Database Management Systems free essay sample

The database approach to data management is sometimes called the flat file approach. ANS:FPTS:1 2. The database management system provides a controlled environment for accessing the database. ANS:TPTS:1 3. 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. ANS:TPTS:1 4. An important feature associated with the traditional approach to data management is the ability to produce ad hoc reports. ANS:FPTS:1 5. The data definition language is used to insert special database commands into application programs. ANS:FPTS:1 6. There is more than one conceptual view of the database. ANS:FPTS:1 7. In the database method of data management, access authority is maintained by systems programming. ANS:FPTS:1 8. The physical database is an abstract representation of the database. Timestamping is a control that is used to ensure database partitioning. ANS:FPTS:1 8. A lockout is a software control that prevents multiple users from simultaneous access to data. ANS:TPTS:1 19. Logical database design is the foundation of the conceptual design. ANS:FPTS:1 20. An entity is any physical thing about which the organization wishes to capture data. ANS:FPTS:1 21. An ER diagram is a graphical representation of a data model. ANS:TPTS:1 22. The term occurrence is used to describe the number of attributes or fields pertaining to a specific entity. ANS:FPTS:1 23. Cardinality describes the number of possible occurrences in one table that are associated with a single occurrence in a related table. ANS:TPTS:1 24. A table in third normal form is free of partial dependencies, multiple dependencies, and transitive dependencies. ANS:FPTS:1 25. Improperly normalized databases are associated with three types of anomalies: the update anomaly, the insertion anomaly, and the deletion anomaly. ANS:TPTS:1 MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. All of the following are basic data management tasks except a. |data deletion| b. |data storage| c. |data attribution| d. |data retrieval| ANS:CPTS:1 2. 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| ANS:DPTS:1 3. 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| ANS:BPTS:1 4. Which characteristic is associated with the database approach to data management? a. |data sharing| b. |m ultiple storage procedures| c. |data redundancy| d. |excessive storage costs| ANS:APTS:1 5. 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| ANS:DPTS:1 6. 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 sdministrator| c. |the physical database| d. |the conceptual database| ANS:DPTS:1 7. Which of the following is not a responsibility of the database management system? a. |provide an interface between the users and the physical database| b. |provide security against a natural disaster| c. ensure that the internal schema and external schema are consistent| d. |authorize access to portions of the database| ANS:CPTS:1 8. 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| ANS:APTS:1 9. 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| ANS:CPTS:1 10. 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| 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| ANS:APTS:1 12. 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| ANS:CPTS:1 13. 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| ANS:BPTS:1 14. 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| ANS:CPTS:1 15. In a hierarchical model . |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)| ANS:BPTS:1 16. Which term is not associated with the relational database model? a. |tuple| b. |attribute| c. |collision| d. |relation| ANS:CPTS:1 17. 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| ANS:CPTS:1 18. 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| ANS:DPTS:1 19. In a relational database a. |the user’s view of the physical database is the same as the physical database| b. |users perceive that they are manipulating a single table| c. |a virtual table exists in the form of rows and columns of a table stored on the disk| d. |a programming language (COBOL) is used to create a user’s view of the database| ANS:BPTS:1 20. 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| ANS:APTS:1 21. The most serious problem with unnormalized databases is the a. |update anomaly| b. |insertion anomaly| c. |deletion anomaly| d. |none of the above| ANS:CPTS:1 22. 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| ANS:BPTS:1 23. 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 | ANS:DPTS:1 24. Which of the following is not a common form of conceptual database model? a. |hierarchical| b. |network| c. |sequential| d. |relational| ANS:CPTS:1 25. Which of the following is a relational algebra function? a. restrict| b. |project| c. |join| d. |all are relational algebra functions| ANS:DPTS:1 26. 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. | ANS:DPTS:1 27. 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| . |data definition language| ANS:BPTS:1 28. 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| ANS:DPTS:1 29. An example of a distributed database is a. |partitioned database| b. |centralized database| c. |networked database| d. |all are examples of distributed databases| ANS:APTS:1 30. Data currency is preserved in a centralized database by a. |pa rtitioning the database| b. |using a lockout procedure| c. |replicating the database| d. |implementing concurrency controls| ANS:BPTS:1 31. 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| ANS:CPTS:1 32. 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| ANS:BPTS:1 33. 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| ANS:BPTS:1 34. 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| ANS:CPTS:1 35. 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| ANS:BPTS:1 36. 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| ANS:APTS:1 37. 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| ANS:DPTS:1 38. 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.