1. Explain the difference between data and information. Give some examples of raw data and information.

3. What is data quality, and why is it important?

4. Explain the interactions among end user, data, information, and decision making. Draw a diagram and explain the interactions.

5. Suppose that you are a DBA staff member. What data dimensions would you describe to top-level managers to obtain their support for the data administration function?

6. How and why did database management systems become the organizational data management standard? Discuss some advantages of the database approach over the file-system approach.

7. Using a single sentence, explain the role of databases in organizations. Then explain your answer.

8. Define security and privacy. How are those two concepts related?

9. Describe and contrast the information needs at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels in an organization. Use examples to explain your answer.

10. What special considerations must you take into account when contemplating the introduction of a DBMS into an organization?

11. Describe the DBA’s responsibilities.

12. How can the DBA function be placed within the organization chart? What effect(s) will that placement have on the DBA function?

13. Why and how are new technological advances in computers and databases changing the DBA’s role?

14. Explain the DBA department’s internal organization, based on the DBLC approach.

15. Explain and contrast the differences and similarities between the DBA and DA.

16. Explain how the DBA plays an arbitration role between an organization’s two main assets. Draw a diagram to facilitate your explanation.

17. Describe and characterize the skills desired for a DBA.

18. What are the DBA’s managerial roles?

19. What DBA activities are used to support the end-user community?

20. Explain the DBA’s managerial role in the definition and enforcement of policies, procedures, and standards.

21. Protecting data security, privacy, and integrity are important database functions. What activities are required in the DBA’s managerial role of enforcing those functions?

22. Discuss the importance and characteristics of database backup and recovery procedures. Then describe the actions that must be detailed in backup and recovery plans.

23. Assume that your company has assigned you the responsibility of selecting the corporate DBMS. Develop a checklist for the technical and other aspects involved in the selection process.

24. Describe the activities that are typically associated with the design and implementation services of the DBA technical function. What technical skills are desirable in the DBA’s personnel?

25. Why are testing and evaluation of the database and applications not done by the same people who are responsible for design and implementation? What minimum standards must be met during the testing and evaluation process?

26. Identify some bottlenecks in DBMS performance. Then propose some solutions used in DBMS performance tuning.

27. What are typical activities involved in the maintenance of the DBMS, utilities, and applications? Would you consider application performance tuning to be part of the maintenance activities? Explain your answer.

28. How do you normally define security? How is your definition of security similar to or different from the definition of database security in this chapter?

29. What are the levels of data confidentiality?

30. What are security vulnerabilities? What is a security threat? Give some examples of security vulnerabilities that exist in different IS components.

31. Define the concept of a data dictionary. Discuss the different types of data dictionaries. If you were to manage

an organization’s entire data set, what characteristics would you look for in the data dictionary?

32. Using SQL statements, give some examples of how you would use the data dictionary to monitor the security of the database.

33. What characteristics do a CASE tool and a DBMS have in common? How can those characteristics be used to enhance the data administration function?

34. Briefly explain the concepts of information engineering (IE) and information systems architecture (ISA). How do those concepts affect the data administration strategy?

35. Identify and explain some of the critical success factors in the development and implementation of a successful data administration strategy.

36. What is the tool used by Oracle to create users?

37. In Oracle, what is a tablespace?

38. In Oracle, what is a database role?

39. In Oracle, what is a datafile? How does it differ from a file systems file?

40. In Oracle, what is a database profile?

41. In Oracle, what is a database schema?

42. In Oracle, what role is required to create triggers and procedures?