DBMS
VBScript
A Microsoft client-side extension that extends a browser's functionality; VBScript is derived from Visual Basic.
ActiveX Data Objects (ADO)
A Microsoft object framework that provides a high-level, application-oriented interface to OLE-DB, DAO, and RDO. ADO provides a unified interface to access data from any programming language that uses the underlying OLE-DB objects.
Microsoft .NET framework
A component-based platform for the development of distributed, heterogeneous, interoperable applications aimed at manipulating any type of data over any network regardless of operating system and programming language.
cloud computing
A computing model that provides ubiquitous, on-demand access to a shared pool of configurable resources that can be rapidly provisioned.
transitive dependency
A condition in which an attribute is dependent on another attribute that is not part of the primary key.
partial dependency
A condition in which an attribute is dependent on only a portion (subset) of the primary key.
web-to-database middleware
A database server-side extension that retrieves data from databases and passes them to the web server, which in turn sends the data to the client's browser for display.
XML schema definition (XSD)
A file that contains the description of an XML document.
document type definition (DTD)
A file with a .dtd extension that describes XML elements; in effect, a DTD file describes a document's composition and defines the syntax rules or valid tags for each type of XML document.
private cloud
A form of cloud computing in which an internal cloud is built by an organization to serve its own needs.
Public cloud
A form of computing in which the cloud infrastructure is built by a third-party organization to sell cloud services to the general public.
Remote Data Objects (RDO)
A higher-level, object-oriented application interface used to access remote database servers. RDO uses the lower-level DAO and ODBC for direct access to databases.
Prime Attribute
A key attribute; that is, an attribute that is part of a key or is the whole key. See also key attributes.
web application server
A middleware application that expands the functionality of web servers by linking them to a wide range of services, such as databases, directory systems, and search engines.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
A model in which the cloud service provider can build and deploy consumer-created applications using the provider's cloud infrastructure.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
A model in which the cloud service provider offers consumers the ability to provision their own resources on demand; these resources include storage, servers, databases, processing units, and even a complete virtualized desktop.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
A model in which the cloud service provider offers turnkey applications that run in the cloud.
Denormalization
A process by which a table is changed from a higher-level normal form to a lower-level normal form, usually to increase processing speed. Denormalization potentially yields data anomalies.
Normalization
A process that assigns attributes to entities so that data redundancies are reduced or eliminated.
server-side extension
A program that interacts directly with the server process to handle specific types of requests. Server-side extensions add significant functionality to web servers and intranets.
script
A programming language that is not compiled but is interpreted and executed at run time.
JavaScript
A scripting language that allows web authors to design interactive websites. JavaScript code is embedded in webpages, and then downloaded with the page and activated when a specific event takes place, such as a mouse click on an object.
Boyce-Codd normal form (BCNF)
A special type of third normal form (3NF) in which every determinant is a candidate key. A table in BCNF must be in 3NF. See also determinant.
Call Level Interface (CLI)
A standard developed by the SQL Access Group for database access.
stateless system
A system in which a web server does not know the status of the clients communicating with it. The web does not reserve memory to maintain an open communications state between the client and the server.
third normal form (3NF)
A table is in 3NF when it is in 2NF and no nonkey attribute is functionally dependent on another nonkey attribute; that is, it cannot include transitive dependencies.
fourth normal form (4NF)
A table is in 4NF if it is in 3NF and contains no multiple independent sets of multivalued dependencies.
Community cloud
A type of cloud built by and for a specific group of organizations that share a common trade, such as agencies of the federal government, the military, or higher education.
Common Gateway Interface (CGI)
A web server interface standard that uses script files to perform specific functions based on a client's parameters.
XML schema
An advanced data definition language used to describe the elements, data types, relationship types, ranges, and default values of XML data documents. One of the main advantages of an XML schema is that it more closely maps to database terminology and features.
Term: Java Database Connectivity (JDBC)
An application programming interface that allows a Java program to interact with a wide range of data sources, including relational databases, tabular data sources, spreadsheets, and text files.
atomic attribute
An attribute that cannot be further subdivided to produce meaningful components. For example, a person's last name attribute cannot be meaningfully subdivided.
nonprime attribute
An attribute that is not part of a key.
Data Access Objects (DAO)
An object-oriented application programming interface used to access MS Access, FileMaker Pro, and other Jet-based databases.
Java
An object-oriented programming language developed by Sun Microsystems that runs on top of the web browser software. Java applications are compiled and stored on the web server. Java's main advantage is its ability to let application developers create their applications once and then run them in many environments.
Object Linking and Embedding for Database (OLE-DB)
Based on Microsoft's Component Object Model (COM), OLE-DB is database middleware that adds object-oriented functionality for accessing relational and nonrelational data.
SQL data services (SDS)
Data management services that provide relational data storage, access, and management over the Internet.
database middleware
Database connectivity software through which application programs connect and communicate with data repositories.
Client-side extensions
Extension that adds functionality to a web browser. The most common extensions are plug-ins, Java, JavaScript, ActiveX, and VBScript.
DataSet
In ADO.NET, a disconnected, memory-resident representation of the database. The DataSet contains tables, columns, rows, relationships, and constraints.
repeating group
In a relation, a characteristic describing a group of multiple entries of the same or multiple types for a single key attribute occurrence. For example, a car can have multiple colors for its top, interior, bottom, trim, and so on.
tags
In markup languages such as HTML and XML, a command inserted in a document to specify how the document should be formatted. Tags are used in server-side markup languages and interpreted by a web browser for presenting data.
Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)
Microsoft database middleware that provides a database access API to Windows applications.
ActiveX
Microsoft's alternative to Java. A specification for writing programs that will run inside the Microsoft client browser. Oriented mainly to Windows applications, it is not portable. It adds controls such as drop-down windows and calendars to webpages.
plug-in
On the web, a client-side, external application that is automatically invoked by the browser when needed to manage specific types of data.
unnormalized data
Raw data in its original state; it might contain redundant data, multivalued data, and/or other data anomalies not found on normalized data relations.
dynamic-link libraries (DLLs)
Shared code module that is treated as part of the operating system or server process so it can be dynamically invoked at run time.
application programming interface (API)
Software through which programmers interact with middleware. An API allows the use of generic SQL code, thereby allowing client processes to be database server-independent.
ADO.NET
The data access component of Microsoft's .NET application development framework.
First Normal Form (1NF)
The first stage in the normalization process. It describes a relation depicted in tabular format, with no repeating groups and a primary key identified. All nonkey attributes in the relation are dependent on the primary key.
Granularity
The level of detail represented by the values stored in a table's row. Data stored at its lowest level of granularity is said to be atomic data.
second normal form (2NF)
The second stage in the normalization process, in which a relation is in 1NF and there are no partial dependencies (dependencies in only part of the primary key).
cloud services
The services provided by cloud computing. Cloud services allow any organization to quickly and economically add information technology services such as applications, storage, servers, processing power, databases, and infrastructure.
Universal Data Access (UDA)
Within the Microsoft application framework, a collection of technologies used to access any type of data source and to manage the data through a common interface.
Which of the following statements best describes a partial dependency? a. A partial dependency exists when there is a functional dependence in which the determinant is only part of the primary key. b. A partial dependency exists when there is no functional dependence in which the determinant is only part of the primary key. c. A partial dependency exists when there is a functional dependence in which the determinant is the primary key. d. A partial dependency exists when there is no functional dependence in which the determinant is the primary key.
a. A partial dependency exists when there is a functional dependence in which the determinant is only part of the primary key.
Which statement best defines a schema? a. A schema is a logical group of database objects—such as tables and indexes—that are related to each other. b. A schema is a logical group of database objects—such as tables and indexes—that may not be related to each other. c. A schema is a physical group of database objects—such as tables and indexes—that are related to each other. d. A schema is a physical group of database objects—such as tables and indexes—that may not be related to each other.
a. A schema is a logical group of database objects—such as tables and indexes—that are related to each other.
Which of the following is a valid multirow subquery operator? a. ALL b. IN c. EVERY d. EXISTS
a. ALL
Which of the following statements best defines CGI? a. Common Gateway Interface (CGI) is a web server interface standard that uses script files to perform specific functions based on a client's parameters. b. Common Graphical Interface (CGI) is a client server interface standard that uses script files to perform specific functions based on a client's parameters. c. Common Gateway Interface (CGI) is a client server interface standard that uses script files to perform specific functions based on a server's parameters. d. Common Graphical Interface (CGI) is a web server interface standard that uses script files to perform specific functions based on a server's parameters.
a. Common Gateway Interface (CGI) is a web server interface standard that uses script files to perform specific functions based on a client's parameters.
Which of the following is the correct syntax of a SELECT statement? a. SELECT columnlist FROM tablelist [WHERE conditionlist ] [ORDER BY columnlist [ASC | DESC]; b. SELECT columnlist [WHERE conditionlist ] FROM tablelist [ORDER BY columnlist [ASC | DESC]; c. SELECT tablelist FROM columnlist [WHERE conditionlist ] [ORDER BY columnlist [ASC | DESC]; d. SELECT tablelist FROM columnlist [ORDER BY columnlist [ASC | DESC] [WHERE conditionlist ];
a. SELECT columnlist FROM tablelist [WHERE conditionlist ] [ORDER BY columnlist [ASC | DESC];
Which of the following is not a method to achieve database connectivity? a. SQL connectivity b. Microsoft's Open Database Connectivity (ODBC), Data Access Objects (DAO), and Remote Data Objects (RDO) c. Microsoft's Object Linking and Embedding for Database (OLE-DB) d. Microsoft's ActiveX Data Objects (ADO.NET) e. Oracle's Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) f. All of the above g. None of the above
a. SQL connectivity
Which of the following is not a cloud service? a. Security as a Service (SaaS). b. Platform as a Service (PaaS). c. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). d. All of the above e. None of the above
a. Security as a Service (SaaS).
A repeating group is defined as _____. a. a characteristic describing a group of multiple entries of the same or multiple types for a single key attribute occurrence b. a characteristic describing a group of multiple entries of the same or multiple values for a single key attribute occurrence c. a characteristic describing a group of multiple entries of the same or multiple types d. a characteristic describing a group of multiple entries of the same or multiple values
a. a characteristic describing a group of multiple entries of the same or multiple types for a single key attribute occurrence
Which of the following statements best defines Business Intelligence (BI)? a. A software system used to analyze data with the purpose of generating and presenting information to support business decision making. b. A comprehensive set of tools and processes used to capture, collect, integrate, store, and analyze data with the purpose of generating and presenting information to support business decision making. c. A set of tools and processes used to transform data with the purpose of generating information to support business decision making. d. A database system used to capture and analyze data with the purpose of generating and presenting information to support business decision making.
b. A comprehensive set of tools and processes used to capture, collect, integrate, store, and analyze data with the purpose of generating and presenting information to support business decision making.
Which of the following statements best defines an outer join? a. An outer join returns only the rows matching the join condition and rows with unmatched values are not returned. b. An outer join returns not only the rows matching the join condition, but it also returns the rows with unmatched values. c. An outer join returns only unmatched values and matched values are not returned. d. An outer join returns only matched values and matched values are not returned.
b. An outer join returns not only the rows matching the join condition, but it also returns the rows with unmatched values.
Which of the following statements is true? a. Each entity should be atomic. b. Each entity should represent a set of distinguishable entity instances. c. All entities should be in 4NF or higher. Any entities below 4NF should be justified. d. The ethnicity of the entity instance should be clearly defined.
b. Each entity should represent a set of distinguishable entity instances.
Which of the following is not a characteristic of Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS)? a. High Volume b. Read-once, Write-many c. Streaming access d. Fault tolerance e. All of the above f. None of the above
b. Read-once, Write-many
Which of the following is not a disadvantage of cloud computing? a. Issues of security, privacy, and compliance b. Support for mobile computing c. Complex licensing schemas d. Organization culture
b. Support for mobile computing
Which of the following is not true about attribute naming conventions? a. They should be unique within the entity. b. They should not use the entity abbreviation as a prefix. c. They should be descriptive of the characteristic. d. They should not contain spaces or special characters such as @, !, or &.
b. They should not use the entity abbreviation as a prefix.
Which of the following is a valid UPDATE command? a. UPDATE table_name WHERE condition b. UPDATE table_name SET column_name WHERE condition c. UPDATE column_name SET table_name WHERE condition d. UPDATE column_name WHERE condition
b. UPDATE table_name SET column_name WHERE condition
Which of the following statement is not true of unnormalized data? a. Unnormalized data is raw data. b. Unnormalized data is related data. c. Unnormalized data might contain redundant data. d. Unnormalized data is multivalued data.
b. Unnormalized data is related data.
Normalization is a process for evaluating and correcting table structures to minimize _____. a. data anomalies and integrity b. data redundancy and anomalies c. data redundancy and security d. data integrity and security
b. data redundancy and anomalies
Which of the following is not a valid outer join? a. RIGHT OUTER JOIN b. LEFT OUTER JOIN c. ALL OUTER JOIN d. FULL OUTER JOIN
c. ALL OUTER JOIN
Which SQL command changes the structure of a TABLE? a. MODIFY b. AMEND c. ALTER d. CHANGE
c. ALTER
Which of the following is not a valid constraint? a. PRIMARY KEY b. FOREIGN KEY c. CHECK d. UNIQUENESS
c. CHECK
Which of the following is not an activity of a web application server? a. Connect to and query a database from a webpage b. Present database data in a webpage using various formats c. Create static web search pages d. Create webpages to insert, update, and delete database data
c. Create static web search pages
Which of the following is not used to change a COLUMN in an TABLE? a. ADD b. MODIFY c. DELETE d. DROP
c. DELETE
Which of the following is not a valid relational set operator? a. UNION b. INTERSECT c. DIFFERENCE d. EXCEPT
c. DIFFERENCE
Which of the following is not true about ER models? a. ER models should be validated against expected processes: inserts, updates, and deletions. b. ER models should evaluate where, when, and how to maintain a history. c. ER models should contain redundant relationships except as required. d. ER models should minimize data redundancy to ensure single-place updates.
c. ER models should contain redundant relationships except as required.
Which of the following is not a task performed by natural join? a. Determining the common attribute(s) by looking for attributes with identical names and compatible data types b. Selecting only the rows with common values in the common attribute(s) c. If there are common attributes, returning the relational product of the two tables d. If there are no common attributes, returning the relational product of the two tables
c. If there are common attributes, returning the relational product of the two tables
Which of the following is NOT a valid clause of CREATE TABLE statement? a. CREATE TABLE b. PRIMARY KEY c. SECONDARY KEY d. CONSTRAINT
c. SECONDARY KEY
Which of the following is a valid SQL statement? a. SELECT FROM table_name column1, coulmn2; b. SELECT FROM table_name column1, coulmn2 c. SELECT column1, coulmn2 FROM table_name; d. SELECT column1, coulmn2 FROM table_name
c. SELECT column1, coulmn2 FROM table_name;
Which of the following statements best defines a transitive dependency? a. A condition in which an attribute is independent of another attribute that is not part of the primary key. b. A condition in which an attribute is dependent on another attribute that is part of the primary key. c. A condition in which an attribute is independent of another attribute that is part of the primary key. d. A condition in which an attribute is dependent on another attribute that is not part of the primary key.
d. A condition in which an attribute is dependent on another attribute that is not part of the primary key.
What is an XML schema? a. An advanced data definition language used to describe the elements, data types, relationship types, ranges, and default values in a document store. b. An advanced data definition language used to store the elements, data types, relationship types, ranges, and default values of XML data documents. c. An advanced data definition language used to store the elements, data types, relationship types, ranges, and default values in a document store. d. An advanced data definition language used to describe the elements, data types, relationship types, ranges, and default values of XML data documents.
d. An advanced data definition language used to describe the elements, data types, relationship types, ranges, and default values of XML data documents.
Which command would you use to save and undo table changes? a. SAVE and UNDO b. COMMIT and UNDO c. SAVE and ROLLABACK d. COMMIT and ROLLBACK
d. COMMIT and ROLLBACK
Which of the following is not a component of basic BI architecture? a. ETL tools b. Data analytics c. Query and reporting d. Data monitoring and performance e. Data visualization f. All of the above g. None of the above
d. Data monitoring and performance
What is database middleware? a. Database middleware is database connectivity hardware through which application programs connect and communicate with user's applications. b. Database middleware is database connectivity hardware through which application programs connect and communicate with data repositories. c. Database middleware is database connectivity software through which application programs connect and communicate with user's applications. d. Database middleware is database connectivity software through which application programs connect and communicate with data repositories.
d. Database middleware is database connectivity software through which application programs connect and communicate with data repositories.
Which of the following is not a characteristic and a benefit of internet technologies? a. Hardware and software independence b. Common and simple user interface c. Location independence d. Improved data security e. Rapid development at manageable costs
d. Improved data security
Which of the following is not a cloud implementation type? a. Public cloud: This type of cloud infrastructure is built by a third-party organization to sell cloud services to the general public. b. Private cloud: This type of internal cloud is built by an organization for the sole purpose of servicing its own needs. c. Community cloud: This type of cloud is built by and for a specific group of organizations that share a common trade. d. Shared Cloud: This type of cloud is built by a group of organizations for the purpose of sharing it with the public.
d. Shared Cloud: This type of cloud is built by a group of organizations for the purpose of sharing it with the public.
Which of the following is a valid characteristic of a VIEW? a. Views may be used as the basis for viewing hidden columns. b. Views provide a level of security in the database because they can restrict users to seeing a table. c. Views cannot be dynamically updated. d. You can use the name of a view anywhere a table name is expected in a SQL statement.
d. You can use the name of a view anywhere a table name is expected in a SQL statement.
Atomicity refers to_____. a. an attribute is atomic that can be further subdivided. b. an attribute is atomic that can be composed. c. an attribute is atomic that cannot be further composed. d. an attribute is atomic that cannot be further subdivided.
d. an attribute is atomic that cannot be further subdivided.
Which of the following is not a valid arithmetic operator? a. + : Add b. - : Subtract c. * : Multiply d. / : Divide e. @: Raise to power of
e. @: Raise to power of
Which of the following statements is true about writing effective SQL queries? a. Know your data. b. Know the problem. c. Build one clause at a time. d. Build query components in the order FROM, WHERE, GROUP BY, HAVING, SELECT, and ORDER BY. e. All of the above. f. None of the above.
e. All of the above.
Which of the following statements is not true? a. First normal form (1NF): Table format, no repeating groups, and PK identified. b. Second normal form (2NF): 1NF and no partial dependencies c. Third normal form (3NF): 2NF and no transitive dependencies d. Boyce-Codd normal form (BCNF): Every determinant is a candidate key (special case of 3NF). e. Fourth normal form (4NF): 3NF and no dependent multivalued dependencies.
e. Fourth normal form (4NF): 3NF and no dependent multivalued dependencies.
Which of the following is not a characteristic of a subquery? a. A subquery is a query (SELECT statement) inside another query. b. A subquery is normally expressed inside parentheses. c. The first query in the SQL statement is known as the outer query. d. The query inside the SQL statement is known as the inner query. e. The inner query is executed last. f. The output of an inner query is used as the input for the outer query.
e. The inner query is executed last.
Which of the following restrictions is not valid? a. GROUP BY expressions or aggregate functions cannot be used. b. You cannot use set operators such as UNION, INTERSECT, and MINUS. c. Use of JOINs or group operators in views. d. Must be key-preserved; all values of the primary key must be kept unique. e. All of the above f. None of the above
f. None of the above
Which of the following is not a table constraint? a. NOT NULL b. UNIQUE c. DEFAULT d. ON UPDATE e. ON DELETE f. ON INSERT
f. ON INSERT