Relational Database Design: A Practical Approach (Millennium Design)

Course specifications
Course number: 076 410
Software version number: 
Course length: 1 day

Hardware/software required to run this course
The conceptual content of this course in not specific to any software application. Microsoft Access 97 or Access 2000 is needed to perform the tasks in the lessons pertaining to queries.

Course description

Overview: Students will learn the general principles involved in designing a database that complies with the relational database model.

Prerequisites: Some familiarity with data tables and basic knowledge of how to create queries in Access 97 or Access 2000.

Delivery method: Instructor-led, group-paced, classroom-delivery learning model with structured hands-on and minds-on activities.

Benefits: Students will learn how to correctly design tables for use in a relational database application.

Target student: Students enrolling in this course should have a need to design or modify the design of tables to be used in a relational database management system. 

Relational Database Design: A Practical Approach

Performance-based objectives
Lesson objectives help students become comfortable with the course, and also provide a means to evaluate learning. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

*	Be conversant with the terminology used in reference to relational databases and be familiar with the design process.
*	Identify data as fields, group fields into tables, select key fields, and identify table relationships.
*	Identify data problems and apply data normalization techniques to solve them.
*	Use referential integrity and other data integrity techniques to support the accuracy of data in the database.
*	Use criteria and operators and perform appropriate table joins in queries.
*	Understand basic SQL queries and techniques for improving the performance of queries.

Relational Database Design: A Practical Approach
Course content

Lesson 1: Introduction to Relational Databases
The Basics of Relational Databases
Planning the Database

Lesson 2: Designing Tables
Deciding on Tables and Fields
Selecting Primary Key Fields
Identifying Table Relationships
More on Keys and Relationships

Lesson 3: Data Normalization
Solving Data Problems
Higher Normal Forms

Lesson 4: Data Integrity
Referential Integrity
Field-level Integrity
Table-level Integrity
Reviewing and Finalizing the Database Design

Lesson 5: Query Basics
Performing Queries
Multiple Table Queries

Lesson 6: More on Queries
Other Types of Queries
SQL
Optimizing Query Performance

Appendix: Additional resources