1. University of Pittsburgh
School of Information Sciences
Graduate Information Science &Technology Program
INFSCI 2710: Database Management
Summer 2013
Lectures: Time & Place
Thursdays, 6:00 – 9:15pm, 403 Information Sciences Build
Instructor: Evgeny Karataev
e-mail: epk8@pitt.edu
Office Hours: every Tuesday, from 5 pm to 7pm, at 2B10 IS Building, or by appointment
Online Class Management and Q&A:
We will be using Piazza for online communications and Q&A. You will receive invitation before the
first class and I will go over the system a little bit during first class. I would prefer if you don't send me
any emails except for special appointments. Piazza is a great way to ask any question you have and me
and your classmates will be happy to help you out.
Course Description
This is a basic graduate course on database systems. The major focus of this course is on centralized
database systems. The coursework consists of assignments, exams, and a team-oriented database design
and implementation project.
Topics Covered
 Database System Architecture - data abstraction; external, conceptual, and internal
schemata; data independence.
 Data models - Entity-relationship and relational data model; SQL.
 Theory of database design - Functional dependencies; normal forms; dependency
preservation; information loss.
 Introduction to OLAP - Multidimensional data model, data aggregation.
 Storage Strategies - Indices and B-trees.
 Transaction Management - ACID properties, concurrency control and recovery.
Learning Objectives
When you have successfully completed this course, you will be able to design and implement a
database system from specification given by a customer. You will be also able to write advanced
queries to get insights of the data in the databases. In addition you will know theoretical concepts of
how DBMS is working and how to design and implement “better” databases.
Prerequisites
INFSCI 2500 (co-requisite) or permission of instructor.

2. Desire to learn.
Class Requirements and Grading
This course is being offered for three credits. The grading is as follows:
Assignments (3 or 5) 20%
Midterm Exam 20%
Final Exam 30%
Project 30%
Late Policy: Homework and Project reports are due at the beginning of class on the due date.
Homework and project reports can be turned in the following class for a 25% penalty. No assignments
will be accepted after that time.
Assignments
Assignments are usually very practical and are based on the material learned in the class. No
programming will be required except for writing SQL queries. Assignments are due in PAPER at the
beginning of the class when it is due. Some homework assignments might be submitted online.
Solutions to the assignments will be posted after one week of the homework due date and therefore no
late submission will be accepted after that time.
Project
Through the project, you will gain hands-on experience in designing and implementing a Data
Intensive Application. The project is done in groups of 3 students and is documented by a written group
report. Each group will present their work in front of the class at the end of semester. The groups are
“self-policed”.
Project description will be posted online after several weeks of classes.
Midterm and Final
Will be both open books and open notes, but computers and/or phones will be prohibited. Half of the
classes before midterm and final will be spent on reviewing learned material. No sample exam
questions will be posted.
Textbook
Silberschatz, Korth, and Sudarshan Database System Concepts, 6th edition, McGraw-Hill, 2010,
ISBN 0-07-352332-1
Class materials will be posted online one day before the class. Although not required, printed slides
might be helpful because you can make notes on top of it.
Tentative schedule:

3. Week Day Topics (Chapters) Special Events
1 Thu 5/16
Class Introduction, Introduction(1),
Relational Model (2)
2 Thu 5/23 Relational Algebra (6) / SQL(3,4) HW#1 Issue
3 Thu 5/30 SQL(3,4)
HW#1 Due
Project Assigned
4 Thu 6/6
DB Design and E-RModel (7),
Relational DB Design (8) / SQL(3,4)
HW#2 Issue
5 Thu 6/13 LAB
Proj. Group Lists Due
HW#2 Due
6 Thu 6/20 MID TERM
7 Thu 6/27
Schema Refinement
Storage and File Structure (10)
HW#3 Issue
8 Thu 7/4 NO CLASS Independence Day
9 Thu 7/11 Indexing and Hashing (11) HW#3 Due
10 Thu 7/18 Transactions (14), Concurrency (15)
Project Report Due
HW#4 Issue
11 Thu 7/25
Concurrency (15), Recovery (16)
Review
HW#4 Due
Project Presentation
12 Thu 8/1 FINAL EXAM

4. University Policies:
Academic Integrity
Students in this course will be expected to comply with the University of Pittsburgh's Policy on
Academic Integrity. Any student suspected of violating this obligation for any reason during the
semester will be required to participate in the procedural process, initiated at the instructor level, as
outlined in the University Guidelines on Academic Integrity. This may include, but is not limited to, the
confiscation of the examination of any individual suspected of violating University Policy.
Furthermore, no student may bring any unauthorized materials to an exam, including dictionaries and
programmable calculators.
Disability Services
If you have a disability that requires special testing accommodations or other classroom modifications,
you need to notify both the instructor and Disability Resources and Services no later than the second
week of the term. You may be asked to provide documentation of your disability to determine the
appropriateness of accommodations. To notify Disability Resources and Services, call (412) 648-7890
(Voice or TTD) to schedule an appointment. The Disability Resources and Services office is located
in 140 William Pitt Union on the Oakland campus.
Copyright Notice
Course materials may be protected by copyright. United States copyright law, 17 USC section 101, et
seq., in addition to University policy and procedures, prohibit unauthorized duplication or
retransmission of course materials. See Library of Congress Copyright Office and the University
Copyright Policy.
Statement on Classroom Recording
To ensure the free and open discussion of ideas, students may not record classroom lectures, discussion
and/or activities without the advance written permission of the instructor, and any such recording
properly approved in advance can be used solely for the student’s own private use.