underlying
base
table. In
other
words,
there is no
stored file
that direct
represents
the view
instead a
definition
of view is
stored in
data
dictionary.
Growth
and
restructuri
ng of base
tables is
not
reflected
in views.
Thus the
view can
insulate
users from
the effects
of
restructuri
ng and
growth in
the
database.
Hence
accounts
for logical
data
independe
nce. .
QUESTION
13:
What is
Data
Model?
ANSWER:
A
collection
of
conceptual
tools for
describing
data, data
relationshi
ps data
semantics
and
constraint
s.
QUESTION
14:
What is E-
R model?
ANSWER:
This data
model is
based on
real world
that
consists of
basic
objects
called
entities
and of
relationshi
p among
these
objects.
Entities
are
described
in a
database
by a set of
attributes.
QUESTION
15:
What is
Object
Oriented
model?

ANSWER:
This
model is
based on
collection
of objects.
An object
contains
values
stored in
instance
variables
with in the
object. An
object
also
contains
bodies of
code that
operate
on the
object.
These
bodies of
code are
called
methods.
Objects
that
contain
same
types of
values
and the
same
methods
are
grouped
together
into
classes.
QUESTION
16:
What is an
Entity?
ANSWER:
It is a
'thing' in
the real
world with
an
independe
nt
existence.
QUESTION
17:
What is an
Entity
type?
ANSWER:
It is a
collection
(set) of
entities
that have
same
attributes.
QUESTION
18:
What is an
Entity set?
ANSWER:
It is a
collection
of all
entities of
particular
entity
type in
the
database.
QUESTION
19:
What is an
Extension
of entity
type?

ANSWER:
The
collections
of entities
of a
particular
entity
type are
grouped
together
into an
entity set.
QUESTION
20:
What is
Weak
Entity set?
ANSWER:
An entity
set may
not have
sufficient
attributes
to form a
primary
key, and
its
primary
key
compromi
ses of its
partial key
and
primary
key of its
parent
entity,
then it is
said to be
Weak
Entity set.
QUESTION
21:
What is an
attribute?
ANSWER:
It is a
particular
property,
which
describes
the entity.

QUESTION
22:
What is a
Relation
Schema
and a
Relation?
ANSWER:
A relation
Schema
denoted
by R(A1,
A2, ?, An)
is made
up of the
relation
name R
and the
list of
attributes
Ai that it
contains.
A relation
is defined
as a set of
tuples. Let
r be the
relation
which
contains
set tuples
(t1, t2, t3,
..., tn).
Each tuple
is an
ordered
list of n-
values
t=(v1,v2,
..., vn).
QUESTION
23:
What is
degree of
a
Relation?

ANSWER:
It is the
number of
attribute
of its
relation
schema.
QUESTION
24:
What is
Relationsh
ip?
ANSWER:
It is an
associatio
n among
two or
more
entities.

QUESTION
25:
What is
Relationsh
ip set?
ANSWER:
The
collection
(or set) of
similar
relationshi
ps.

QUESTION
26:
What is
Relationsh
ip type?
ANSWER:
Relationsh
ip type
defines a
set of
associatio
ns or a
relationshi
p set
among a
given set
of entity
types.
QUESTION
27:
What is
degree of
Relationsh
ip type?

ANSWER:
It is the
number of
entity
type
participati
ng.
QUESTION
28:
What is
Data
Storage -
Definition
Language
?
ANSWER:
The
storage
structures
and
access
methods
used by
database
system
are
specified
by a set of
definition
in a
special
type of
DDL called
data
storage-
definition
language.

QUESTION
29:
What is
DML (Data
Manipulati
on
Language)
?

ANSWER:
This
language
that
enable
user to
access or
manipulat
e data as
organised
by
appropriat
e data
model.

?
Procedural
DML or
Low level:
DML
requires a
user to
specify
what data
are
needed
and how
to get
those
data.
? Non-
Procedural
DML or
High
level: DML
requires a
user to
specify
what data
are
needed
without
specifying
how to get
those
data.

QUESTION
30:
What is
VDL (View
Definition
Language)
?
ANSWER:
It
specifies
user views
and their
mappings
to the
conceptual
schema.
QUESTION
31:
What is
DML
Compiler?
ANSWER:
It
translates
DML
statement
s in a
query
language
into low-
level
instruction
that the
query
evaluation
engine
can
understan
d.
QUESTION
32:
What is
Query
evaluation
engine?

ANSWER:
It
executes
low-level
instruction
generated
by
compiler.

QUESTION
33:
What is
DDL
Interprete
r?
ANSWER:
It
interprets
DDL
statement
s and
record
them in
tables
containing
metadata.

QUESTION
34:
What is
Record-at-
a-time?
ANSWER:
The Low
level or
Procedural
DML can
specify
and
retrieve
each
record
from a set
of records.
This
retrieve of
a record is
said to be
Record-at-
a-time.
QUESTION
35:
What is
Set-at-a-
time or
Set-
oriented?

ANSWER:
The High
level or
Non-
procedural
DML can
specify
and
retrieve
many
records in
a single
DML
statement
. This
retrieve of
a record is
said to be
Set-at-a-
time or
Set-
oriented.
QUESTION
36:
What is
Relational
Algebra?
ANSWER:
It is
procedural
query
language.
It consists
of a set of
operations
that take
one or two
relations
as input
and
produce a
new
relation.

QUESTION
37:
What is
Relational
Calculus?
ANSWER:
It is an
applied
predicate
calculus
specificall
y tailored
for
relational
databases
proposed
by E.F.
Codd. E.g.
of
languages
based on
it are DSL
ALPHA,
QUEL.
QUESTION
38:
How does
Tuple-
oriented
relational
calculus
differ from
domain-
oriented
relational
calculus

ANSWER:
The tuple-
oriented
calculus
uses a
tuple
variables
i.e.,
variable
whose
only
permitted
values are
tuples of
that
relation.
E.g. QUEL
The
domain-
oriented
calculus
has
domain
variables
i.e.,
variables
that range
over the
underlying
domains
instead of
over
relation.
E.g. ILL,
DEDUCE.
QUESTION
39:
What is
normalizat
ion?
ANSWER:
It is a
process of
analysing
the given
relation
schemas
based on
their
Functional
Dependen
cies (FDs)
and
primary
key to
achieve
the
properties
?
Minimizing
redundanc
y
?
Minimizing
insertion,
deletion
and
update
anomalies
.
QUESTION
40:
What is
Functional
Dependen
cy?

ANSWER:
A
Functional
dependen
cy is
denoted
by X Y
between
two sets
of
attributes
X and Y
that are
subsets of
R specifies
a
constraint
on the
possible
tuple that
can form
a relation
state r of
R. The
constraint
is for any
two tuples
t1 and t2
in r if
t1[X] =
t2[X] then
they have
t1[Y] =
t2[Y]. This
means the
value of X
componen
t of a
tuple
uniquely
determine
s the
value of
componen
t Y.
QUESTION
41:
When is a
functional
dependen
cy F said
to be
minimal?
ANSWER:
? Every
dependen
cy in F has
a single
attribute
for its
right hand
side.
? We
cannot
replace
any
dependen
cy X A in F
with a
dependen
cy Y A
where Y is
a proper
subset of
X and still
have a set
of
dependen
cy that is
equivalent
to F.
? We
cannot
remove
any
dependen
cy from F
and still
have set
of
dependen
cy that is
equivalent
to F.
QUESTION
42:
What is
Multivalue
d
dependen
cy?

ANSWER:
Multivalue
d
dependen
cy
denoted
by X Y
specified
on relation
schema R,
where X
and Y are
both
subsets of
R,
specifies
the
following
constraint
on any
relation r
of R: if
two tuples
t1 and t2
exist in r
such that
t1[X] =
t2[X] then
t3 and t4
should
also exist
in r with
the
following
properties
? t3[x] =
t4[X] =
t1[X] =
t2[X]
? t3[Y] =
t1[Y] and
t4[Y] =
t2[Y]
? t3[Z] =
t2[Z] and
t4[Z] =
t1[Z]
where [Z
= (R-(X U
Y)) ]
QUESTION
43:
What is
Lossless
join
property?

ANSWER:
It
guarantee
s that the
spurious
tuple
generation
does not
occur with
respect to
relation
schemas
after
decomposi
tion.
QUESTION
44:
What is 1
NF
(Normal
Form)?

ANSWER:
The
domain of
attribute
must
include
only
atomic
(simple,
indivisible
) values.
QUESTION
45:
What is
Fully
Functional
dependen
cy?

ANSWER:
It is based
on
concept of
full
functional
dependen
cy. A
functional
dependen
cy X Y is
full
functional
dependen
cy if
removal of
any
attribute A
from X
means
that the
dependen
cy does
not hold
any more.
QUESTION
46:
What is
2NF?
ANSWER:
A relation
schema R
is in 2NF if
it is in 1NF
and every
non-prime
attribute A
in R is
fully
functionall
y
dependent
on
primary
key.

QUESTION
47:
What is
3NF?

ANSWER:
A relation
schema R
is in 3NF if
it is in 2NF
and for
every FD
X A either
of the
following
is true
? X is a
Super-key
of R.
? A is a
prime
attribute
of R.
In other
words, if
every non
prime
attribute
is non-
transitivel
y
dependent
on
primary
key.

QUESTION
48:
What is
BCNF
(Boyce-
Codd
Normal
Form)?

ANSWER:
A relation
schema R
is in BCNF
if it is in
3NF and
satisfies
an
additional
constraint
that for
every FD
X A, X
must be a
candidate
key.
QUESTION
49:
What is
4NF?
ANSWER:
A relation
schema R
is said to
be in 4NF
if for
every
Multivalue
d
dependen
cy X Y
that holds
over R,
one of
following
is true

? X is
subset or
equal to
(or) XY =
R.
? X is a
super key.

QUESTION
50:
What is
5NF?

ANSWER:
A Relation
schema R
is said to
be 5NF if
for every
join
dependen
cy {R1,
R2, ...,
Rn} that
holds R,
one the
following
is true
? Ri = R
for some
i.
? The join
dependen
cy is
implied by
the set of
FD, over R
in which
the left
side is key
of R.