Schedule for CSU430 Database Design - Fall 2007

Professor Futrelle, CCIS, Northeastern University

Version of 9/29/07

T his page is still somewhat of a work in progress as of 9/29/2007. Most of it is reasonably accurate. Updates will be added steadily. I expect that the schedule will be "stretched" form time to time to make way for other material, student reports, etc.

This page is about what will happen in class in terms of lectures, demos, and exams. For your homework assignments, project schedule, etc., see the Assignments page.


Week 1 - Wed, Thurs, Sept 5, 6
Introduction to course. What I will do. What you will need to do.
Your semester project.
Resources for you - Platforms, databases, utilities, data sources.

Week 2 - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sept 10, 12, 13
The concept underlying relational databases, Chapters 1 and 2.

Week 3 - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sept 17, 19, 20
Finish the discussion of Chapter 2.
Then, four classes devoted to SQL, Chapter 3.

Week 4 - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sept 24, 26, 28
Finish the discussion of SQL.
Demonstrate the use of SQL in MySQL on Solaris (CCIS CGI server), Mac, and Windows.

Week 5 - Mon (cancelled!), Wed, Thurs, Oct 3, 4

NOTE: THE MONDAY, OCTOBER 1st CLASS IS CANCELLED

QUIZ ON CHAPTERS 2 AND 3, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4th

Finish basics of SQL (Wednesday the 3rd)

Week 6 - (Monday holiday for Northeatern U.) Wed, Thurs, Oct 10, 11
Chapter 6: Database design - the entity relationship approach, "E-R".
Simple apps for E-R design.

Week 7 - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Oct 15, 17, 18
Continue our discussion of database design.
Programming for database access.
Databases on the Web. LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP).
Ruby on Rails.
Non-SQL databases - Berkeley DB, the Google File System and Hadoop.

Week 8 - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Oct 22, 24, 25
Non-SQL databases - Berkeley DB, the Google File System and Hadoop.
Indexing - a major contributor to performance, Chapter 8.

Week 9 - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Oct 29, 31, Nov 1

MIDTERM EXAM ON CHAPTERS 6 AND 8 (including some SQL material from Chapter 3) THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1st

Database integrity and views (Oct 29, 31), Chapter 7.

Week 10 - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Nov 5, 7, 8
An under-the-hood look at query processing.
Followed by a more detailed study of transactions - "ACID" capabilities.

Week 11 - (Monday holiday) Wed, Thurs, Nov 14, 15
To be announced.

Week 12 - Mon, Wed (class meets), Thurs (holiday) Nov 19, 21
To be announced.

Week 13- Mon, Wed, Thurs, Nov 26, 28, 29
To be announced.

SHORT QUIZ ?? (Monday the 26th)

Week 14 - Mon, Wed, Dec 3, 5 (last day of classes)
Review for Final Exam.

Reading day, Thurs, Dec 6, Final exams Fri Dec 7 thru Fri the 14th


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