Curriculum Map

Databases

Author:
Ramon A. Mata-Toledo, Professor of Computer Science, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia

This Curriculum Map provides a list of highly relevant and engaging content from throughout AccessScience for use in enriching your teaching. Site assets such as diagrams and article sections have been mapped to standard topics taught in an introductory Databases course. Use the "Copy Link" functionality to paste a direct link from each asset into your school's learning management system for easy incorporation into your curriculum.

Course Topics


Introduction to Databases
Asset Description
Article The article Database management system is the ideal place for students to gain an introduction to this course. This article defines and differentiates the concepts of databases and database management systems (DBMSs). The general public usually confounds these two terms and uses them interchangeably. The article also contains a general description of each component of a DBMS. It goes on to state how the size of a database is determined and presents some of the units generally used to measure size. It then presents guidelines for representing the logical organization of data in a database. Further, it defines the concepts of physical and logical data independence; describes how database are classified; lists some languages used in the operation of a DBMS; and describes client-server (two-tier) architecture. copy link
Diagram This figure from the article Database management system provides a simplified view of the main components of a database system. copy link
Diagram This figure from the article Database management system shows the general framework known as the three-level architecture, as defined by the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) and its Systems Planning and Requirements Committee (SPARC). This framework is useful for describing general database concepts and for explaining the general structure of a particular DBMS. copy link
Article The article Computer storage technology describes techniques, equipment, and organization for providing the memory capability required by computers in order to store instructions and data for processing at high electronic speeds. copy link
Diagram This figure from the article Computer storage technology illustrates the storage hierarchy and some of the equipment used. Although newer technologies exist, many systems still use magnetic tape to hold archived data. copy link
Article The article Metadata describes the notion of metadata within the context of a DBMS and the type of information that is kept under this general term in a catalog or data dictionary. copy link
Article Section This section of the article World Wide Web briefly describes Extensible Markup Language (XML), which is often used within the context of a database. copy link
Article This article on systems engineering describes a general process to acquire the information necessary to design, implement, and manage an information system and, in particular, a DBMS. copy link
The Relational Model
Asset Description
Article Section This section of the article Database management system presents the concept of a relational database, including an example table. It also defines a tuple in the context of the relational data model. It then describes the set of operations that allows users to retrieve information from the database. copy link
Database Security
Asset Description
Article The article Computer security provides a good overview of the issues of computer security in general and, in particular, of DBMS. It first describes the concepts of threat and failure in a computing system and how they relate to the concept of integrity. These concepts also apply to any DBMS. The article later describes the concept of security within the context of a DBMS. copy link
Database Design
Asset Description
Article The article Information systems engineering presents the basic principles of information systems and software engineering, which also apply to the design of a DBMS. copy link
Diagram This figure from the article Information systems engineering summarizes the information system engineering process which, in general, can be applied to the design of a database. copy link
Data Storage
Asset Description
Article Much of this general article on computer storage technology applies to a DBMS, including cache memory, magnetic storage disks, removable storage, magnetic tape units, and mass storage tape systems. copy link
Article This article on magnetic recording discusses techniques of storing information as a magnetic pattern on a moving magnetic medium. The medium may be a disk--either flexible (floppy) or rigid, or a tape. This article requires some knowledge of basic electricity and magnetism principles. copy link
Article Section This section of the article Optical recording includes several illustrative diagrams explaining optical data storage. copy link
Diagram This figure from the article Compact disk shows an optical readout system for an audio compact disk. copy link
Article Section This section of the Compact disk article provides a general description of data storage on compact disks, including DVDs. copy link
Diagram This figure from the article Computer storage technology shows a memory hierarchy and some equipment types. copy link
Article This general article on cloud computing discusses data storage on the Internet. copy link
System Architecture
Asset Description
Article Section This section of the Distributed systems article introduces client-server systems. copy link
Diagram This figure from the article Client-server system shows the distribution of elements of a client-server system. copy link
Diagram This figure from the article Local area networks shows different types of media used to implement a local-area network (LAN). copy link
Diagram This figure from the article Local area networks illustrates various topologies of LANs. copy link
Article The article Wide-area networks covers communication networks that are regional, nationwide, or worldwide in geographic area. copy link
Data Warehousing and Mining
Asset Description
Article Section This section of the article Data warehouse introduces the important concept of granularity in a data warehouse. copy link
Diagram This diagram from the article Data warehouse shows the basic components of data warehouses and their interrelationships. copy link
Diagram This diagram from the article Data mining shows the decomposition of a client-server configuration as it is used in data mining. The diagram indicates the role of a DBMS in data mining. copy link
Article Data reduction has the objective of making massive datasets suitable for manipulation and analysis, as this article explains. copy link
Advanced Topics
Asset Description
Research Review The article Fuzzy databases presents the applications and architecture of this nontraditional type of database. copy link
Research Review The article Green computing discusses the impact of computers and associated technologies on Earth's climate and resources. copy link