ICTDBS506 Database design 1, 2023

What is a relational database?

• A database that organizes data into tables

• A database that stores data in a hierarchical structure

• A database that uses a graph-based data model

• A database that only supports numeric data

Answer explanation

A relational database organizes data into tables, which is the fundamental structure of a relational database system.

What is database design?

• The process of creating an attractive user interface for a database

• The process of optimizing database performance

• The process of creating a well-structured and efficient database

• The process of securing a database against external threats

Answer explanation

Database design involves creating a well-structured and efficient database, ensuring data integrity and optimal performance.

What are the benefits of using a relational database?

• Limited scalability and flexibility

• Complex data querying capabilities

• Redundant data storage

• Unstructured data representation

Answer explanation

Relational databases offer complex data querying capabilities, allowing users to retrieve and manipulate data using SQL queries.

What is a primary key in a relational database?

• A field that can contain multiple values for a record

• A field that is not unique in a table

• A field that uniquely identifies a record in a table

• A field that stores only string data

Answer explanation

A primary key uniquely identifies a record in a table, ensuring data integrity and providing a unique identifier for each row.

What is normalization in database design?

• The process of adding redundant data to a database

• The process of breaking down a table into multiple tables

• The process of randomly arranging data in a database

• The process of encrypting data in a database

Answer explanation

Normalization involves breaking down a table into multiple tables to eliminate redundancy and improve data organization.

What is a foreign key in a relational database?

• A key that is not related to any other table

• A key that is common across all tables in a database

• A key that uniquely identifies a record in a table

• A key that refers to the primary key of another table

Answer explanation

A foreign key refers to the primary key of another table, establishing relationships between tables and enforcing referential integrity.

What is a DBMS (Database Management System)?

• A software system that allows users to create databases but not manipulate them

• A software system that allows users to manipulate databases but not define them

• A software system that allows users to define, create, manipulate, and manage databases

• A hardware system that stores and retrieves data from databases

Answer explanation

A DBMS allows users to define, create, manipulate, and manage databases, providing an interface to interact with the database.

What are the components of a database architecture?

• Schema, data access methods, and indexing only

• Data storage, query optimization, and transaction management only

• Schema, data storage, data access methods, query optimization, transaction management, and security mechanisms

• Data storage and retrieval only

Answer explanation

Database architecture consists of schema, data storage, data access methods, query optimization, transaction management, and security mechanisms, forming the overall structure and functionality of a database system.

What is the difference between logical and physical database design?

• Logical design focuses on performance optimization, while physical design focuses on data organization.

• Logical design deals with data organization, while physical design focuses on performance optimization.

• Logical design only involves the creation of tables, while physical design involves creating relationships between tables.

• Logical design is concerned with security mechanisms, while physical design is concerned with data access methods.

Answer explanation

Logical design focuses on data organization, ensuring proper entity relationships, while physical design optimizes performance aspects such as indexing and storage structures.

What is an index in a database?

• A feature that allows users to access a database remotely

• A data structure that improves the speed of data retrieval operations

• A backup copy of a database

• A field that stores metadata about a table

Answer explanation

1. An index is a data structure that improves the speed of data retrieval operations by enabling faster searching and sorting based on specific columns.