Databases
1,000 words
Assessment #1 – Advanced Databases: NORTHERNTOURS Database Design and Implementation
This assessment for the Advanced Databases module (KL7011) focuses on the analysis, design and implementation of a database system based on the NORTHERNTOURS scenario, a fictitious transport company operating a fleet of luxury coaches across cities, towns and tourist locations in Northern England. The assessment requires students to demonstrate advanced database knowledge through conceptual modelling, logical database design, SQL implementation, data manipulation and the evaluation of alternative database technologies. The assessment addresses learning outcomes relating to the data life cycle, advanced data modelling and database design, as well as professional, legal, ethical, security, sustainability and risk considerations. The first part requires students to develop a conceptual database design for NORTHERNTOURS using Entity-Relationship (ER) or Enhanced Entity-Relationship (EER) modelling. The design should identify relevant entities, relationships, key attributes, primary keys and structural constraints. Students then convert the conceptual model into a logical relational schema using ER/EER-to-relational mapping, identify primary and foreign keys, ensure the relations satisfy Third Normal Form (3NF), select and justify a consistent naming convention, and produce a textual data dictionary containing relevant names, descriptions and constraints. The logical design is subsequently implemented using Oracle 11g, 12c or higher through appropriate SQL DDL statements and database constraints. The second part involves populating selected database relations with self-generated sample data and demonstrating database retrieval capabilities. Students must provide SQL DML statements, relational algebra expressions and SQL queries for specified NORTHERNTOURS business requirements. The solutions must be executed in a live Oracle environment and supported with appropriate output evidence. The third part extends the database analysis by considering object-relational and NoSQL database technologies. Students evaluate which aspects of the NORTHERNTOURS conceptual design could benefit from object-relational implementation, develop and populate a suitable object-relational subset, and demonstrate it through complex queries. They also analyse where NoSQL concepts could provide benefits and discuss design choices supported by representative NoSQL implementation code. Finally, students prepare a concise report for the NORTHERNTOURS managing director addressing sustainability, professional, legal, ethical and security issues, together with diversity, inclusion, cultural, societal and environmental considerations and commercial risk management. The report should use a critical review of relevant literature, systems, developments and standards and follow Harvard referencing conventions.
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Computer Science / Database Systems
4,000 words
Advanced Databases (KL7011) — NORTHERNTOURS Coach Travel Database: EER Design, Oracle Implementation, Object-Relational and NoSQL Extensions
This piece of work addresses a four-part Masters-level assessment in Advanced Databases built around NORTHERNTOURS, a fictitious coach travel operator running services across cities, towns and tourist sites in the North East of England. The company sells tickets through a network of independent travel agents, each currently working from a paper-based sales book, while NORTHERNTOURS itself maintains separate paper records for routes, schedules, seat availability, vehicles and drivers. The brief asks for a single computer-based system capable of replacing both, tracking every agent transaction while giving the company control over ticket issue and seat allocation. Part one covers the conceptual and logical design. An enhanced entity-relationship model was produced covering agents, agent employees, customers, tickets, routes, stops, schedules, vehicles, drivers and the meal provision recorded at each stop, with key attributes, primary keys and full structural constraints shown. Because the scenario does not name identifiers for most entity types, appropriate surrogate and natural keys were devised and justified. The diagram was then mapped to a logical relational schema, normalised to third normal form, with a documented naming convention applied consistently across relations, attributes and keys, and every element recorded in a text-based data dictionary giving names, data types, descriptions and constraints. Part two moves to implementation in Oracle. A full DDL script creates the relations with primary and foreign keys and a substantial set of check constraints — key format patterns, positive seat counts and fare values, date ordering on schedules. Sample data populates the relevant tables, and two retrieval problems are answered twice over, once in relational algebra and once in SQL: schedules between Newcastle and Berwick-upon-Tweed with seven or more seats free in the coming fortnight, and the agent with the highest ticket sales across a defined month. Spooled session output evidences each script running. Part three revisits the conceptual design to argue where object-relational features earn their place — nested route-and-stop structures and composite address and contact types being the clearest candidates — implemented using Oracle object types, VARRAYs and nested tables, and demonstrated through two multi-join aggregate queries. A parallel discussion identifies the schedule and availability workload as a fit for document-oriented NoSQL storage, with representative code and a reasoned account of the denormalisation trade-offs involved. Part four is a report to the managing director covering sustainability, professional, legal, ethical and security obligations, alongside diversity, inclusion, cultural and environmental matters, commercial risk evaluation and mitigation, supported throughout by current literature and published standards.
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