Assignment 3: Storage and Indexing

Start date 5 November, Due beginning of class 13 November.

Exercises from the Book

Complete the following exercises from the book:

8.4 part 5
8.10 parts 2 and 3. For full credit, give SQL rather than an English description. Also describe why.
9.18
12.2. Give cost estimates in terms of number of I/Os, calculated using standard cost estimating procedures.
12.6
14.4 parts 1, 3, 4
14.6 part 5 (if you already did part 4, that is fine - just turn in part 4. But part 4 doesn't make much sense, I was working from an old edition.)
15.4.2 (a, c)

I also suggest you consider doing 10.1 if you aren't comfortable with B+ trees (think midterm.) Don't turn this one in - the answer is available at the book web site. This is optional, but it looked like it might be good practice if you feel you need it.

Practice for being a Professor

Write a good exam question (and solution) for hash-based indexing. Your goal should be that a student should take 5 to 10 minutes to solve it.

Additional Reading

Read P. G. Selinger, M. M. Astrahan, D. D. Chamberlin, R. A. Lorie, and T. G. Price. Access path selection in a relational database management system, SIGMOD 1979. Describe one query processing/optimzation technique that has changed/improved in the last 30 years, based on what we have discussed in class or in the book (i.e., something we have discussed as the right way to do things that does not appear to have been a part of System R.)

Turning in the assignment

Electronic submission preferred, through WebCT. Pdf or HTML submitted through WebCT is the safest for capturing non-text, please check with me if you wish to use another formats. Hard copy is acceptable as well, please hand in at the beginning of class.