CAT 1: BBIT423/CISY423 (Advanced Database Management Systems - ADBMS)

Instructions:

- Attempt all questions- Time allowed 1 hour 30 Minutes

1. Question 1a. In your opinion, why should you study ADBMS? [2 Marks]b. What should the ADBMS course prepare you for? [1 Mark]

2. Question 2a. Differentiate a database from a DBMS [2 Marks]b. In the early days, database applications were built directly on top of file systems. What

are two advantages gained by the having non file based database applications [2 Marks]c. With the help of examples, provide 3 classifications of DBMS in the market [3 Marks]d. What are the advantages of a DBMS designed in three-tier architecture as opposed to

two-tier architecture? [2 Marks]3. From a historical perspective, DBMS systems have undergone far reaching developments. From

1950s when storage was done in magnetic tapes to the 21st century when DBMS services are offered over the web with such standards as XMLs allowing interoperation of varying systems. Discuss two motivations/reasons behind developments. Give examples of developments in your discussion. [4 Marks]

4. Question 4a. With the use of an example, demonstrate the difference between a transaction and a

schedule [2 Marks ]b. What is a recoverable schedule? Give an example [1 Mark]

5. Question 5a. What is transaction throughput? [1 Mark]b. In your own words, describe the concept of locks granularity in achieving concurrency

control in DBMS systems [2 Marks]c. Differentiate two models of implementing two-phase locking in DBMS systems [2 Marks]

6. Question 6a. You have established a consultancy company that specializes in DBMS’s recovery.

Describe two ways in which your company can be better than other companies in the same business [2 Marks]

b. What makes optimistic concurrency control reasonable/sensible? [2 Marks]7. List 4 recovery approaches in DBMS [2 Marks]

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