Unit 4 - Module 7

Question 1

flat-file

Answer 1

File structure that does not support the integration of data.

Question 2

Flat-File Data Management

Answer 2

Question 3

data attribute

Answer 3

The most elemental piece of potentially useful data in the database.

Question 4

data redundancy

Answer 4

State of data elements being represented in all user files.

Question 5

The Database Concept

Answer 5

Question 6

hierarchical model

Answer 6

Database model that represents data in a hierarchical structure and permits only a single parent record for each child record.

Question 7

users

Answer 7

Individuals who employ systems, receive information, and act on the information received.

Question 8

relational model

Answer 8

Data model that is more flexible than traditional navigational models. It allows users to create new and unique paths through the database to solve a wide range of business problems.

Question 9

navigational models

Answer 9

Model that possesses explicit links or paths among data elements.

Question 10

internal view

Answer 10

Physical arrangement of records in the database.

Question 11

Elements of the Database Concept

Answer 11

Question 12

Data definition language (DDL)

Answer 12

Programming language used to define the database to the database management system.

Question 13

Overview of DBMS Operation

Answer 13

Question 14

schema

Answer 14

Description of the entire database.

Question 15

user view

Answer 15

Set of data that a particular user needs to achieve his or her assigned tasks.

Question 16

Data manipulation language (DML)

Answer 16

Language used to insert special database commands into application programs written in conventional languages.

Question 17

indexed sequential file

Answer 17

Sequential file structure accessed via an index.

Question 18

database administrator (DBA)

Answer 18

Individual responsible for managing the database resource.

Question 19

Functions of the Database Administrator

Answer 19

Question 20

Organizational Interactions of the Database Administrator

Answer 20

Question 21

data dictionary

Answer 21

Description of every data element in the database.

Question 22

physical database

Answer 22

Lowest level of the database containing magnetic spots on magnetic disks.

Question 23

top-down approach

Answer 23

It requires a detailed analysis of the organization’s information needs.

Question 24

bottom-up approach

Answer 24

The client organization’s database developers may modify the model to suit the company’s specific needs.

Question 25

entity

Answer 25

Resource, event, or agent.

Question 26

entity-level

Answer 26

This is a high-level perspective of the overall schema, which presents only the key entities and their relationships and it does not show the data types and keys contained within the entities.

Question 27

relation

Answer 27

It describes how data in one entity are related to data in another entity.

Question 28

occurrence

Answer 28

Used to describe the number of instances or records that pertain to a specific entity.

Question 29

association

Answer 29

Relationship among record types.

Question 30

tuple

Answer 30

It is the formal name for a row in the table.

Question 31

primary key

Answer 31

Characteristics that uniquely identify each record in the tables.

Question 32

foreign keys

Answer 32

Key that permits the physical connection of logically related tables to achieve the associations described in the data model.

Question 33

anomalies

Answer 33

Negative operational symptoms caused by improperly normalized tables.

Question 34

first normal form (1NF)

Answer 34

Low degree of normalization of relational database tables.

Question 35

second normal form (2NF)

Answer 35

Table that is free of both repeating group and partial dependencies.

Question 36

third normal form (3NF)

Answer 36

Normalization that occurs by dividing an unnormalized database into smaller tables until all attributes in the resulting tables are uniquely and wholly dependent on (explained by) the primary key.

Question 37

update anomaly

Answer 37

Unintentional updating of data in a table, resulting from data redundancy.

Question 38

insertion anomaly

Answer 38

Unintentional insertion of data into a table.

Question 39

deletion anomaly

Answer 39

Unintentional deletion of data from a table.

Question 40

repeating groups

Answer 40

It occurs when multiple values for a particular attribute exist in a specific tuple.

Question 41

partial dependencies

Answer 41

Occurs when one or more nonkey attributes are dependent on (defined by) only part of the primary key rather than the whole key.

Question 42

transitive dependencies

Answer 42

A transitive dependency occurs in a table where nonkey attributes are dependent on another nonkey attribute and independent of the table’s primary key.

Question 43

Steps in the Normalization Process

Answer 43

Question 44

Which of the following is a problem usually associated with the flat-file approach to data management?

direct access to information
restricting data access to the primary user
timeliness of updates
data redundancy

Answer 44

data redundancy

The correct answer is “data redundancy.” Data redundancy is a problem with the flat-file approach. Excel spreadsheets are an example of a flat file database. There is no simple way to determine if a particular data item is already in the spreadsheet, especially as the spreadsheet grows.

Question 45

Which problem is characteristically associated with the flat-file approach to data management?

the inability to determine what data is available
the inability to produce constant backups
the inability to process data without the help of a programmer
the inability to control access to the data

Answer 45

the inability to determine what data is available

The correct answer is “the inability to determine what data is available.” The inability to determine what data is available is a characteristic problem with flat-file data management. The only way to determine if data is available in the file is to sequentially read through the entire file from beginning to end, or until the desired data is encountered.

Question 46

A description of the physical arrangement of records in the database is

the external view.
the internal view.
the conceptual view.
the subschema.

Answer 46

the internal view.

The correct answer is “the internal view.” The description of the physical arrangement of records is the internal view. The internal view shows the way that the data is organized in the database. This is also known as the hierarchical view.

Question 47

Which of the following may provide many distinct views of the database?

the user view
the internal view
the conceptual view
the schema

Answer 47

the user view

The correct answer is “the user view.” The user view provides many distinct views of the database. The user view (subschema) shows the segment of the database that the user can access. This access will vary by user as their requirements vary by business function.

Question 48

The update anomaly in unnormalized tables

occurs because of data redundancy.
often results in excessive record insertions.
may result in the loss of important data.
complicates adding records to the database.

Answer 48

occurs because of data redundancy.

The correct answer is “occurs because of data redundancy.” The update anomaly occurs because of data redundancy in unnormalized tables. Because data can appear multiple times in an unnormalized database, it is difficult to ensure that all occurrences get updated when a change occurs. This problem becomes much worse as the database grows in size.

Question 49

The deletion anomaly in unnormalized tables

requires the user to perform excessive updates.
may result in the loss of important data.
complicates adding records to the database.
is easily detected by users.

Answer 49

may result in the loss of important data.

The correct answer is “may result in the loss of important data.” The deletion anomaly may result in the loss of important data. The deletion anomaly arises when data is inadvertently deleted from the table, resulting in the loss of important data