Deck 9: Database Management Systems

Question 1

Timestamping is a control that is used to ensure database partitioning.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The normalization process involves identifying and removing structural dependencies from the tables being modeled.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

An important feature associated with the traditional approach to data management is the ability to produce ad hoc reports.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

A customer name and an unpaid balance is an example of a one-to-many relationship.

Question 5

To the user, data processing procedures for routine transactions, such as entering sales orders, appear to be identical in the database environment and in the traditional environment.

Question 6

A join builds a new table by creating links.

Question 7

There is more than one conceptual view of the database.

Question 8

A deadlock is a phenomenon that prevents the processing of transactions.

Question 9

A lockout is a software control that prevents multiple users from simultaneous access to data.

Question 10

Under the database approach, data is viewed as proprietary or owned by users.

Question 11

The physical database is an abstract representation of the database.

Question 12

The data definition language is used to insert special database commands into application programs.

Question 13

An entity is any physical thing about which the organization wishes to capture data.

Question 14

The deletion anomaly is the least important of the problems affecting unnormalized databases.

Question 15

The database management system provides a controlled environment for accessing the database.

Question 16

In the relational model, a data element is called a relation.

Question 17

The data dictionary describes all of the data elements in the database.

Question 18

The database approach to data management is sometimes called the flat file approach.

Question 19

In the database method of data management, access authority is maintained by systems programming.

Question 20

Task-data dependency is directly related to data redundancy.

Question 21

Which characteristic is associated with the database approach to data management?

A) data sharing
B) multiple storage procedures
C) data redundancy
D) excessive storage costs

Question 22

Which of the following is not a problem usually associated with the flat-file approach to data management?

A) data redundancy
B) restricting access to data to the primary user
C) data storage
D) currency of information

Question 23

The data definition language

A) identifies, for the database management system, the names and relationships of all data elements, records, and files that comprise the database
B) inserts database commands into application programs to enable standard programs to interact with and manipulate the database
C) permits users to process data in the database without the need for conventional programs
D) describes every data element in the database

Question 24

Users access the database

A) by direct query
B) by developing operating software
C) by constantly interacting with systems programmers
D) all of the above

Question 25

Which characteristic is not associated with the database approach to data management?

A) the ability to process data without the help of a programmer
B) the ability to control access to the data
C) constant production of backups
D) the inability to determine what data is available

Question 26

Which duty is not the responsibility of the database administrator?

A) to develop and maintain the data dictionary
B) to implement security controls
C) to design application programs
D) to design the subschema

Question 27

Which statement is not correct? A query language like SQL

A) is written in a fourth-generation language
B) requires user familiarity with COBOL
C) allows users to retrieve and modify data
D) reduces reliance on programmers

Question 28

The task of searching the database to locate a stored record for processing is called

A) data deletion
B) data storage
C) data attribution
D) data retrieval

Question 29

The formal name for a row in the physical database table is

A) attribute
B) schema
C) tuple
D) link

Question 30

Task-data dependency is

A) failure to update the files of all users affected by a change
B) another term for data redundancy
C) user's inability to obtain additional information as needs change
D) none of the above

Question 31

The data manipulation language

A) defines the database to the database management system
B) transfers data to the buffer area for manipulation
C) enables application programs to interact with and manipulate the database
D) describes every data element in the database

Question 32

Improperly normalized databases are associated with three types of anomalies: the update anomaly, the insertion anomaly, and the deletion anomaly.

Question 33

Cardinality describes the number of possible occurrences in one table that are associated with a single occurrence in a related table.

Question 34

In a hierarchical model

A) links between related records are implicit
B) the way to access data is by following a predefined data path
C) an owner (parent) record may own just one member (child) record
D) a member (child) record may have more than one owner (parent)

Question 35

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

A) the schema
B) the internal view
C) the user view
D) the conceptual view

Question 36

The textbook refers to four interrelated components of the database concept. Which of the following is not one of the components?

A) the database management system
B) the database administrator
C) the physical database
D) the conceptual database

Question 37

Foreign keys physically connect logically related tables to achieve the associates described in the data model.

Question 38

An ER diagram is a graphical representation of a data model.

Question 39

The term occurrence is used to describe the number of attributes or fields pertaining to a specific entity.

Question 40

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

A) the internal view
B) the conceptual view
C) the subschema
D) the external view

Question 41

Data currency is preserved in a centralized database by

A) partitioning the database
B) using a lockout procedure
C) replicating the database
D) implementing concurrency controls

Question 42

In the relational database model

A) relationships are explicit
B) the user perceives that files are linked using pointers
C) data is represented on two-dimensional tables
D) data is represented as a tree structure

Question 43

Which procedure will prevent two end users from accessing the same data element at the same time?

A) data redundancy
B) data replication
C) data lockout
D) none of the above

Question 44

Which statement is correct?

A) in a normalized database, data about vendors occur in several locations
B) the accountant is responsible for database normalization
C) in a normalized database, deletion of a key record could result in the destruction of the audit trail
D) connections between M:M tables are provided by a link table

Question 45

The advantages of a partitioned database include all of the following except

A) user control is enhanced
B) data transmission volume is increased
C) response time is improved
D) risk of destruction of entire database is reduced

Question 46

The most serious problem with unnormalized databases is the

A) update anomaly
B) insertion anomaly
C) deletion anomaly
D) none of the above

Question 47

An example of a distributed database is

A) partitioned database
B) centralized database
C) networked database
D) all are examples of distributed databases

Question 48

Entities are

A) nouns that are depicted by rectangles on an entity relationship diagram
B) data that describe the characteristics of properties of resources
C) associations among elements
D) sets of data needed to make a decision

Question 49

A replicated database is appropriate when

A) there is minimal data sharing among information processing units
B) there exists a high degree of data sharing and no primary user
C) there is no risk of the deadlock phenomenon
D) most data sharing consists of read-write transactions

Question 50

Data concurrency

A) is a security issue in partitioned databases
B) is implemented using timestamping
C) may result in data lockout
D) occurs when a deadlock is triggered

Question 51

In the relational database model all of the following are true except

A) data is presented to users as tables
B) data can be extracted from specified rows from specified tables
C) a new table can be built by joining two tables
D) only one-to-many relationships can be supported

Question 52

All of the following are elements of the DBMS which facilitate user access to the database except

A) query language
B) data access language
C) data manipulation language
D) data definition language

Question 53

Which of the following is not a common form of conceptual database model?

A) hierarchical
B) network
C) sequential
D) relational

Question 54

Which of the following is a level of the database that is defined by the data definition language?

A) user view
B) schema
C) internal view
D) all are levels or views of the database

Question 55

What control maintains complete, current, and consistent data at all information processing units?

A) deadlock control
B) replication control
C) concurrency control
D) gateway control

Question 56

The deletion anomaly in unnormalized databases

A) is easily detected by users
B) may result in the loss of important data
C) complicates adding records to the database
D) requires the user to perform excessive updates

Question 57

Which term is not associated with the relational database model?

A) tuple
B) attribute
C) collision
D) relation

Question 58

Which of the following is a relational algebra function?

A) restrict
B) project
C) join
D) all are relational algebra functions

Question 59

Which statement is false?

A) The DBMS is special software that is programmed to know which data elements each user is authorized to access.
B) User programs send requests for data to the DBMS.
C) During processing, the DBMS periodically makes backup copies of the physical database.
D) The DBMS does not control access to the database.

Question 60

The update anomaly in unnormalized databases

A) occurs because of data redundancy
B) complicates adding records to the database
C) may result in the loss of important data
D) often results in excessive record insertions

Question 61

Use the following words to complete the sentences.
database administrator
data dictionary
data redundancy
index sequential access method
query language
schema
sequential structure
subschema
_________________________ occurs when a specific file is reproduced for each user who needs access to the file.

Question 62

How does the database approach solve the problem of data redundancy?

Question 63

A table is in first normal form when it is

A) free of repeating group data
B) free of transitive dependencies
C) free of partial dependencies
D) free of update anomalies
E) none of the above

Question 64

Explain the purpose of an ER diagram in database design.

Question 65

Each of the following is a relational algebra function except

A) join
B) project
C) link
D) restrict

Question 66

Use the following words to complete the sentences.
database administrator
data dictionary
data redundancy
index sequential access method
query language
schema
sequential structure
subschema
The __________________________ authorizes access to the database.

Question 67

Use the following words to complete the sentences.
database administrator
data dictionary
data redundancy
index sequential access method
query language
schema
sequential structure
subschema
The conceptual view of the database is often called ____________________.

Question 68

Explain how to link tables in (1:1) association. Why may this be different in a (1:0,1) association?

Question 69

Describe an environment in which a firm should use a partitioned database.

Question 70

Explain how linkages between relational tables are accomplished.

Question 71

A table is in second normal form when it is

A) free of repeating group data
B) free of transitive dependencies
C) free of partial dependencies
D) free of insert anomalies
E) none of the above

Question 72

Use the following words to complete the sentences.
database administrator
data dictionary
data redundancy
index sequential access method
query language
schema
sequential structure
subschema
The ____________________ allows users to retrieve and modify data easily.

Question 73

A table is in third normal form when it is

A) free of repeating group data
B) free of transitive dependencies
C) free of partial dependencies
D) free of deletion anomalies
E) none of the above

Question 74

What are the three data management problems caused by data redundancy?

Question 75

Use the following words to complete the sentences.
database administrator
data dictionary
data redundancy
index sequential access method
query language
schema
sequential structure
subschema
The __________________________ describes every data element in the database.

Question 76

A user view

A) presents the physical arrangement of records in a database for a particular user
B) is the logical abstract structure of the database
C) specifies the relationship of data elements in the database
D) defines how a particular user sees the database

Question 77

What are two types of distributed databases?

Question 78

All of the following are advantages of a partitioned database except

A) increased user control by having the data stored locally
B) deadlocks are eliminated
C) transaction processing response time is improved
D) partitioning can reduce losses in case of disaster

Question 79

Explain the basic results that come from the restrict, project, and join functions.

Question 80

What is the relationship between a database table and a user view?