UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

Spring 2012

CSC 296 - Database Systems (CRN# 69753)

Syllabus

Modified:  2012-02-14
Links course schedule  |  homework  |  project  |  resources
Description This course presents the fundamental concepts of database design and use. It provides a study of data models, data description languages, and query facilities including relational algebra and SQL, data normalization, transactions and their properties, physical data organization and indexing, security issues and object databases. It also looks at the new trends in databases. The knowledge of the above topics will be applied in the design and implementation of a database application using a target database management system as part of a semester-long project.
Prerequisites CSC 171, CSC 172, CSC 252
Instructor Dr. Johannes A. Koomen
Computer Studies Building, Rm. 618
275-1203 during office hours, 275-4505 all other times
koomen at cs.rochester.edu
http://www.cs.rochester.edu/~koomen/
Office Hours: TR 18:15 - 19:15, or by appointment
Teaching Assistant Young Chol Song
CSB 624
ysong at cs.rochester.edu
http://www.cs.rochester.edu/~ysong/
Office Hours: MW 14:30 - 15:30, or by appointment
Lectures TR 16:50 - 18:05     CSB 601
Exam I Thursday, March 8, 16:50-18:05, CSB 601
Exam II Tuesday, May 1, 16:50-18:05, CSB 601 (?)
Project Demos Friday, May 11, 19:15-21:45, CSB 601
(See also the Registrar's exam schedule.)
Textbook First Course in Database Systems, THIRD Edition (ISBN: 9780136006374) by Jeffrey D. Ullman & Jennifer Widom (© Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008).
You can obtain this book from all the usual places, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Alternatively, if you expect to delve deeper into the implementation of database systems after this course, you can choose to get Database Systems: The Complete Book, SECOND Edition. (ISBN: 9780131873254) by Hector Garcia-Molina, Jeffrey D. Ullman & Jennifer Widom (© Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009). The first three parts of this book are identical to the complete "First Course in Database Systems" book; Parts 4 and 5, which this course will not cover, deal with "Database System Implementation" and "Issues in Management of Massive Data", respectively.

If you find something in the book that looks wrong, check out the authors' errata page.
Course Outline Learning from reading is essential in any course, and this one is no exception. You will not encounter in the lectures everything you need to know to successfully complete the homeworks, the projects and the exams. More over, you are expected to read ahead, and may be called upon in the lectures to summarize the readings. The course schedule provides a lecture-by-lecture schedule of topics and associated reading.
Software See the course resources page.
Gradiance See the gradiance resources page.
Course discussion list / news group The course email list is urcs-db-2012@googlegroups.com, which you can also access on the Web, provided you are a member. (See instructions you receive when you sign up.)
Please subscribe so you can stay informed. (Send me an email with your request; please be sure to state your full name in your subscription request if your name is not obvious from your email address.) Note that you do NOT need a Google Mail account to subscribe - send the subscription request message from your favorite email account, and all group messages will be sent to that account. In order to access the group message archive, you do need to create a login using your subscribed email address.
Grading Grades will be based on approximately the following distribution:
Homework   20%
Project   40%
Classroom   10%
Exams   30%
Plagiarism and Collaboration You are expected to be familiar with and adhere to the University's Academic Honesty Policy. Note especially that it is often impossible to distinguish between those who plagiarize and those who, inadvertently or deliberately, make their materials available for plagiarism. First time offenders will automatically receive 0 points for that lab, assignment or exam; repeat offenders will automatically fail the course and both violations will be officially reported to the Academic Honesty Board. This may result in additional penalties, even dismissal from the University.