Scenario: A university wants to model its faculty, which includes professors, adjuncts, and teaching assistants. How would you apply Generalization and Specialization in this context?

  • Adjuncts as a subtype of professors
  • Professors, adjuncts, and teaching assistants as attributes of the faculty entity
  • Professors, adjuncts, and teaching assistants as separate entities
  • Teaching assistants inheriting attributes from professors
In this context, applying Generalization and Specialization would involve considering adjuncts as a subtype of professors. This allows for shared attributes and behaviors among professors and adjuncts while maintaining distinct characteristics for each faculty role.

_______ is the process of organizing data in a way that minimizes data movement and maximizes storage utilization.

  • Data Archiving
  • Data Denormalization
  • Data Normalization
  • Data Replication
Data Denormalization is the process of organizing data in a way that minimizes data movement and maximizes storage utilization. In contrast to normalization, denormalization involves combining tables and introducing redundancy to improve query performance by reducing the number of joins required.

How is a superclass represented in a Generalization and Specialization hierarchy?

  • As a generalized entity
  • As a shared entity
  • As a specialized entity
  • As a unique entity
In a Generalization and Specialization hierarchy, a superclass is represented as a generalized entity. It serves as the parent entity from which one or more specialized entities (subtypes) are derived.

Which type of schema is commonly used in Dimensional Modeling?

  • Hierarchical Schema
  • Relational Schema
  • Snowflake Schema
  • Star Schema
The most common schema used in Dimensional Modeling is the Star Schema. In a Star Schema, a central fact table is connected to multiple dimension tables, forming a shape resembling a star. This design simplifies queries for analytical reporting and allows for easy navigation between dimensions and facts.

A _______ entity is one whose existence is dependent on another entity.

  • Associative
  • Recursive
  • Strong
  • Weak
In data modeling, a Weak entity is one whose existence is dependent on another entity, usually identified by the presence of a partial key. It cannot exist or be uniquely identified without being related to a strong entity.

What is a column-family store primarily designed for?

  • Efficiently storing and retrieving sparse data
  • Managing transactions and ACID properties
  • Storing data in a flat file structure
  • Storing data in rows and columns
A column-family store is primarily designed for efficiently storing and retrieving sparse data. Unlike traditional relational databases, column-family stores are optimized for handling large amounts of data with varying attributes, making them suitable for scenarios like time-series data and analytics where sparse data is common.

Scenario: A large e-commerce platform is experiencing rapid growth in its customer base. As a database administrator, how would you utilize partitioning to handle the increasing data volume?

  • No need for partitioning in this scenario
  • Partitioning based on customer demographics
  • Partitioning based on date ranges
  • Partitioning based on product categories
In this scenario, partitioning based on date ranges is a suitable strategy. It allows for the efficient management of historical data, making it easier to archive or delete older records while ensuring quick access to recent data. This helps in optimizing performance and maintenance in a rapidly growing database.

What is the role of compression techniques in storage optimization?

  • Decrease data accessibility
  • Improve data integrity
  • Increase data redundancy
  • Reduce storage space requirements
Compression techniques play a crucial role in storage optimization by reducing the amount of storage space required to store data. By compressing data, redundant or repetitive information is eliminated or replaced with shorter representations, resulting in significant savings in storage resources while maintaining data integrity and accessibility.

How do you represent disjoint and overlapping constraints in an ERD with superclasses and subclasses?

  • Employing a triangle for disjoint and a hexagon for overlapping
  • Representing both with a diamond shape
  • Using a circle for disjoint and an oval for overlapping
  • Utilizing a square for disjoint and a rectangle for overlapping
Disjoint constraints in an ERD with superclasses and subclasses are represented by a square, while overlapping constraints are depicted by a circle. A diamond shape is commonly used to denote the generalization relationship between superclass and subclasses.

How does collaboration improve the quality of data models?

  • By incorporating diverse perspectives and expertise
  • By limiting stakeholder input
  • By minimizing communication
  • By reducing collaboration
Collaboration improves data model quality by incorporating diverse perspectives and expertise. Involving various stakeholders ensures that different viewpoints are considered, leading to a more comprehensive and accurate representation of the organization's data requirements.