Fall 2001

Unique #: 51490

Class Location: Burdine Hall BUR 108

Class Timing: Mon, Fri: 8.30am – 10.00 am

Objectives

The course goals are to introduce students to the technical terminology and major areas of development and application in database systems. Database management systems are a focus of study, and database administration and management are discussed. Techniques for logical modeling and database design are surveyed, with emphasis on relational databases and current applications. Topics also include data integrity, performance, concurrency, transaction processing, recovery and security. A main focus in this course will be on practical applications.

Prerequisites

The prerequisites are CS 303e and CS 313e, each with a grade of C or better. Prerequisites must be completed before enrolling in this course. This course may not be counted toward a degree in computer science.

Course Text

The following textbook is a required text for the course. (Supplemental literature will be assigned during the semester, and additional references recommended.)

Title

Database Systems: Design, Implementation and Management, 4th ed. Course Technology, 2000.

ISBN

0-7600-1090-0

Authors

Peter Rob and Carlos Coronel.

Publisher

Course Technology.

Availability

On Campus

a) Campus Coop

Online Availability

a) Course Technology

b) Barnes and Noble

c) Amazon.com

Other Reference Material

a) Oracle8i: The Complete Reference

By Kevin Loney, George Koch

Hardcover - 1308 pages Bk&Cd Rom edition (May 23, 2000)

McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing; ISBN: 0072123648;

Dimensions (in inches): 2.86 x 9.50 x 7.7

b) Oracle Advanced PL/SQL Programming with CD-ROM

By Scott Urman

Paperback - 777 pages 1st edition (May 15, 2000)
McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing; ISBN: 0072121467;

Dimensions (in inches): 1.88 x 9.09 x 7.36

c) Database System Concepts

By Abraham Silberschatz, Henry Korth, S.Sudarshan

Hardcover - 1088 pages 4th edition (July 24, 2001)
McGraw-Hill Higher Education; ISBN: 0072283637

d) An Introduction to Database Systems

By C.J.Date

Hardcover - 975 pages 7th edition (October 1999)

Addison-Wesley Pub Co; ISBN: 0201385902; Dimensions (in inches): 1.73 x 9.57 x 7.90

Instructor

Ajay Bhargava

Office: PAI 5.44

Office Hours: Fri 10 a.m.-11 a.m., and by appt.

Office Phone: 512-471-9754

Phone: 512-791-0158

Email: ajay@cs.utexas.edu

Teaching assistant

Gurucharan Huchachar

Office: PAI 5.36, desk B

Office Hours: Wed. 10.30 a.m.-12 noon, Thu 3.00 p.m.-4.30 p.m.

Phone: TBD

Email: guru@cs.utexas.edu

Course Web Site

http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/ajay/2001/fall/cs327e/

Course information and announcements will be available here. This site will be under development during the semester, and various items will be posted over time.

Course Policies

You are responsible for reading and referring to these policies when you have questions during the semester. Write down any changes or additions made in class announcements to keep updated.

Grading

Course grades will be determined as a weighted average, based on the following:

30% 30-60 minute Tests (3)

30% Group Project

30% Labs/Assignments (5)

10% Pop Quizzes (2)

There will be no Final Exam for this course.

Note: For the rest of this document, I will loosely refer to Tests, Project, Assignments/Labs, and pop quizzes as “Exams”.

The weightage, and the number of tests/assignments/pop quizzes may change during the course, but it is rare.

The course grade will be determined after the project submission, based on overall course performance and assigned as follows:

>=90 A

>=80 and <=89 B

>=70 and <=79 C

>=60 and <=69 D

<=59 F (not passing)

The instructor reserves the right to alter the grading scale to the benefit of the students.

Attendance

Attendance at exams is required, and no make-ups are given. Do not make plans for the times when these are scheduled, since excused absences are rare and given only for emergencies. If an emergency causes you to miss an exam, be sure to contact the instructor immediately, to explain the reason for your absence. In exceptional conditions, such as serious illness, talk with the instructor directly, and be prepared to show documentation (later). Any consideration for a missed exam is at the instructor’s discretion and with adequate documentation. Otherwise, an exam missed may receive a score of 0.

Questions about assignments, grading or your grades should be directed to your TA. If there is a mistake in grading, you must submit your original exam and a written request to your TA within one week from the first day exams are returned, but preferably sooner. Include written arguments to support your request. Regrades will not be considered at a later time, or if there are erasures on the exam.

Notes to students on grading: Credit is earned for every assignment, activity and exam. Students earn their course grade over the entire semester, so good performance is needed throughout the semester. Be sure to study regularly, and keep pace with the readings, course lectures and activities. There are opportunities to improve your course average over time and through the project. Students are advised to keep working steadily throughout the course.

The TA will maintain grade records during the term. Any problem reports or grade recording errors must be resolved with your TA before the last day of class. Later reports or questions about grade records may not be possible.

Regular attendance in class is required. Students are expected to arrive in class on time, and to stay the entire period. Students are also expected to come to class prepared, and to take notes, as needed during lecture or discussion classes. Announcements are often made in class and information may be presented which is not in the text, assignments or handouts. While it is possible to miss a class occasionally without damaging your grade, keep in mind that you skip at your own risk (whatever your reason). More than 3 absences during the term are considered excessive and may affect your grade. If you do miss a class, it is your own responsibility to obtain notes or other information from another student. Be sure you know someone you can call and ask to share information about the course. The instructor cannot make exceptions for those who miss class. Deadlines (such as assignments) remain firm whether you are in class or not. There are no excused absences or extensions, and no make-ups (for example, for in-class quizzes or activities). Exceptions in the case of a serious emergency will be only at the instructor’s discretion. In the case of serious illness, if a student misses several classes, please contact the instructor as soon as possible to discuss reason for your absence, and be prepared to show documentation, if needed. Note: if there are exceptional circumstances, which affect your attendance or performance in the course, please discuss this with the instructor privately.

Assignments (or Labs)

PCs are available for assignments in the Elements PC Lab. The Elements Lab is in PAI 5.38. The lab hours are as follows:

Days	Timings

Sunday	12 noon – 1:00 am
Monday-Thursday	9:00 am – 1:00 am
Friday	9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Saturday	10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Students in this course will have accounts to use these machines. The accounts will work only on the machines in these rooms and not elsewhere in the PC Labs. Using your student ID, you can create an account by swiping it in the swipe machine in the wall of the labs. Be sure you can use your Elements account early in the semester. Students may also use other PCs available to them to do assignments. However, work on other systems is the responsibility of the student, including any software and file compatibility.

Further information about assignments will be given in class.

Each assignment is due at the stated due date and time. Students should plan their schedules so as to complete assignments before the deadline. Assignments may not be submitted by Email or fax. Additional assignments (orally or in writing) and quizzes may also be given in class. Schedule for each assignment will be posted on the class web site as the semester progresses.

Late assignments

Assignments/Projects are due when stated, whether you are present in class or not. They are due at 8.30 am CST on the due date. The clock for late assignment starts at 8.30 am CST of the due date. If special circumstances prevent you from submitting an assignment on time, attach a written note with details about the delay, when you hand in the assignment. Late assignments will receive 10% penalty per day. If you cannot finish an assignment on time, then submit whatever you have completed within 24 hours of the deadline. Students should start early and plan enough time to complete assignments, because excuses are not accepted and extensions are not allowed. The responsibility to complete and submit assignments belongs to the student.

Group Project

Other Policies

Disabilities

If you have a certified disability that requires special consideration with respect to your class performance, please inform the instructor within the first 4 days of the semester. Students with disabilities who need special accommodations should notify the instructor by presenting a letter prepared by the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Office. To ensure that the most appropriate accommodations can be provided, students should contact the SSD Office at 471-6259 or 471-4641 TTY. For more information, check out the following URL

http://www.utexas.edu/depts/dos/ssd/

Religious observance

A student who is absent from an examination or cannot meet an assignment deadline due to the observance of a religious holy day may take the examination on an alternate day, submit the assignment up to 24 hours late without penalty, or be excused from the examination or assignment, if proper written notice of the planned absence has been given. Notice must be given at least fourteen days prior to the classes scheduled on dates the student will be absent. For religious holy days that fall within the first two weeks of the semester, notice should be given on the first day of the semester. It must be personally delivered to the instructor and signed and dated by the instructor. For more information, check out the following URL

http://www.utexas.edu/student/registrar/catalogs/gi01-02/ch4/ch4g.html#attend

Academic Honesty

Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of a lowered or 0 grade on an assignment or exam, failure in the course, and/or dismissal from the University. Representing the work of others as your own will be considered academic dishonesty and will not be tolerated. Any other unethical or "cheating" behavior will be dealt with as a serious problem and may result in penalties. Since such dishonesty harms the individual, all students, and the integrity of the University, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced. For more information, check out the following URL

http://www.utexas.edu/depts/dos/sjs/

Important Dates

Final Grades

Last Updated 2002-01-10 11:43:46

CS 327E - Elements of Databases: Home Page

The University of Texas at Austin

Department of Computer Sciences