Deck 9: Database Management Approaches

Question 1

A distributed database is a single logical database that is physically divided among computers at several sites on a network.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

A DDBMS effectively contains a local DBMS at each site.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Access delay refers to the fixed amount of time that is required for every message.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

An advantage of a distributed database is that the database can handle more complex query processing.

Question 5

Accessing data using messages over a network is substantially faster than accessing data on a disk.

Question 6

The server in a client/server system is also known as a front-end processor.

Question 7

A subclass inherits the structure of a class but not its methods.

Question 8

When relational databases store complex objects, these special data types are known as BLOBs.

Question 9

The beginning of a URL specifies the data communication method used by clients and servers to exchange data on the Internet.

Question 10

Access to a data warehouse is accomplished through the use of OLAP software.

Question 11

The term domain refers to the general structure of an object.

Question 12

The main purpose of data fragmentation is to place data at the location where the data is least often accessed.

Question 13

When you use thin clients in a two-tier architecture, you have a potential client maintenance problem.

Question 14

The actions defined for a class are known as methods.

Question 15

A characteristic of a DDBMS that states that users do not need to be aware of the location of the data in a database is known as replication transparency.

Question 16

A homogeneous database is one where there are at least two sites at which the local DBMSs are different.

Question 17

Systems that are record-at-a-time-oriented can create performance problems in distributed systems.

Question 18

The use of a three-tier architecture can help solve the scalability problem of the two-tier architecture.

Question 19

A local deadlock involves one transaction that requires a record held by a second transaction at one site, while the second transaction requires a record held by the first transaction at a different site.

Question 20

If data is loaded into a data warehouse periodically, but users cannot update a data warehouse directly, the data is said to be volatile.

Question 21

Which arrangement of client/server architecture uses thin clients to perform only presentation functions while a single server performs database and business functions?

A) single-tier architecture
B) two-tier architecture
C) three-tier architecture
D) multi-tier architecture

Question 22

When users are unaware of the steps taken by the DDBMS to update the various copies of data, what is this characteristic of the DDBMS called?

A) location transparency
B) fragmentation transparency
C) replication transparency
D) location site license

Question 23

Which of the following is an advantage of distributed databases?

A) local control of data
B) easier updates of replicated data
C) more complex query processing
D) more complex treatment of concurrent updates

Question 24

Which rule for distributed databases states that the performance of functions such as adding sites, changing versions of DBMSs, creating backups, and modifying hardware should not require planned shutdowns of the entire distributed database?

A) Continuous operation
B) Local autonomy
C) Location transparency
D) Fragmentation transparency

Question 25

Which of the following is true about distributed databases?

A) it is preferable to send a large number of short messages rather than a small number of lengthy messages
B) it is preferable to send a small number of lengthy messages rather than a large number of short messages
C) it is preferable to send a large number of lengthy messages rather than a small number of short messages
D) it is preferable to send a large number of short messages rather than a small number of short messages

Question 26

It is possible for local DBMSs to commit updates at some sites and undo updates at other sites. How can this inconsistency be prevented?

A) using a two-step rollback
B) using a two-phase commit
C) using a two-phase rollback
D) using a two-phase transaction

Question 27

In a two-phase commit, what is the site that initiates the update known as?

A) director
B) initiator
C) coordinator
D) leader

Question 28

The formula for message transmission time is: communication time = access delay + (data volume / X). What does X represent in the formula?

A) transmission rate
B) length of transmission
C) lag time
D) seek time

Question 29

What is the main purpose of data fragmentation?

A) to make it easier for users to access remote data
B) to place data at the location where the data is least often accessed
C) to place data at the location where the data is most often accessed
D) to make data access faster, whether it is local or remote

Question 30

Which rule for distributed databases states that no site should depend on another site to perform its database functions?

A) Distributed transaction management
B) Local autonomy
C) Operating system independence
D) Network independence

Question 31

In a three-tier system, what type of computer performs the business functions and serves as an interface for clients?

A) database server
B) fat client
C) network server
D) application server

Question 32

In a centralized database design, what should you try to minimize to increase data access speed?

A) the speed of the disk drive
B) the number of network messages
C) the number of disk accesses
D) the amount of memory used

Question 33

When users interact with an RDBMS, they use transactions. What are these types of systems called?

A) OLTP
B) ODBMS
C) OLAP
D) ODBC

Question 34

Which of the following is a metalanguage and is designed for the exchange of data on the web?

A) UML
B) URL
C) XML
D) HTTP

Question 35

Which type of DDBMS has at least two sites at which the local DBMS are different?

A) homogeneous DDBMS
B) heterogeneous DDBMS
C) holistic DDBMS
D) DDBMS

Question 36

What characteristic of a computer system allows it to continue to function well as utilization of the system increases?

A) Reliability
B) Adaptability
C) Scalability
D) Polymorphism

Question 37

What is it called when the data is organized by entity rather than by the application that uses the data?

A) table-oriented
B) row-oriented
C) column-oriented
D) subject-oriented

Question 38

If the client, in a client/server system, performs the business functions (calculations, etc.), what is this type of client known as?

A) external client
B) fat client
C) virtual client
D) thin client

Question 39

What is the data communication method used by Web clients and Web servers to exchange data on the Internet?

A) UML
B) HTTP
C) URL
D) IIS

Question 40

Which rule for distributed databases states that users should feel as if the entire database is stored locally?

A) Fragmentation transparency
B) Replication transparency
C) Location transparency
D) Distributed query processing

Question 41

With respect to the definition of data warehouse, which of the following means that data in a data warehouse represents periodic snapshots of the data, such as at the end of each month?

A) nonvolatile
B) time-variant
C) subject-oriented
D) integrated

Question 42

A(n) ____________________ DDBMS is a database that has the same local DBMS at each site.

Question 43

When users access a data warehouse, their queries usually involve aggregate data. What type of software is used to perform these queries?

A) XSLT
B) XSL
C) OOXML
D) OLAP

Question 44

To execute the steps in a(n) ____________________, the user sends a message to the object.

Question 45

Which of the following contains a multipart primary key, each part of which is a foreign key to the surrounding dimension tables?

A) fact table
B) primary table
C) dimension table
D) star table

Question 46

With respect to the definition of data warehouse, which of the following means that the data is read-only?

A) time-variant
B) integrated
C) nonvolatile
D) subject-oriented

Question 47

The steps taken by the DDBMS to update the various copies of data should be done behind the scenes; this is called _____________________ transparency.

Question 48

Methods are defined during the ___________________ process.

Question 49

____________________ means that you define an object to contain both the data and its associated actions.

Question 50

In which type of system are the data and actions encapsulated?

A) relational
B) object-oriented
C) network
D) parallel

Question 51

Which of the following refers to the association of an operation to actual program code?

A) attaching
B) matching
C) linking
D) binding

Question 52

In the object-oriented representation of a database, each _______________ is represented as an object rather than a relation.

Question 53

Which of the following contains a single-part primary key that serves as an index for the fact table and also contains other fields associated with the primary key value?

A) primary table
B) fact table
C) dimension table
D) star table

Question 54

What is the overall structure of the fact table and dimension tables called?

A) class schema
B) data model
C) star schema
D) object model

Question 55

What is the process of uncovering new knowledge, patterns, trends, and rules from the data stored in a data warehouse known as?

A) fragmentation transparency
B) replication transparency
C) polymorphism
D) data mining

Question 56

A DDBMS is a DBMS capable of supporting and manipulating ____________________ databases.

Question 57

Where does a user send a message to execute steps in a method?

A) to the method
B) to the object
C) to a class
D) to a subclass

Question 58

Web pages that display the same content for all Web clients are called ____________________ Web pages.

Question 59

Transmission Control Protocol/____________________ Protocol is the standard protocol for all communication on the Internet.

Question 60

A(n) ____________________ is the set of values that are permitted for an attribute.

Question 61

The relationship between a superclass and a subclass is called a ____________________.

Question 62

Explain the difference between a Web page, a Web server, and a Web client.

Question 63

What are the advantages of distributed databases?

Question 64

Late binding lets you use the same name for different operations, which is called ____________________ in object-oriented systems.

Question 65

With ____________________ visibility, only the class itself can view or update the value.

Question 66

On a class diagram, a(n) ____________________ symbol precedes each attribute.

Question 67

When one class is a subclass of a second class, you call the second class a ____________________ of the first class.

Question 68

The subclass ____________________ the structure of the class as well as its methods.

Question 69

On a class diagram, the lines joining the classes represent the relationships and are called ____________________.

Question 70

Describe a client-side and a server-side technique used by organizations to remember key data supplied by a web client.

Question 71

With ____________________ visibility, any other class can view or update the value of an attribute.

Question 72

____________________ indicates the number of objects that can be related to an individual object at the other end of the relationship.

Question 73

An OODBMS must provide a way to ____________________ objects; that is, the OODBMS must provide a way to distinguish between one object and another.

Question 74

What are the advantages of a client/server system?

Question 75

Discuss the differences between how client-side extensions and server-side extensions are created and executed, including the kinds of languages used to create them.