Database Self Check
Organizational commitment to a database project is not necessary for its success.
Answer: FALSE
Organizations that utilize the file processing approach spend only 20 percent of development time on maintenance.
Answer: FALSE
The relational data model is no longer popular in the 21st century.
Answer: FALSE
A relational database establishes the relationships between entities by means of a common field.
Answer: TRUE
Although personal databases improve productivity, one risk is that data cannot be shared with other users.
Answer: TRUE
E. F. Codd developed the relational data model during the 1970s.
Answer: TRUE
Each member of a workgroup accesses data located on a database server.
Answer: TRUE
Enterprise modeling sets the range and general contents of organizational databases.
Answer: TRUE
File processing systems have been replaced by database systems in most critical business applications today.
Answer: TRUE
Which of the following is an integrated decision support database with content derived from various operational databases?
Data warehouse
In an E-R Diagram, strong entities are represented by double-walled rectangles.
False
In the figure below, one might want to create a single-attribute surrogate identifier to substitute for the composite identifier.
False
A business rule should be internally consistent.
True
One of the roles of a database analyst is to identify and understand rules that govern data.
True
One reason to use an associative entity is if the associative entity has one or more attributes in addition to the identifier.
True
Participation in a relationship may be optional or mandatory.
True
The E-R model is used to construct a conceptual model.
True
A rule that CANNOT be violated by database users is called a:
constraint.
One application of data warehouses is:
decision support.
An attribute whose value can be calculated from a related attribute is called a(n) ________ attribute.
derived
A(n) ________ is a set of values that may be assigned to an attribute
domain
The SDLC phase in which the detailed conceptual data model is created is the ________ phase.
analysis
An entity type that associates the instances of one or more entity types and contains attributes that are peculiar to the relationship is called a(n) ________.
associative entity
All of the following are properties of metadata EXCEPT:
processing logic.
If an identifier is not assigned, the default primary key for an associative relation consists of the two primary key attributes from the other two relations
true
In the figure below, each employee has exactly one manager.
true
When a regular entity type contains a multivalued attribute, two relations are created
true
When normalizing, the goal is to decompose relations with anomalies to produce smaller, well-structured relations
true
When two or more attributes describe the same characteristic of an entity, they are synonyms
true
A ________ relationship occurs between two instances of a single entity type.
unary
A logical representation of the data for an organization or for a business area is called a(n) ________.
entity-relationship model
A person, place, an object , an event or concept about which the organization wishes to maintain data is called a(n):
entity.
The entity integrity rule states that a primary key attribute can be null
flase
A(n) ________ is a constraint between two attributes or two sets of attributes
functional dependancy
An attribute that may have more than one meaning is called a(n)_____
homonym
When creating tables using the CREATE TABLE statement, NOT NULL constrains an attribute from being assigned a(n) ________ value
null
A constraint is a rule in a database system that can be violated by users.
Answer: FALSE
A well-structured database establishes the entities between relationships in order to derive the desired information.
Answer: FALSE
Database development begins with the design of the database.
Answer: FALSE
One reason for improved application development productivity with the database approach is that file design and low-level implementation details do not need to be handled by the application programmer.
Answer: TRUE
Prototyping is a type of rapid application development.
Answer: TRUE
A person is an example of an entity.
Answer: TRUE
An enterprise resource planning system integrates all functions of the enterprise.
Answer: TRUE
________ concentrate on determining the requirements for the database component of an information system.
Database analysts
The primary key of the many side migrates to the one side when transforming a one-to-many relationship
False
The three-schema approach includes which of the following schemas?
Internal
Which organizational function should set database standards?
None of the above
Data names should always relate to business characteristics.
True
Data rather than processes are the most complex aspects of many modern information systems
True
Relationships represent action being taken using a verb phrase.
True
When choosing an identifier, choose one that will not change its value often.
True
A property or characteristic of an entity is a(n) ________.
attribute
The period that can be considered a "proof of concept" time was the:
1960s.
E. F. Codd developed the relational model in the:
1970s.
Organizations that utilize the file processing approach spend as much as ________ of their IS development budget on maintenance.
80 percent
A(n) ________ is an attribute that uniquely identifies each row in a relation
primary key
Relational databases establish the relationships between entities by means of common fields included in a file called a(n):
relation.
A knowledge base of information on facts about an enterprise is called a(n):
repository.
With the database approach, data descriptions are stored in a central location known as a(n):
repository.
Database development begins with ________, which establishes the range and general contents of organizational databases.
enterprise data modeling
An anomaly is a type of flaw in the database server
f
An enterprise key is a foreign key whose value is unique across all relations
f
A ________ is an association between two or more terms.
fact
View integration is the process of merging relations together
false
When transforming a one-to-one relationship, a new relation is always created.
false
When transforming a unary many-to-many relationship to relations, a recursive foreign key is used
false
When transforming a weak entity, one should create one relation with both the attributes of the strong entity and the attributes of the weak entity.
false
A ________ is a statement that defines or constrains some aspect of the business.
business rule
Organizing the database in computer disk storage is done in the ________ phase.
design
A weak entity type is related to its owner by a(n) ________
identify relationship
Data that describe the properties of other data are:
none of the above.
One of the most popular RAD methods is:
prototyping.
A named, two-dimensional table of data is called a(n)
relation
An entity-type name should be ________ to the organization.
specific
A ________ dependency is a functional dependency between the primary key and one or more nonkey attributes that are dependent upon the primary key via another nonkey attribute.
transitive
All projects move from the planning-enterprise modeling step to the planning-conceptual data modeling step of the systems development life cycle.
Answer: FALSE
An enterprise data model describes the scope of data for only one information system.
Answer: FALSE
An intranet utilizes Web-based technology to improve communication with parties outside of the organization.
Answer: FALSE
Characteristics of the structure of the database are generally changed during the implementation phase of the database development process.
Answer: FALSE
Data redundancy is used to establish relationships between data but is never used to improve database performance.
Answer: FALSE
Database development projects are never done in a bottom-up fashion.
Answer: FALSE
Database processing programs are coded and tested during the design stage of the systems development life cycle.
Answer: FALSE
Databases were developed as the first application of computers to data processing.
Answer: FALSE
In 1998, ANSI/SPARC published an import document describing the three-schema architecture.
Answer: FALSE
In two-tier database architectures, little functionality needs to be programmed into the client application.
Answer: FALSE
Systems analysts work directly with both management and users to analyze the business situation and develop detailed project specifications.
Answer: FALSE
The conceptual schema is always technology specific.
Answer: FALSE
The data that you are interested in capturing about an entity is called an instance.
Answer: FALSE
The internal schema consists of the physical schema and the enterprise data model.
Answer: FALSE
The physical structure and storage organization of the database is decided upon during the implementation phase of the systems development life cycle.
Answer: FALSE
The scope of an enterprise application is one workgroup or department.
Answer: FALSE
The steps of the systems development life cycle can only be viewed as a linear process.
Answer: FALSE
The term legacy system refers to a newly installed database management system.
Answer: FALSE
Visual programming tools such as Visual Basic have made prototyping more difficult.
Answer: FALSE
With the traditional file processing approach, each application shares data files, thus enabling much data sharing.
Answer: FALSE
A data model is a graphical system used to capture the nature and relationships among data.
Answer: TRUE
A data warehouse contains summarized and historical information.
Answer: TRUE
A modern database management system automates more of the backup and recovery tasks than a file system.
Answer: TRUE
A physical schema contains the specifications for how data from a conceptual schema are stored in a computer's secondary memory.
Answer: TRUE
An extranet uses Internet protocols to establish limited access to company data by the company's customers and suppliers.
Answer: TRUE
Applications built with a multitier architecture are meant to support departments.
Answer: TRUE
Cost and complexity are just two of the disadvantages of database processing.
Answer: TRUE
Data from prior systems is converted to the new system during the implementation phase of the systems development life cycle.
Answer: TRUE
Database architects establish standards for data in business units.
Answer: TRUE
Database maintenance is typically the longest step of the database development process.
Answer: TRUE
End users can often retrieve and display data easily with a relational database.
Answer: TRUE
In practice, databases today may contain either data or information.
Answer: TRUE
In prototyping, implementation and maintenance activities are repeated as necessary until the product is correct.
Answer: TRUE
Information is processed data.
Answer: TRUE
Multitier client/server database applications contain a business logic layer.
Answer: TRUE
Redundancy increases the risk of inconsistent data.
Answer: TRUE
Separation of metadata from application programs that use the data is called data independence.
Answer: TRUE
The data repository assists database administrators in enforcing standards.
Answer: TRUE
The external schema contains a subset of the conceptual schema relevant to a particular group of users.
Answer: TRUE
The failure to implement a strong database administrative function is the most common source of database failures in organizations.
Answer: TRUE
The most common way to support a group of individuals who work together on a project or group of similar projects is with a two-tier client/server database.
Answer: TRUE
The repository is populated during the analysis phase of the systems development life cycle.
Answer: TRUE
The systems development life cycle is the traditional methodology used to develop, maintain, and replace information systems.
Answer: TRUE
The user interface includes languages, menus, and other facilities by which users interact with various system components.
Answer: TRUE
Unplanned duplicate data files are the rule rather than the exception in file processing systems.
Answer: TRUE
Which of the following is software used to create, maintain, and provide controlled access to databases?
Database management system (DBMS)
A business rule is a statement of how a policy is enforced or conducted
False
A cardinality constraint tells what kinds of properties are associated with an entity.
False
A relationship instance is an association between entity instances where each relationship instance includes exactly one entity from each participating entity type.
False
A simple attribute can be broken down into smaller pieces.
False
A ternary relationship is equivalent to three binary relationships.
False
An affirmative entity is also called a relationship entity.
False
An entity type on which a strong entity is dependent is called a covariant entity.
False
Business rules are formulated from a collection of business ramblings.
False
In the figure below, the name of the relationship follows the guidelines for naming a relationship.
False
It is not permissible to associate attributes with relationships.
False
Most systems developers believe that data modeling is the least important part of the systems development process.
False
Some examples of attributes are: eye_color, weight, student_id, student.
False
The degree of a relationship is the number of attributes that are associated with it.
False
The intent of a business rule is to break down business structure.
False
The maximum criminality of a relationship is the maximum number of instances of entity B that may be associated with each instance of entity A.
False
The name used for an entity type should never be the same in other E-R diagrams on which the entity appears.
False
The purpose of data modeling is to document business rules about processes.
False
The relationship among the instances of three entity types is called a unary relationship.
False
Which of the following is NOT an advantage of database systems?
Redundant data
The need for consensus on data definitions is an example of which type of risk in the database environment?
Organizational conflict
________ is a tool even non-programmers can use to access information from a database.
Structured query language
Which of the following will interfere with access to operational databases?
Unstructured and unpredictable use of data
A business rule is a statement that defines or constrains some aspect of the business.
True
A good data definition is always accompanied by diagrams, such as the entity-relationship diagram
True
A referential integrity constraint is a rule that maintains consistency among the rows of two relations
True
A single occurrence of an entity is called an entity instance.
True
A time stamp is a time value that is associated with a data value.
True
An attribute whose values can be calculated from related attribute values is called a derived attribute.
True
An entity is a person, place, object, event, or concept in the user environment about which the organization wishes to maintain data.
True
An entity type name should always be a singular noun.
True
Enforcement of business rules can be automated through the use of software tools that can interpret the rules and enforce them.
True
In an E-R Diagram, an associative entity is represented by a rounded rectangle.
True
It is desirable that no two attributes across all entity types have the same name.
True
The relationship between the instances of two entity types is called a binary relationship.
True
While business rules are not redundant, a business rule can refer to another business rule.
True
A user view is how the user sees the data when it is produced.
Answer: FALSE
Personal databases are designed to support a small group of individuals working together on a project.
Answer: FALSE
Reduced program maintenance is an advantage of file processing systems.
Answer: FALSE
Repositories are always used in file processing systems.
Answer: FALSE
Development starts from scratch with the traditional file processing approach because new file formats, descriptions, and file access logic must be designed for each new program.
Answer: TRUE
Many of the disadvantages of file processing systems can also be limitations of databases.
Answer: TRUE
Metadata are data that describe the properties of other data.
Answer: TRUE
A co-dependency is a constraint between two attributes or two sets of attributes
False
Data names do not have to be unique.
False
When systems are automatically generated and maintained, quality is diminished.
False
Which of the following types of data can be stored in a database?
Voice, Letters, Numbers
Program-data dependence is caused by:
file descriptors being stored in each application.
A relation that contains no multivalued attributes is in ________ normal form.
first
An attribute in a relation that serves as the primary key of another relation in the same database is called a(n)_____
foreign key
A referential integrity constraint states that each ________ value must match a(n) ________ value in another relation or be blank
foreign key primary key
The SDLC phase in which database processing programs are created is the ________ phase.
implementation
Data processed in a way that increases a user's knowledge is:
information.
A primary key that consists of two or more attributes is called a(n) ________ key
composite
An attribute that can be broken down into component parts is called a(n) ________ attribute.
composite
A graphical system used to capture the nature and relationships among data is called a(n):
data model.
One disadvantage of file processing systems is:
limited data sharing.
An identifier should be chosen that has valid values and is not ________.
null
A data warehouse derives its data from:
Various operational data sources.
A user view is:
a logical description of some portion of the database.
A fact is an association between two or more terms.
True
A multivalued attribute may take on more than one value for a particular entity instance.
True
The relationship between a weak entity type and its owner is an identifying relationship.
True
Sample data are useful for developing prototype applications and for testing queries.
true
A relatively small team of people who collaborate on the same project is called a(n):
workgroup.
The SDLC phase in which every data attribute is defined, every category of data is listed and every business relationship between data entities is defined is called the ________ phase.
analysis
An error or inconsistency resulting from redundancy in tables is called a(n)______
anomaly
A database is an organized collection of ________ related data.
logically
A ________ is a functional dependency where one or more nonkey attributes are functionally dependent on part (but not all) of the primary key
partial functional dependancy
A weak entity must always have a(n) ________ that distinguishes the various occurrences of the weak entity for each owner entity instance
partial identifier
The number of entity types that participate in a relationship is called the ________ of the relationship.
degree
A(n) ________ is an attribute that uniquely identifies individual instances of an entity type.
identifier
A single occurrence of an entity type is called an entity ________.
instance
A centralized knowledge base of all data definitions, data relationships, screen and report formats, and other system components is called a(n):
repository.
A workgroup database is stored on a central device called a(n):
server.
A cascading delete removes all records in other tables associated with the record to be deleted
tRUE
A simultaneous relationship among the instances of three entity types is called a ________ relationship.
ternary
A ________ may be associated with any data value that changes over time when we need to maintain a history of those data values.
time stamp
A candidate key is an attribute, or combination of attributes, that uniquely identifies a row in a relation.
true
A partial functional dependency is a functional dependency in which one or more non-key attributes are functionally dependent on part (but not all) of the primary key.
true
A primary key is an attribute that uniquely identifies each row in a relation
true
A relation in fifth normal form may not contain any anomalies
true
A well-structured relation contains minimal redundancy and allows users to manipulate the relation without errors or inconsistencies
true
All values that appear in a column of a relation must be taken from the same domain
true
Data structures include data organized in the form of tables with rows and columns
true
One property of a relation is that each attribute within a relation has a unique name
true
The allowable range of values for a given attribute is part of the domain constraint
true
The columns of a relation can be interchanged without changing the meaning or use of the relation
true
The process of decomposing relations with anomalies to create smaller, well-structured relations is called ________.
normalization
All of the following are primary purposes of a database management system (DBMS) EXCEPT:
providing an integrated development environment.
The ________ states that no primary key attribute can be null
referential integrity constraint
A relationship name is a ________.
verb phrase
A composite key consists of only one attribute
F
An example of a term would be the following sentence: "A student registers for a course."
F.... Bawls
Which of the following is NOT a cost and/or risk of the database approach?
Improved responsiveness
An iterative methodology that rapidly repeats the analysis, design, and implementation phases of the SDLC is called:
RAD.
________ are established between entities in a well-structured database so that the desired information can be retrieved.
Relationships
The traditional methodology used to develop, maintain and replace information systems is called the:
Systems Development Life Cycle.
________ analyze the business situation and identify the need for information and information services to meet the problems or opportunities of the business.
Systems analysts
Which of the following is NOT an objective that drove the development and evolution of database technology?
The desire to require programmers to write all file handling functionality
An alternative name for an attribute is a(n)
alias
Databases may be more expensive to maintain than files because of:
all of the above.
In a file processing environment, descriptions for data and the logic for accessing the data are built into:
application programs.
CASE is a class of tools that:
automates the design of databases and application programs.
An attribute or combination of attributes that uniquely identifies a row in a relation is called a(n)_______
candidate key
A ________ specifies the number of instances of one entity that can be associated with each instance of another entity.
cardinality constraint
An identifier assigned to an associative entity is also called a cross-relation key
fa
Anomalies do not generally arise out of transitive dependencies
fa
CASE tools can model more complex data relationships, such as ternary relationships
fa
The most common source of database failures in organizations is:
failure to implement a strong database administration function.
Data integrity consists of powerful operations to manipulate data stored in relations
fal
A foreign key is a primary key of a relation that also is a primary key in another relation
false
A relation is in first normal form if it has no more than one multivalued attribute
false
A synonym is an attribute that may have more than one meaning
false
A transversal dependency is a functional dependency between two or more nonkey attributes
false
In the relational data model, associations between tables are defined through the use of primary keys
false
The relational data model does at this time directly support subtype/supertype relationships.
false
The truncate table statement in SQL creates a new table
false
There can be multivalued attributes in a relation.
false
Unlike columns, the rows of a relation may not be interchanged and must be stored in one sequence
false
Associative entities are also called ______
gerunds
Older systems that often contain data of poor quality are called ________ systems.
legacy
The first step in transforming EER diagrams into relations is to ________.
map regular entities
A(n) ________ is one that references the primary key values of the same relation
recursive foreign key
A(n) ________ is a rule that states that either each foreign key value must match a primary key value in another relation or the foreign key value must be null
referential integrity constraint
A meaningful relationship between entity types is called a(n) ________.
relationship type
Because applications are often developed independently in file processing systems:
unplanned duplicate data files are the rule rather than the exception.
A(n) ________ entity type exists independently of other entity types.
strong
Sometimes, associative entities have ________ identifiers assigned to them
surrogate
Languages, menus, and other facilities by which users interact with the database are collectively called a(n):
user interface.
A(n) ________ is often developed by identifying a form or report that a user needs on a regular basis.
user view