Important Info & Links

• Course Syllabus PDF
• Time & Location: Tue/Thu, 2:00 - 3:15 pm, room Wheatley-Peters W02-0125
• Instructor: Tarikul Islam Papon [Office: McCormack Hall, 3rd Floor, M-3-201-25]
• Instructor Office Hours: Tue/Thu, 10:30 – 11:30 am or by appointment
• Course Canvas Website

Important Upcoming Dates

• Project Finalization Sept 24
• Assignment 1 Oct 6

Course Description

Our everyday activities, our business and government management activities, and scientific discovery today are heavily based on generating, storing, managing, and accessing massive amounts of data. We live in a data-driven world. Database systems provide the necessary infrastructure to manage huge data collections. Modern data-intensive applications rely on sophisticated database systems to deliver performance, scalability, and reliability. This course provides an in-depth study of the internal architecture of database systems, focusing on the principles and mechanisms that underpin their design and implementation. Topics include data modeling using entity-relationship models, query languages (SQL), bufferpool manager, file organization, storage and memory management, indexing, and query processing. The course also covers core system components such as buffer pool management, transaction management, concurrency control, and recovery mechanisms to ensure correctness and fault tolerance. In addition, students will explore current research directions and emerging trends in data management, including Big Data platforms and NoSQL systems, through reading and critically reviewing research papers.

Course Objective

The objective of this course is to develop a deep understanding of database system internals and design trade-offs. Students will learn how to model, store, and query data using relational databases and understand key database internals. Through hands-on, team-based projects, the course illustrates how modern database systems are designed and implemented. Further, the course introduces emerging trends such as Big Data, NoSQL systems, and cloud-based data management. By the end of the course, students will be able to analyze and reason about the architecture of database systems, understand how core components interact to provide performance and correctness.

Prerequisites

CS 430/630. Knowledge of C++ and Java, data structures, and algorithms is required.

Grading

• Participation: 5%
• 3 Written Assignments: 25%
• Midterm 1: 20%
• Paper Presentation: 10%
• Midterm 2: 20%
• Project: 20%

Attendance Policy

Class attendance is mandatory, and students are expected to participate actively in class by asking and answering questions. In case of missed class, students are responsible to get up-to-date with course materials and announcements.

Collaboration Policy

You are strongly encouraged to collaborate with one another in studying the lecture materials. You may discuss ideas and approaches to the assignments and projects with others (provided that you acknowledge doing so in your solution), but such discussions should be kept at a high level, and should not involve actual details of the code or of other types of answers. You must complete the actual solutions on your own.

Student Conduct

Students are required to adhere to the University Policy on Academic Standards and Cheating, to the University Statement on Plagiarism and the Documentation of Written Work, and to the Code of Student Conduct as delineated in the University Catalog and Student Handbook. The Code is available online. More details can be found here.

Accommodations

If applicable, students may obtain adaptation recommendations from the Ross Center for Disability Services and consult with the professor.