Course Title: Database Systems

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Database Systems

Credit Points: 12

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
COSC2406	City Campus	Undergraduate	140H Comp Sci & Info Technology	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2007, Sem 1 2008, Sem 1 2009, Sem 1 2010, Sem 1 2011
COSC2407	City Campus	Postgraduate	140H Comp Sci & Info Technology	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2007, Sem 1 2008, Sem 1 2009, Sem 1 2010, Sem 1 2011
COSC2449	Taylors College KL	Undergraduate	140H Comp Sci & Info Technology	Face-to-Face	Offsh 1 11

Course Coordinator: Dr. Falk Scholer

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 9831

Course Coordinator Email:falk.scholer@rmit.edu.au

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Fundamental knowledge of relational database concepts, including relational modelling & design, relational algebra, SQL, and conceptual modelling, equivalent to Database Concepts.
Extensive programming skills in C language and advanced data structures and algorithms, equivalent to Algorithms and Analysis.

Course Description

This course is the second and final compulsory database course. The course aims to broaden knowledge of the implementation of database systems and to introduce emerging database technologies such as information retrieval. File structures and indexing are discussed, and analytical details presented, that enable students to understand efficiency in query evaluation. The concept of the transaction is introduced along with the necessity of concurrency control and serialisability. Issues of backup and recovery for databases are discussed.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course contributes to the development of the following capabilities:
Enabling Knowledge: database query optimisation, transactions, failure and recovery, concurrency control, physical database design, and information retrieval.
Problem Solving: Ability to design and implement database storage and index structures.
Critical Analysis: Ability to analyse database queries and data specifications to design appropriate query optimisation mechanisms, and to methodically explore issues of efficient designs for various database systems.
Responsibility: Ability to apply relevant standards and ethical considerations to the design and implementation of efficient database storage and index structures.

On completion of this course you should have gained a good understanding of the file structures and advanced concepts in database systems. Specifically, you should be able to:

• Identify and analyse suitable  file structures and indexing techniques for different database systems
• Apply query evaluation, processing, and optimisation techniques in database applications to improve the query processing
• Analyse transaction processing, concurrency control, and recovery techniques in database systems
• Apply information retrieval techniques to efficiently retrieve documents from large text collections.

Overview of Learning Activities

The learning activities included in this course are:

• key concepts will be explained in lectures, classes or online, where syllabus material will be presented and the subject matter will be illustrated with demonstrations and examples;
• tutorials and/or labs and/or group discussions (including online forums) focussed on projects and problem solving will provide practice in the application of theory and procedures, allow exploration of concepts with teaching staff and other students, and give feedback on your progress and understanding;
• assignments, as described in Overview of Assessment (below), requiring an integrated understanding of the subject matter; and
• private study, working through the course as presented in classes and learning materials, and gaining practice at solving conceptual and technical problems.

Attendance:
While a minimum attendance standard is not compulsory, non-attendance may seriously jeopardise the chances of success in this course. Clearly, non-attendance at an assessment will result in failure of that assessment. Where visa conditions apply, attendance is compulsory.

Overview of Learning Resources

You will make extensive use of computer laboratories and relevant software provided by the School. You will be able to access course information and learning materials through the Learning Hub (also known as online@RMIT) and may be provided with copies of additional materials in class or via email. Lists of relevant reference texts, resources in the library and freely accessible Internet sites will be provided.

Use the RMIT Bookshop’s textbook list search page to find any recommended textbook(s).

Overview of Assessment

The assessment for this course comprises practical work involving the design and implementation of various components of a database system and a formal written examination.

For standard assessment details, including deadlines, weightings, and hurdle requirements relating to Computer Science and IT courses see: http://www.rmit.edu.au/compsci/cgi