CSCI 4707 (Spring 2024): Practice of Database Systems

Course Overview

• Instructor: Chang Ge (Please prefix subject line with CSCI4707 for all emails)
• In-person sessions: 2:30-3:45PM Tuesdays and Thursdays, at Keller Hall 3-230
• Office hour: 1:45-2:30PM Tuesdays and Thursdays, at Keller Hall 4-213
• Online platforms:
  • Canvas for announcements
  • Piazza for Q&A
  • Gradescope for submissions
  • UNITE for livestream lectures to eligible students
• TAs (check Piazza for office hours):
  • Shengya Zhang, zhan9051@umn, lead TA
  • Yuchuan Huang, huan1531@umn, lab TA

This course covers the basic concepts and elements of database management by providing an introduction to the relational data model and its languages. The course also studies database design methodology, storage, indexing, query evaluation, and transaction management. Students gain experience using and building applications on top of the major open-sourced PostgreSQL by completing several assignments. Students also gain hands-on experience with implementing new functions into PostgreSQL source code. Through written and coding tasks as well as close interactions with the instructor and TAs, students are exposed to both the theory and engineering behind classic database systems, and can expect to build a foundational knowledge toward modern large-scale data processing and analysis.

Format

The course is organized as a sequence of in-person lectures by the instructor, usually two times a week. The semester-long lectures consist of seven modules, where later modules normally rely on previous ones. During the semester, there will be four written homeworks and three lab exercises to deepen understanding of the subject. Two checkpoint midterms will be held during lecture hours, and the final exam will be scheduled to the end of the lectures.

Textbook

• Raghu Ramakrishnan, Johannes Gehrke: Database management systems (3. ed.). McGraw-Hill 2003, ISBN 978-0-07-115110-8

• Hector Garcia-Molina, Jeffrey D. Ullman, Jennifer Widom: Database systems - the complete book (2. ed.). Pearson Education 2009, ISBN 978-0-13-187325-4
• Ling Liu, M. Tamer Özsu: Encyclopedia of Database Systems, Second Edition. Springer 2018, ISBN 978-1-4614-8266-6

Grading

Late submission without prior consent is not accepted. All deadlines refer to the noon on that day.

• Four homeworks: 20% (5% × 4)
• Three labs: 30%
• Lab1: 6%
• Lab2: 12%
• Lab3: 12%
• Two midterm exams: 25% (12.5% × 2)
• Final exam: 25%

Schedule

University Policies

• Student Conduct Code
• Scholastic Dishonesty
• Sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking and relationship violence
• Disability Resource Center (DRC)
• Mental Health and Stress Management
• Emergency Planning and Response