Objectives

DBMSs are used in most organizations to safely store and efficiently manipulate many kinds of information. This teaching module will present the main features of DBMSs. In particular, the student will acquire knowledge and skills on: the DBMS functionalities, the design of a database, the relational data model, the use of SQL to query a database. This module also presents methodologies and tools for accessing, managing and analyzing big data for decision support. In particular, it presents the approach that involves the design and implementation of specific databases, the data warehouse, to produce synthetic data interactively.

List of topics:

Principles of Data Bases

• Introduction to DBMS
• Conceptual Modeling of Data Bases
• Logical Design of Data Bases
• SQL Language
• Tool: Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL

• Decision Support Systems
• Data Warehouse: Conceptual Modeling
• Logical Modeling for Data Warehouse
• Case Studies for Data Warehouse
• Analytical SQL 
• Tools: Microsoft SQL Server

Pre-requirements

No specific prerequisites are required. 

Teaching method

Lectures are of three types: i) traditional lectures, where the lecturer presents topics ii) tutorials, where students can verify, supported by lecturer, their understanding of topics through exercises iii) hands-on activities where students use tools for business intelligence and data management.

Evaluation Methods

Students need to produce a project composed of two parts: generation, population and querying of a data base, generation, and querying of a data warehouse for answering to some business questions. Students will get an evaluation for each part and the average of the two grades will produce the final grade.

Teaching Material

• Slides
• Databases essentials - Antonio Albano
• A First Course in Database Systems, JefferyD. Ullman and Jennifer Widom
• Decision Support Databases Essentials - Antonio Albano

Additional readings and materials will be proposed during the course.