DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Unit-wise Question Bank

Unit - I:
INTRODUCTION: History-purpose-view of Data-Database languages-Data Models-Data
Storage and Querying-Transaction management-Database Architecture-Two tier, Three tier-
Database users and Authorization.
Relational Algebra-Structure-keys-schema diagrams-Relational operations Formal
Relational Query Languages- Relational Algebra-Tuple Relational calculus - Domain
Relational Calculus.
SQL-Overview-Data Definition-basic Structure-basic operations-Set Operations-Null
Values-Aggregate Functions-Nested Subqueries-Modifications of the Databases-Join
Expressions-Integrity Constraints-views-Authorization-Functions-ProceduresTriggers-
Recursive Queries.
Unit I- Two Marks
1. What is DBMS?
2. What are the advantages of DBMS?
3. What are the Disadvantages of DBMS?
4. List out the applications of DBMS.
5. What are the disadvantages of File Systems?
6. Give the levels of data abstraction?
7. Define the terms
8. What is conceptual schema?
9. Define data model?
10. What is storage manager?
11. What are the components of storage manager?
12. What is the purpose of storage manager?
13. List the data structures implemented by the storage manager
14. What is a data dictionary?
15. Explain Referential Integrity.
16. Define Instances and schemas.
17. Define and explain the two types of Data Independence.
18. Define transaction.
19. Define the type types of DML.
20. List out the functions of DBA.
21. What is the need for DBA?
22. Define weak and strong entity sets?
23. What does the cardinality ratio specify?
24. Explain the two types of participation constraint.
25. Explain DML pre-compiler.
26. Define file manager and buffer manager.
27. Define Data Dictionary
28. What is a query language?
29. What in procedural and non-procedural languages?
30. What in Cartesian –product operation?
31. Define domain?
32. Define relation?
33. Define tuples?
34. What is the relation schema?
35. What is database schema?
36. What is database instance
37. What is relation instance?
38. What is relational algebra?
39. What is select operation?
40. Describe extended relational operation?

11 MARK QUESTIONS
1. Explain in detail about Database management systems
2. Explain in detail about view of data and levels of Abstraction
3. Explain in detail about Instances & Schemas
4. Explain in detail about Instances & Schemas
5. Explain in detail about Database Languages and its types
6. Describe the Structure of Relational Databases
7. Describe Relational Algebra and its operations
8. Explain in detail about SQL with its structure and example
9. Explain in detail about Basic Structure of SQL.
10. Explain in detail about SET operations in SQL
11. Write Short Notes on Null Values
12. Write Short Notes on Nested Sub Queries
13. Write Short Notes on SQL Views
14. Explain in detail Unified Modeling Language
15. Explain in detail about the modification of the database
16. Explain in detail Embedded SQL and Dynamic SQL
17. Elaborate the concept of Advanced SQL
18. Table: EMP Emp(empno, ename, job, mgr, hiredate, salary, comm., deptno)
19. Consider the following relational schema:
Employee (empno, name, office, age)
Books(ISBN, title, authors, publisher)
Loan (empno, isbn, date)
20. Write the following queries in SQL
a) Find the name of all employees who have borrowed a book published by
McGraw-Hill.
b) For each publisher, find the name of employees who have borrowed more than
five books of that publisher
21. List the three design goals for relational databases, and explain why each one of these
design goals is desirable.
22. List the three design goals for relational databases, and explain why each one of these
design goals is desirable.
Unit - II:
Database Design and the ER Model: Overview of the Design Process- The EntityRelationship
Model- Constraints- Removing Redundant Attributes- Entity-Relationship Diagrams-
Reduction to Relational Schemas- Entity-Relationship Design Issues - Extended E-R
Features- Alternative Notations for Modeling data -Other Aspects of Database Design -
Storage and File Strucure-Indexing and Hashing-Basic Concepts- Ordered Indices- B+-Tree
Index Files- Static Hashing-Dynamic Hashing- Comparison of Ordered Indexing and
Hashing-Bitmap Indices- Index Definition in SQL
Unit II - Two Marks Questions
1. What is an entity relationship model?
2. What are attributes? Give examples.
3. What is a relationship? Give examples.
4. Define Entity, Entity Set, and extensions of entity set. Give one example for each.
5. Define and give examples to illustrate the four types of attributes in a database.
6. Define the terms: i) Entity type & ii) Entity set.
7. What is meant by the degree of the relationship set?
8. Define the terms: i) Key attribute ii) Value set.
9. Define relationship and participation.
10. Define mapping cardinality or cardinality ratio.
11. Explain the four types of mapping cardinality with examples.
12. Differentiate total participation and partial participation.
13. Define E-R diagram.
14. Define weak Entity set. Give an example and explain why it is weak entity set.
15. Define discriminator or partial key of a weak entity set. Give an example.
16. Define strong and weak entity sets.
17. Define the term Canonical Form.
18. What is E-R modeling?
19. What is logical data independence?
20. What are the types of indices?
21. What are the techniques of indexing & hashing?
22. What is dense index?
23. What is sparse index?
24. What is a multilevel index?
25. What are B+ tree index files?
26. What is the use of static hashing?
27. What is a hash function?
28. What is skew?
29. What are the two reasons for the occurrence of skew?
30. What is a hash index?
31. Define dynamic hashing?
32. What is a bitmap index?
33. Define covering indices?
34. What is Hashing?
35. List out the different types of indices.
36. What is B+ tree?
37. Give an example for Composite Attribute.
38. How primary indices differ from secondary indices.
39. Define Referential Integrity.

11 marks question
1. Explain in detail about Entity Set.
2. Explain relationship set.
3. Explain in detail about constraints and keys.
4. Explain in detail about design issues.
5. Explain Entity-Relationship Diagram.
6. Explain Weak Entity Sets.
7. Explain specialization and generalization.
8. Explain Aggregation.
9. Explain about Design Phases
10. Discuss the various concepts of ER Model with an example
11. Explain about Database Design Process
12. .Explain organization of records in files structure in detail
13. What is meant by Hash function? Also discuss about dynamic hashing Hash Functions
14. Explain B-Tree index files in detail
15. Explain the distinction between closed and open hashing. Discuss the relative merits
of each technique in database applications.
16. Explain about B+Tree index files
17. Explain Query Processing in detail
18. Describe Indexing and Hashing
19. Describe Query Optimization in detail
20. Explain about Indexing concept with respect to database system.
UNIT – III
Relational Database Design: Features of Good Relational Designs- Atomic Domains and
First Normal Form- Second Normal Form-Decomposition Using Functional Dependencies-
Functional-Dependency Theory-Algorithms for decomposition- Decomposition Using
Multivalued Dependencies-More Normal Forms- Database Design Process- Modeling
Temporal Data.
Two Mark Questions
1. What is normalization?
2. What is First Normal Form?
3. What is functional dependencies?
4. What is decomposition?
5. What is Boyce Codd Normal Form?
6. What is Third Normal Form?
7. What is Second Normal Form?
8. What is Fourth Normal Form?
9. What is multi valued dependency?
10. Comparison of BCNF and 3CNF.
11. Define Functional Dependencies.
12. Define Closure of Functional Dependency.
13. Define normalization of data and denormalization.
14. Explain shortly the four properties or objectives of normalization.
15. Define Partial Functional Dependency.
16. Define Boyce Codd Normal Form.
17. List the disadvantages of relational database system.
18. What is first normal form?
19. What are the uses of functional dependencies?
20. Explain trivial dependency.
21. What are axioms?
22. What is meant by computing the closure of a set of functional dependency?
23. What is meant by normalization of data?
24. Explain the desirable properties of decomposition.
25. What is 2NF?
26. Define Redundancy?
27. What is meant by Dependency preservation?
28. State the conditions for a relation R to be in 3NF.
29. When we say a relation is in first Normal form?
30. Explain the rules in Armstrong axioms.

11 marks question
1. Explain in detail about Relational database design.
2. Explain about decomposition.
3. Explain in detail about Boyce–Codd Normal Form.
4. Explain about third normal form.
5. Explain about fourth normal form.
6. Explain Overall Database Design Process.
7. Describe about Normalization using functional dependency on
8. Explain referential integrity in detail

UNIT – IV
Query Processing: Measures of Query Cost- Selection Operation- Sorting-Join Operation-
Other Operations- Evaluation of Expressions
Query optimization-Overview -Transformation of Relational Expressions- Estimating
Statistics of Expression Results- Choice of Evaluation Plan Transactions-Concept - A Simple
Transaction Model- Storage Structure- Transaction Atomicity and Durability-Transaction
Isolation- Serializability- Transaction Isolation and Atomicity- Transaction Isolation Levels-
Implementation of Isolation Levels-Transactions as SQL Statements
Two Mark Questions
1. What is transaction?
2. What are the types of transaction?
3. What are the properties of transaction (OR) Explain ACID?
4. What is atomicity?
5. What is consistency?
6. What is isolation?
7. What is durability?
8. What are the operations of the transaction?
9. What is the transaction state?
10. Draw the state diagram of the transaction?
11. What is reduce waiting time?
12. What is serializability?
13. What are the two types of serializability?
14. What is conflict serializability?
15. What is view serializability?
16. What is recoverability?
17. What is cascading rollback?
18. What is cascadeless schedule?
19. What is query processing?
20. Basic steps in query processing?
21. Describe the diagrammatic representation of query processing.
22. Explain the terms annotations and query evaluation primitive.
23. What is query execution plan and query execution engine?
24. What are the various measures of query cost?
25. Explain the terms used in block transfer.
26. What are the basic algorithms in selection operation?
27. What is Linear search?
28. What is Binary search?
29. Explain selection using index structures.
30. Explain the implementation of complex queries.
31. What is External sorting?
32. What is block nested join?
33. What are the types of join operation used?
34. What is hash table overflow?
35. What is Fudge factor?
36. What is overflow resolution?
37. What is overflow avoidance?
38. What are the ways in which pipeline can be executed?
39. What is query optimization?
40. How authorization provided to the users in SQL?
41. What is an audit trail?
42. List out the various storage devices.
43. What are the steps in query processing?

11 marks question
1. Explain typically available storage media in detail.
2. Describe Transaction Isolation & Transaction State.
3. Discuss about recovery and Atomicity.
4. Discuss fixed length records in detail with an example.
5. Explain storage access in detail.
6. What is the transaction isolation level in SQL? How to implement isolation levels?
Discuss it.
7. Explain about the Concurrency Control component of the database system ensuring
serializability.
8. Explain about the Recovery System for Database Management Systems.
9. Explain about Transaction control in detail.
10. Briefly explain Query processing and Optimization in Oracle.
11. Consider the following relational schemes for a library database and identify the
correct statement.
12. Explain Nested Join, Hash Join, and Merge Join in SQL Query Plan.
13. Explain sort-merge algorithm and compute the cost analysis algorithm.
UNIT – V
Concurrency Control-Lock-Based Protocols-Deadlock Handling- Multiple Granularity
Timestamp Based Protocols- Validation-Based Protocols- Multiversion Schemes- Snapshot
Isolation - Insert Operations, Delete Operations and Predicate Reads- Weak Levels of
Consistency-Concurrency in Index Structures- Recovery - Failure Classification- Storage -
Recovery and Atomicity- Recovery Algorithm- Buffer Management- Failure with Loss of
Nonvolatile Storage- Early Lock Release and Logical Undo Operations. Case Studies IBM
DB2 Universal Database – My SQL.
Two marks question
1. What are the two types of locks?
2. What is deadlock?
3. What is locking protocol?
4. What are the two phases of the locking protocol?
5. What is timestamp based protocol?
6. What is timestamp?
7. What are the two timestamp values?
8. What is timestamp ordering protocol?
9. What is Thomas’ write protocol?
10. What are the three phases in validation based protocol?
11. What are the three different timestamps in validation based protocol?
12. What is the optimistic concurrency control?
13. What are the two principal methods in the deadlock problem?
14. What are the two types of deadlock prevention schemes using timestamp?
15. What is starvation?
16. What are the actions to be followed to recover from deadlock?
17. What are the classifications of failure?
18. What is meant by Log Based Recovery?
19. What are the properties of transactions?
20. Distinguish between optimization and pessimistic locking.
21. What is PostgreSQL?
22. What is Oracle?
23. What is IBM DB2 Universal Database?
24. What is MySQL?
25. What is Microsoft SQL Server?
26. What is the database design tool used in Oracle?
27. What is a Warehouse Builder?
28. What is Oracle Discoverer?
29. What is Oracle Express Server?
30. State the Object - Relational Features in Oracle.
31. What is a segment?
32. What are the ways by which partitioning is provided by Oracle?
33. What are the various access methods provided by Oracle?
34. State some of the major types of transformations and rewrites supported by Oracle.
35. What is SQL Loader?*
36. What is Free Space Control Record?
37. What are the various access methods supported by DB2?
38. State the various modes provided by DB2 for isolation.
39. What is DB2 Data Propagator?
40. State the various tools provided by DB2 for administration.
41. What are the uses of SQL Query Analyzer?
42. What is SQL Profiler?
43. What are the various stages in compiling an SQL Statement?
44. How is logging implemented in SQL Server?
45. What are the different uses of memory within SQL Server process?
46. When we call a transaction is terminated?
47. What are errors causing a transaction failure?
48. What is the use of pivot operator?
49. Explain a shadow copy scheme.
50. Mention the two approaches to manage the Database buffer.
51. Name any four query languages.
52. What is locking protocol?
53. List any 4 DB2 background processes.
54. Name any 4 query languages.
55. What are the features of DB2?
56. State any four background processes in Oracle.
57. What is your understanding of atomicity?
58. Define WAL Protocol.
59. Define Steal and no-force policies.

11 marks question
1. Explain Microsoft SQL server architecture.
2. Give an overview of IBM DB2 process and architecture in detail.
3. Explain various models of locking a data item. Also, explain two-phase locking
protocol.
4. Discuss various types of failures that occur in a system.
5. Write about Microsoft SQL Server in detail.
6. Explain Multidimensional Clustering in IBM.
7. Explain various models of locking a data item. Also, explain two-phase locking
protocol.
8. Explain deadlock handling in detail.
9. Explain the various background processes of Oracle in detail.
10. With a neat diagram, discuss the architecture of MySQL in detail.
11. Discuss about Database Recovery procedure in detail.
12. Discuss in detail about Concurrency Control.
13. Explain Concurrency in Index Structures.