Database Management and Information Systems Final

42) A consistent database state is defined as the state? a) In which all data integrity constraints are satisfied b) Which occurs after a transaction has been "submitted"? c) In which no data anomalies appear in the database. d) In which every row in each table can be uniquely identified by a primary key.

A. As defined in the textbook.

34) Which of the below transaction properties requires that all operations of a transaction be completed, if not, the transaction is aborted? a) Atomicity b) Consistency c) Isolation d) Durability e) Serializability

A. Atomicity requires that all operation of a transaction be completed, if not, the transaction is aborted.

5) The DBMS scheduler is based on: a) Concurrency Control Algorithms b) Relational Algebra c) Database Trigonometry d) Update Technology

A. Concurrency Control Algorithms. Provides assurance that transactions will be scheduled and completed while maintaining data integrity.

18) The normal repository of decision support data is a: a) Data Warehouse b) Star Schema c) Data Mine d) OLAP

A. Data Warehouse. Supports decision making.

40) Which one of the following database connectivity technologies is vendor-specific? a) Native SQL Connectivity b) ODBC c) DAO d) RDO

A. Each vendor provides a proprietary API that is fine-tuned to deliver the fastest possible performance.

11) Deadlocks are controlled by all except: a) Hindrance b) Prevention c) Avoidance d) Detection

A. Hindrance.

33) Several methodologies ensure data administration and information systems plans compatibility and guide strategic plan development. allows for the translation of company strategic goals into data and applications that assist a company to achieve those goals. a) Information engineering b) CASE tools c) Database administration d) Centralized electronic data processing

A. IE is the most common methodology to guide strategic plan development. The focus is not on corporate process, but instead, the description of data. Placing the emphasis on data decreases the impact on information systems as processes are modified.

16) An advanced data analysis environment that supports decision making, business modeling, and operations research is commonly referred to as: a) Online Analytical Processing b) Online Assessment Program c) Advanced Analytical Management d) Operational Assessment Mechanism

A. Online Analytical Processing. Decision support tools that use multi-dimensional data analysis techniques.

7) This lock granularity level allows concurrent transactions to access different rows of the same table, even if the rows are located on the same page a) Row Level Lock b) Page Level Lock c) Field Level Lock d) Table Level Lock

A. Row Level Lock. DBMS allows concurrent transactions to access different rows of the same table, even when the rows are located on the same page.

23) The time it takes to move the read/write head across the cylinder is called: a) Seek Time b) Settling Time c) Rotational Delay d) Transfer Time

A. Seek Time. Time it takes to move read-write head across cylinders.

49) Information Engineering focuses on? a) Data over processes b) Processes over data c) Data and processes equally

A. Since business data types change less frequently than business processes, focusing on data rather than processes eases the impact on information systems when those process change.

39) Which one of the following components of a Data Warehouse is the most time-consuming and needs manual intervention to implement? a) Integrated b) Subject-Oriented c) Time-Variant d) Non-volatile

A. Since similar data can have multiple representation manual intervention is required to clean-up the data which can be very time-consuming.

47) Which of the following is not a rule that defines a data warehouse? a) The data warehouse and operational environments are integrated. b) The data warehouse contains historical data over a long time horizon. c) The data warehouse data are snapshot data captured at a given point in time. d) The data warehouse data are subject oriented.

A. The data warehouse and operational environments are not integrated; rather, they are separated to ensure that only data that has been processed for use in an analytical setting is present in the data warehouse.

22) Created as a standard in 1998 by the WWW Consortium, this language is used to represent and manipulate data elements in the e-commerce environment. a) XML b) HTTP c) FTP d) W3C

A. XML

24) If you have 350 bytes in a block, and the size of an employee record is 100 bytes, how many records can be stored in a block? a) 2 records b) 3 records c) 4 records d) 5 records

B. 3 Records. 350/100=3.5 records~3 Records

45) The Acronym CASE, in regards to database tools, stands for? a) Common access systems engineering b) Computer-aided systems engineering c) Control access systems engineering d) Continuous access surveillance

B. By Definition.

29) What would be the least likely criteria of database users' classification for DBA? a) Level of user's decision making b) Age of user c) Frequency of access d) Degree of computer knowledge

B. Choice b) is the least likely reason for a database user classification, since users of virtually any age can fit into all of other categories

27) Which of the following is not a characteristic of a DSS? a) Contains historic data b) Data is highly normalized c) Data is summarized d) Transactions are mostly read-only e) Choice b) is right, since DSS data is not normalized comparing to operational data.

B. DSS data is not normalized compared to operational data.

14) The methodology (or series of methodologies) designed to extract information from data and to use such information as a basis for decision making: a) Decision Cubing b) Decision Support Systems c) Data Warehousing d) Data Mining

B. Decision Support Systems. Assists in managerial decisions.

8) Which of the following would accurately describe the binary lock? a) Must be used when a potential for conflict exists b) Has only two states: Locked (1) or Unlocked (0) c) Access is not reserved for the transaction that locked the object d) Concurrent transactions are granted Read access on the basis of a common lock

B. Has only two states: Locked (1) or Unlocked (0).

31) The following techniques are used to optimize data warehouse design except: a) maintaining multiple fact tables representing different aggregation levels b) normalizing fact tables c) partitioning and replicating tables d) normalizing dimensional tables

B. In fact, denormalizing fact table's increases data access performance because one can store aggregate data in a single record, versus utilizing many records of normalized data.

2. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a transaction? a) Durable b) Integrated c) Consistent d) Serializable e) Atomic

B. Integrated.

20) What type of database connection refers to a connection that is built for a specific unique database vendor? a) ODBC b) Native connectivity c) XML d) XSLT

B. Native connectivity is provided by a database vendor and works specifically to work with their unique product and take advantage of their strengths.

19) Operational Databases, compared with decision support data, tend to: a) focus on real-time data, summarize data, and have very complex queries b) be highly normalized, have lots of tables, and have high-update volumes. c) have mostly multi-dimensional; DBMS, have high query activity, and have a large data volume d) have a large data volume, have mostly updates, be highly normalized

B. Operational databases, compared to decision support data tends to be highly normalized, have more tables, have a high-update volume, have mostly relational data, have low to medium query activity, have a lower data volume, focus on real-time data, have atomic-detailed data granularity, and have simple to medium query complexity.

13) What concurrency approach makes the assumption that the majority of database operations do not conflict? a) Positive Approach b) Optimistic Approach c) Hopeful Approach d) Confident Approach

B. Optimistic Approach. More liberal of than the pessimistic approach.

36) Which of the following is not true about XML? a) XML allows the definition of new tags. b) XML is a new version of HTML c) XML is case sensitive d) Every XML has root element

B. XML is a new version of HTML. XML is not a new version or replacement of HTML. XML is concerned with the description and representation of the data, rather than the way data are displayed.

30) Two phased locking guarantees but not . a) growing phase, shrinking phase b) two transactions not having conflicting locks, unlock operations proceeding lock operations c) serializibility, deadlocks d) how transactions acquire locks, how transactions relinquish locks

C. 2PL ensures that two transactions cannot share exclusive rights to the same data, but two transactions can obtain exclusive locks on separate data, and also request exclusive locks to the other transaction's data item - a so called deadly embrace.

28) Which of the following web client-side extension technologies is the least portable? a) Java b) JavaScript c) ActiveX d) VBScript

C. ActiveX is oriented for Windows platforms and delivered in native code.

44) Which of the following is not a database connectivity interface? a) Microsoft's Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) b) Microsoft's Object Linking and Embedding for Database (OLE-DB) c) Microsoft's Open System Interconnection (OSI) d) Data Access Objects (DAO)

C. All except C are database connectivity interfaces.

4) The coordination of simultaneous transaction execution in a multi-processing database system is called: a) Consistent Reading b) Atomicity c) Concurrency Control d) Execution Path Theory

C. Concurrency Control ensures transactions are coordinated while preserving data integrity.

10) A condition that occurs when two transactions wait for each other to unlock data? a) Impasse b) Stalemate c) Deadlock d) Gridlock

C. Deadlock. Occurs when two transactions wait indefinitely for each other to release the lock on the previously locked data item.

15) Which of the following is not a component of a decision support system: a) Data Store Component b) End-User Query Tool c) End User Storage Tool d) Data Extraction and Filtering Component

C. End User Storage Tool.

9) When a transaction acquires all the required locks without unlocking any data, it is in what phase? a) Multiplicity b) Shrinking c) Growing d) Stagnant

C. Growing. By definition.

46) Deadlocks can occur when: a) Transactions T1 and T2 attempt to obtain lock X at the same time. b) Transaction T1 attempts to obtain lock X at the same time Transaction T2 attempts to obtain lock Y. c) Transaction T1 obtains lock X and Transaction T2 obtains lock Y. Then T1 attempts to obtain lock Y and T2 attempts to obtain lock X.

C. In this case, T1 will never obtain lock Y and T2 will never obtain lock X. By definition, this is deadlock

1. Which of the following is true about transactions? a) It can be completed in portions b) It can be completed in portions, as long as it is completed within a given amount of time c) It must be entirely completed or aborted d) It should never be aborted, no matter the circumstance

C. It must be entirely completed or aborted by definition; otherwise it is not a transaction.

25) This method involves decomposing larger queries into smaller queries in order to create processing efficiencies, or using multiple processors to solve one query. a) Disk Contention b) SQL Tuning c) Parallel Processing d) Indexing

C. Parallel Processing.

21) Which of the following is not a transaction property? a) Atomicity b) Consistency c) Primability d) Serializability

C. Primability is not a transaction property. The transaction properties are: Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability, and Serializability.

38) Which of the following lock granularity delivers the maximum performance for an online multi-user system while keeping the computing overhead low? a) Database Level b) Table Level c) Page Level d) Row Level

C. Since the page is equivalent of a disk block which can be naturally enforced by the operating system.

50) Which of the following statements is not true regarding the differences between a Data Administrator (DA) and a Database Administrator (DBA)? a) DA and DBA functions tend to overlap. b) Compared to the DBA function, the DA function is DBMS-independent, with a broader and longer-term focus. c) DBA is more managerially oriented than the more technically oriented DA. d) When the organization chart does not include a DA position, the DBA executes all of the DA's functions.

C. This is the correct answer because this statement is false. The DA is more managerially oriented than the more technically oriented DBA. All the other statements are true.

41) Which one of the following is NOT the responsibility of a DBA? a) Evaluating, Selecting, and Installing the DBMS b) Operating the DBMS c) Designing the Application's Database Schema d) Defining the Policies, Procedures and Standards for Data Administration

C. This is the responsibility of the application/data architect.

12) What scheme has older transactions waiting, while the younger transactions complete and release the locks? a) Wound/Wait Scheme b) Wait/Listen Scheme c) Wait/Die Scheme d) Wound/Repair Method

C. Wait/Die Scheme. Younger transaction complete and release the locks.

43) Which of the following is not one of the main areas where DSS data differ from operational data from a data analyst's point of view? a) Timespan b) Granularity c) Dimensionality d) None of the above

D. All of the above are areas where DSS and operational data differ therefore none of the above is the correct answer.

37) The database at the middle management level must be able to: a) Deliver the data necessary for tactical decisions and planning b) Monitor and control the allocation and use of company resources and evaluate the performance of the different departments c) Provide a framework for enforcing and ensuring the security and privacy of the data in the database. d) All of the above

D. All of the above. The database at the must be able to perform a,b and c.

26) Which of the following statements is not a two-phase protocol governing rule? a) Conflicting locks are not permitted b) Unlocking cannot precede locking within a transaction c) Data cannot be modified until all records are locked d) Updates within transaction can start as soon as the first lock is obtained

D. Data can be updated only after all transaction locks were obtained.

17) Which of the following is not a component of a Star Schema? a) Attribute Hierarchies b) Dimensions c) Facts d) Elements

D. Elements.

6) The level of lock use in a database is determined by it's a) Aspect Lock b) Relational Lock c) Lock Tag d) Lock Granularity

D. Lock Granularity indicates the level of lock use.

35) Which of the below data warehouse components means "Once the data enter the data warehouse, they are never removed"? a) Integrated b) Subject-oriented c) Time-variant d) Nonvolatile

D. Nonvolatile. Data warehouse is nonvolatile. Once the data enter the data warehouse, they are never removed. Because the data in the warehouse represents the company's history, the operational data, representing the near-term history, are always added to it.

3) Which of the following would not be a component of a transaction log? a) Type of operation being performed (update, delete, insert) b) Names of objects affected by the transaction (the name of the table) c) "Before" and "After" values for updated fields d) Pointers to all transaction log entries

D. Pointers to all transaction log entries.

32) XML facilitates the exchange of business to business data over the Internet. The following statement characterize XML except: a) Disparate organizations can exchange data in XML formatted documents b) XML documents can be validated through the use of a Document Type Definition c) XML documents can be validated through the use of a XML Schema Definition d) XML is slowly overtaking HTML as the primary markup language to display data

D. XML and HTML perform complementary functions; HTML is still the main language responsible for data display, whereas XML is responsible for the representation of data.

48) Which of the following provides a universal interface to databases? a) Native SQL connectivity. b) ODBC. c) DAO. d) RDO. e) OLD-DB. f) ADO.NET. g) All of the above. h) None of the above.

H. While many database vendors provide the ability to interface with their database over many of the methods listed above; there is no universal interface to all databases currently.