Exam preparation session

1
Exam preparation session
2
Examinable Topics

• Key characteristics of databases
• From data modelling to DB design
• Beyond data modelling
• Realistic constraints key practical questions
• Key decisions in design optimisation
• Categories of critical operations (inc. internet
  DBs)
• Issues in DB performance
• Reading data in Oracle
• Writing / changing data
• Indexing
• Partitioning
• Distributed DBs
• Control / challenges / protocols for commit
  abort / timestamping
• Options for data administration

3
Examinable Topics (2)

• Creating Oracle DBs
• When DB is created
• Block size
• Tablespaces
• Object creation sizing / extents / segments /
  tables / views / clusters
• Data Warehousing
• From OLTPS to DMSS
• Data extract explosion
• Data quality
• Datawarehouse architecture / life cycle / data
  models / implementation approaches
• Datamarts
• Predefined reports / OLAP / data mining
• Transferring / migrating data
• Data staging areas
• Data cleaning
• What can go wrong utilities
• Advanced Database tuning methodologies and
  techniques

4
Exam paper

• 120 marks (80cw 200)
• 6 questions must do 4 type
• 5 questions a b
• 1 straight question
• All are focused on one specific topic but can
  involve material across lectures
• Notes (web class attendance) are sufficient

5
Sample question

• Question x
• (a) Explain how Oracle handles the sizing and
  the growth of objects in a tablespace (e.g
  segments, extents, pctincrease factor, block size
  etc) and what this means for database
  administrators
• (13 percent)
• (b) Explain the use of tablespaces in Oracle and
  the reasoning behind creating and organizing them
  (e.g. business relevance, types of objects, etc).
• (12 percent)