Flix2You Database Functionality

Enhancement

Prepared for
The Board of Directors,
Flix2You

Prepared by

tac2, inc.
(408) 798-1342
7463 Honeybrook Ave
San Jose, CA 95108

IST 210 Section 001

Professor Jesse Middaugh
4/30/14

CONTENTS
PAGE
Executive Summary.......................................................................................................................iii
Project Overview............................................................................................................................1
Scope of Work..........................................................................................................................2
Project Management.......................................................................................................................3
Project Plan................................................................................................................................3
Project Resources and Budget...................................................................................................5
User Analysis..................................................................................................................................6
Users..........................................................................................................................................7
Database Access........................................................................................................................7
Organization of Data.......................................................................................................................9
Existing Database Analysis Identifying Relationships..........................................................10
Normalization/Approaches.......................................................................................................12
Database Administration...............................................................................................................13
Database Backup and Recovery...............................................................................................14
Data Access and Security.........................................................................................................15
Dataload....................................................................................................................................16
Database Dashboard and Analytics...............................................................................................16
Legal Issues...................................................................................................................................18
Privacy Statement.....................................................................................................................18
Terms and Conditions for Use..................................................................................................19
List of References..........................................................................................................................20
Appendix A: ..................................................................................................................................21
Appendix B: ..................................................................................................................................24
Appendix C: ..................................................................................................................................24
Appendix D: ..................................................................................................................................24

ii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This analytical proposal evaluates Flix2Yous business operations based on the functionality of
the companys current database systems and offers an expert recommendation regarding
assistance in their initiative to design a solution that will create a more efficient data repository
for easier querying and applied analytics by enhancing the overall functionality of their database
systems.
The Rich Potential of the Underdog
Since the organizations inception in May 2002, Flix2You has steadfastly embraced the
corporate philosophy of the underdog. Considering the company has less than ten years of
industry experience with a young, eager staff of only fifty employees, Flix2You has reaped
remarkable success, expanding to 520 locations, cultivating nearly 20 million users, and
receiving approximately 20,000 unique hits daily, allowing them to fare with such industry
giants as Netflix, Amazon, and Redbox. Despite the companys vast successes in such a short
span of time, Flix2You has still yet to reach their full corporate potential, as evidenced through
their realization that they are on the verge of possible dissolution due to the entitys inability to
efficiently comprehend their data in order to continue making industry-leading business
decisions. Furthermore, due to their awareness that change is imperative in order to remain
competitive, Flix2You has decided to shift the entirety of their business operations online,
closing all of their brick and mortar locations, thus prompting the corporation even greater need
for efficient data utilization and comprehension.
Improvement is Necessary
In the online video industry, where the level of competition could be best described as immense,
it could be rather difficult to contend with entities such as Netflix, Amazon, and Redbox when a
given company, such as Flix2You, is unable to efficiently utilize and comprehend their corporate
data. Though there are many reasons why Flix2You is slowly falling behind their competition,
arguably the biggest culprit for their current shortcomings is the companys inability to be data
and information rich. Essentially, this inadequacy is due to Flix2Yous failure to efficiently
store, manipulate, and retrieve their data, which is a direct result of the companys low-quality
database systems. Simply put, in order to continue reaping incredible industry success, Flix2You
needs to improve their current database systems through the enhancement of their database
functionality. Fortunately, database functionality enhancement is a viable possibility for
Flix2You that would provide the company with a scalable, reliable, secure infrastructure thus
allowing Flix2You to become more data and information rich. Made possible through the
harmonized efforts of Flix2You and tac2, inc., Flix2Yous database functionality enhancement
will ensure successful corporate longevity, all while maintaining the tenacity of the underdog.

iii

Flix2You Database Functionality Enhancement

Project Overview
Founded in May 2002, Flix2You is a small business entity consisting of only fifty young
employees that serves consumers vast video demands as a comprehensive video rental portal.
Despite the smaller-than-average size of Flix2Yous young staff and the fact the company has
been in operation for less than ten years, Flix2You has made exceptional strides within the video
rental industry never before anticipated by competitors. For instance, over the course of only
nine years, the company has successfully expanded from two rental locations in Pennsylvania to
520 rental locations all along the East Coast of the United States, thus garnering millions of users
and transactions in addition to approximately 20,000 unique hits daily. As essential underdogs in
the video rental industry, these remarkable achievements solidified Flix2You as a genuine rising
threat to industry competition. In attempt to maintain consistent trends of incredible growth,
Flix2You decided to shift the entirety of their business focus to online video streaming in hopes
of innovatively remaining a step ahead of their competition, requiring them to close all of their
brick and mortar locations. However, despite such innovative attempts, the companys true
potential has yet to be realized as Flix2You has recently been experiencing declines in the
frequencies and volumes of their various successes as a result of poor database systems
responsible for the inability to efficiently store, manipulate, and retrieve their corporate data,
consequently putting the company a step behind competition.
This data inability poses a grave threat to not only the success and longevity of Flix2You, but to
the companys mere existence as well. The video rental industry, led by behemoth corporations
among the likes of Netflix, Amazon, and Redbox, is arguably one of the most competitive
industries in the global economy. Furthermore, this industry is rapidly growing, as exemplified
by an eleven percent increase in the number of Americans streaming online video content since
2010. This significant growth represents great business opportunities for video streaming
vendors, provided they are able to efficiently utilize and comprehend their corporate data.
Unfortunately, Flix2You could be classified as an organization operating on the foundation of
poor data management. Considering the strong majority of commerce is founded on the
foundation of sound data, being able to efficiently store, manipulate, and retrieve data to make
informed business decisions is truly what separates industry leaders from industry followers.
Over the past nine years of operational commerce, Flix2You has cultivated massive amounts of
data through the companys millions of users, transactions, video inventories, and other
necessary business operations required to stay afloat in such a competitive industry. Given the
companys limited database capabilities, Flix2You has been able to establish a name for
themselves through what appears to have been sheer determination alone. Although the company
has reaped remarkable success since its founding, Flix2You could have achieved even greater
success had they been conducting their business operations through superior database systems.
Seeing Flix2You is experiencing alarming decreases, the companys inferior database systems

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now appear to be catching up with them, as expressed by Vice President, Steve LaSalle, ... So
we know we are data rich but as they also say... information poor. In other words, it does not
matter how much relevant data Flix2You has collected if the entity is unable to utilize said data
to better improve the companys business operations. In order to continue pursuing such
exceptional success, it is vital that Flix2You improve their data utilization and comprehension
abilities; this can be accomplished through the improvement and enhancement of the companys
database systems functionality.
Scope of Work
Granted that the process of improving and enhancing the database functionality of a company
with such vast amounts of data as Flix2You requires enormous forethought, time, effort, and
diligence, it is important to strictly define the scope of work to be conducted for such a project so
as to accomplish every milestone by the proposed due date for the proposed price. Generally
with projects this size, the two most important factors for success are time and budget. Therefore,
to stay within the limits of both constraints, tac2, inc. understands, and is committed, to the
successful completion of Flix2Yous various goals and desires, which include:
Suggestions for an improved database design with comprehensive backup and recovery
plans
Conduction of a user analysis for updated database maintenance
Recommended assignments for user access privileges
Creation of various database reports
Analyses and recommendations regarding the companys data, business operations, and
legal issues
All in all, these demands can be summed up through Flix2Yous all-inclusive project goal of
assisting Flix2You in their initiative to design a solution that will create a data repository for
easier querying and applying analytics to better understand their data. In order to accomplish this
overarching goal, it is necessary that tac2, inc. fully understands the numerous requirements
associated with the companys current database systems and business operations as this
knowledge will ease the feasibility of implementing new requirements associated with the
enhanced database system. To ensure smooth implementation, tac2, inc. will be devising their
project plan around Flix2Yous current associated requirements, such as:
Utilization of the 64-bit edition SQL Server 2008 for backend DBMS
Utilization of IIS and ASP.net/PHP as the technology solution used to build the data
driven web pages
Central T-1 warehouse provided by Choice One
All of these associated requirements, as well as the various technical specifics associated with
the CPU/Motherboard, memory, RAID Controller, local storage, and operating system, will
serve as one of the fundamental components in the composition of tac2, inc.s project plan. This
project plan will address the desires, goals, and requirements of Flix2Yous current database
systems as well as their future desires, goals, and requirements. For example, though Flix2You
has rented millions of videos since its inception, the company will need to increase their

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inventory of available downloadable movies and offerings so as to increase their website user
traffic, in turn increasing sales. Therefore, in order to support large future potential backend
business demands of their website, Flix2You will need to move their database infrastructure to a
more robust solution.
Through enough time, effort, diligence, and forethought, we at tac2, inc. truly believe that
database system enhancement of Flix2Yous current technological environment will be smooth
and pain-free. Considering a given environment typically fears change, manifold factors will be
considered to ease the process of updating the companys database systems. Although the
implementation of new updates in technology, such as database systems, is always a large task,
by duly taking account of Flix2Yous desires, goals, and associated requirements, enhancement
of the companys database systems will occur in the most efficient manner possible.

Project Management
Considering there are many factors and constraints associated with this project that could
potentially hinder success, it is necessary to grasp a concise plan of execution, which is made
possible through sound project management. As previously expressed, there are many goals and
objectives which Flix2You hopes to achieve through the enhancement of the companys database
functionality. Successfully completing the companys many goals and objectives within the
given constraints could best be understood through one, single consolidated idea regarding how
to accomplish everything pertaining to this project. Such a consolidated idea could be obtained
through the development of a concise Project Plan and logical outline of the proposed Projects
Resources and Budget.
Project Plan
The project plan that we propose was developed with the numerous factors and constraints
associated with Flix2Yous desires in mind. This project plan, consisting of an in-depth timeline
explaining the projects deliverables and major milestones, is one component of the projects
overall consolidated idea. Furthermore, the project timeline has been designed to be extremely
flexible. We expect, and are prepared, for the possibilities of expanding or condensing the tenets
of this project. This flexibility should enable us to provide a superior level of quality from our
testing and revisions, while maintaining awareness of the projects milestones and deadlines. The
majority of this proposed project plan will be executed by tac2, inc. Though more staff members
will be recruited by tac2, inc. to accomplish this project, four roles in particular will be
supervising this projects development every step of the way. These roles include:

Project Manager Teddy Wolf

Database Administrator Girdhar Kapur
Data Analyst Danny Franco
Quality Assurance Jerod Heck

In addition, this plan, consisting of four phases spanning eight weeks, has been created with
specific time blocks set for designing, testing, and creating reports extracted from Flix2Yous
data and is explained as follows:
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Phase One: Weeks One and Two

We will be performing an in-depth analysis into Flix2You, their competitors, the demographics
of the audiences they reach, as well as what products they offer. All of this will be critical to the
formulation of our strategy as the project progresses. During the initial meetings with the
Flix2You executives, we will be addressing the companys current user issues and begin to
strategize our design solutions. In order for us to maintain our proposed program, we must
complete our initial evaluation by the end of Week 2.
Phase Two: Weeks Three and Four
Phase Two consists of the database development stage, during which we will begin to draft the
beginnings of the Flix2You database. During the development of this project, our team will be
coding, testing, and debugging the future data core of Flix2You. We will be utilizing a variety of
queries and reports attempting to prepare the database for the majority of possible needs or
stresses that could potentially be applied to the database. At this point, we will begin to move the
database onto the Internet, enabling further testing and debugging to begin, including
transactions, new user logins, and other possible needs for the online integration of Flix2You.
Phase Three: Weeks Five through Seven
With little more than two to three weeks until the project launch, we will begin training the
employees of Flix2You. This will give us adequate time to teach the system rather than trying to
cram it in at the last minute. Our team will make sure that the Flix2You employees are able to
perform daily backups of the data servers, as well as trouble shoot the systems. Training will
conclude with a firm understanding of how to start the servers logistical logs and verify that
they are running, as well as run the reports from the system.
Phase Four: Beginning of Week Eight
The system launch will begin the final phase of this project. During this stage, we will spend a
week ensuring that the system progresses smoothly. We will be watching and maintaining the
initial data load, setting up the data refresh, and making sure everything is properly backed up
and that backup protocols are set. Furthermore, we will also have a part of our team attempt to
attack the system while the Flix2You employees are at work, giving them a chance to formulate
defensive mechanisms and protocols so they can defend, properly, against potential future
attacks. We will also be checking to see that they have thoroughly backed up their data and that
recovery techniques are in place. Part of this final stage is to make sure that our superior product
remains superior.
These four phases composing our Project Plan can be graphically viewed through the following
illustration:

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Project Resources and Budget

In order to gain a better understanding of the required resources and budget to successfully
enhance Flix2Yous database functionality, we established clear, informative tables explaining
these tenets numerically. Again, these tables were developed around the factors and constraints
associated with Flix2Yous goals, desires, and business operations in mind. Furthermore, the
Project Resources and Budget tables explicitly detail the personnel needed to be able to complete
this project, the time they will need to spend on the project, along with the job titles and
associated costs. By obtaining a firm understanding of the proposed Projects Resources and
Budget, we will have a lesser chance of completing the projects deliverables and milestones
after their due date or for higher expenses than previously predicted. The Projects Resources
and Budget, broken down into two categories, Employees and Components, are expressed
through the following tables:
Employees

As expressed through the Employees table, we anticipate that approximately 320 total hours will
be required to complete this project and satisfy Flix2Yous goals and desires. Through the
calculations expressed through the table, we expect the total cost of the project to come out to
around $202,620.00.

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Resources

As expressed through the Resources table, we anticipate four major resources to be required for
successful completion of this project, which include a server, a server rack, software, and an
external backup, all costing about $73,199.24. Furthermore, we recommend updating server
hardware to the Dell Power Edge T710. This upgrade, which will be necessary for the new data
repository, will require the following accommodations:

Processor - Intel Xeon X5600

Chipset - Intel 5520
Ram - Dual 8GB DDR3
Hard Drive - 24TB SATA
Server - Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1
Network Controller - NetXtreme II 5709c Gigabit Ethernet

All in all, between the costs expressed through the Employees and Resources tables, we
anticipate the total expenses of our proposed Project Resources and Budget plan to cost
approximately $275,819.24. Aided by our concise Project Plan and Project Resources and
Budget, no unexpected time delays or expenses should arise.

User Analysis
Considering the immense amount of data that revolves around Flix2Yous business operations, it
is important to maximize data storage, manipulation, and retrieval efficiency by defining the
roles and responsibilities of the various users who will need to add, update, and manage the data
stored in the companys database. This data storage maximization will reduce the chance of any
unnecessary user access privileges, standards, and abilities, thus improving the speed, security,
and reliability of the companys data management procedures. In turn, faster, more secure, more

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reliable data management procedures will result in greater customer and employee satisfaction,
thus fostering stronger, more profitable customer relations and lower costly employee turnover
rates.
Users
In order to identify the roles and responsibilities of the companys various database users, it is
necessary to establish the forms of access specifically pertaining to the frontend application and
backend application users. Regarding Flix2Yous business organization, the frontend users are
composed primarily of the companys customers whereas the backend users are composed
primarily of the companys staff. The frontend users, or customers, will rate and comment on
specific movies, enter necessary financial information for transactions, and carry out other forms
of client input which will then be utilized by the backend, or Flix2You staff, to return the
specific server information requested by the frontend users. In Flix2Yous scenario, the frontend
users, consisting of the websites visitors, will not have the ability to query the companys data.
Conversely, Flix2Yous backend users, consisting of the companys staff, will have to be
categorized into different roles, each possessing different responsibilities, as the employees will
have access to sensitive corporate data. Considering each company role will require varying
amounts of access to specific data, Flix2You should adopt a strict User Access Pyramid as
follows:

DBA
Management
Information
Technology
Customer Service/Human
Resources/Operations
Marketing
Customers
By adopting this User Access Pyramid, thus restricting the access to the companys data
according to the responsibilities associated with each particular role, Flix2You will be preventing
unauthorized access and modification of the data from 3rd party individuals.
Database Access
It is important to note that Customers, since they are frontend users, are at the base of the
pyramid as they receive the least amount of access to data. Since only backend users will have
the ability to query Flix2Yous corporate data, this pyramid will enable, and govern, which

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backend users will be able to edit, create, and modify various collections and structures of data.
Each database access level of the pyramid is explained as follows:
Customers
Flix2Yous customer base is arguably the most important aspect of the companys business
operations; however, Flix2Yous customer interaction with the corporate data could be disastrous
for the company. In this setting, the customers access to the data is limited to browsing only;
they will receive read only access. That being said, they are able to modify their profiles by
rating the films that they like and by altering their preferences and video queues.
Marketing
The marketing team, receiving read only access, will only have access to the views of the data
that will help them predict market trends and analyze the success rates of various marketing
campaigns. This limited access will help them to better refine their strategies and execute more
efficient marketing campaigns.
Customer Service/Human Resources/Operations
Regarding access to corporate data, the Customer Service, Human Resources, and Operations
departments will all receive read and write access. However, the responsibilities differ amongst
each department as follows:
Customer Services
The Customer Services department acts as a form of quality assurance for
Flix2Yous customers. This department will only have access to specific views
associated with quality assurance.
They will only be able to modify existing data within the Customers table. They
will not be able to create new tables.
Their responsibilities will include managing customer accounts, resolving
customer conflicts, and coping with customer purchases, payments, and shipping.
Human Resources
The Human Resources department will receive the same amount of data access as
the Customer Services department as it pertains to the Employees table.
Their responsibilities will include maintaining employee records and addressing
any employee concerns.
Operations
The Operations department consists of two sub-departments which include:
1) Billing Department
The billing department will have access to modify the customer transactions
and accounts.

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2) Shipping Department
The shipping department will have access to view customer address and rental
information. For the sake of efficiency, they will also be able to access the
customer queue to keep up with the shipping and processing of the video
orders.
Both sub-departments will be able to modify specific data, but will not able to
create any new tables.
Information Technology
The Information Technology department will be responsible for the many daily functions of the
database; they will receive read and write access. Furthermore, on a project-to-project basis, the
Database Administrator will provide varying amounts of data access to the Information
Technology team depending on the given project.
Management
The Management Department will have access to edit and view all tables through read and write
access. In addition, they will have access to the companys sensitive data. Although they will be
able to edit almost all of the data within the tables, they will not be able to create any new tables.
Database Administrator
The Database Administrator is the highest authority in administering and accessing corporate
data. In fact, the DBA will be granted every possible data access privilege, such as viewing and
editing existing data and read and write access. The responsibilities of the DBA will include:

Creating new tables

Modifying any required new information in the Flix2You database
Granting various privileges to each department
Resolving any issues with the data that other departments may face

To maximize productivity, it is only necessary that one employee be appointed to handle the
entire database. This appointment will reduce potential risks of data redundancies and
inconsistencies. Furthermore, the DBA will be the person in change of setting and changing
various user access privileges, which will consist of using a top-down approach for
implementation.

Organization of Data
As expressed by Vice President Steve LaSalle, Flix2You is suffering losses due to their inability
to be both data and information rich. This inability is a direct result of the companys current
low-quality database systems. Therefore, it could be argued that Flix2Yous current database
system is information rich, yet its processing times and organization of data are slow and of poor

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quality. As mentioned, it can be difficult for a company to survive economically when they are
unable to quickly, accurately, and efficiently utilize and comprehend their corporate data, as this
provides said company with the ability to make informed business decisions. Fortunately, we at
tac2, inc. have resolved similar problems innumerable times in the past. Through our vast
experience, we have come to the conclusion that such a troublesome corporate position is the
result of not only a given companys low-quality database systems, but the companys lowquality organization of data as well. Perhaps Flix2Yous troublesome position is a result of their
generic, off-the-shelf e-commerce database or the companys database modifications previously
performed by prior database consultants, but, upon our analysis of the companys data
organization, one thing become evident: Flix2Yous organization of data needs to be refined.
Regardless of whatever the reason may be, Flix2Yous low-quality organization of data is
ultimately responsible for the slow speeds and inefficiency of the online system, transaction, and
the query run time. In order to resolve Flix2Yous data organization dilemma, we first identified
the data relationships of the companys current database system and then conducted
normalization procedures to improve their overall database system functionality. These processes
are described as follows:
Existing Database Analysis Identifying Relationships
In order to begin the database system functionality enhancement process, we first had to conduct
an analysis of Flix2Yous current database systems. During this analysis, the majority of our
staffs focus was centered on identifying relationships. Through the existing database analysis,
we discovered numerous problems pertaining to the Flix2You organization of data including
many instances of illogical and inconsistent data and improperly defined Primary and Foreign
Keys, which can be witnessed through the companys current Entity-Relationship Diagram in the
below illustration:

As expressed by the Flix2You Board of Directors, some of the companys current concerns
include the fact that the database is difficult to query and the data is difficult to understand.
Furthermore, when queries are run, it slows down Flix2Yous online system and often disrupts
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customer transactions. As a result of such erroneous information and problematic technological

aspects/business operations, the companys profits are being negatively affected. In addition,
Flix2Yous information, as a result of running faulty queries, is not entirely accurate, which is
adversely affecting the companys major business decisions and growth.
Upon our analysis of Flix2Yous current database schema, we discovered multiple organizational
problems that required our immediate professional consultation in order to improve the
companys current database functionality. This immediate consultation was diligently performed
with expedience by modifying the tables with the Third Normal Form in mind, which then
required us to execute several organizational actions. The first of these actions consisted of
splitting the Movie table into three separate tables as illustrated below:

Our next action consisted of breaking down the Customers table into two separate tables as
illustrated below:

Next, we decided to remove the Movie_cast table, as its existence was unnecessary after we split
the Movie table into three sub-tables (Movie, Stock, and Rental_movies).
These three actions, amongst others, allowed us to remove any partial and transitive
dependencies from Flix2Yous current database schema, thus increasing the schemas overall
efficiency and accuracy. To provide the Board of Directors with a better comprehension of how
this updated database schema will operate, weve included a list that outlines the key principles
and relationships of its operation:

The Leads table has the Foreign Key Movie_id that describes which lead actor/actress is
associated with which movie.

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The Stock table also has the Foreign Key Movie_id that describes which movies are in
stock.

The Rental_movies table has the Primary Key Item_rental_code along with the Foreign
Keys Stock_id, Condition_code, Format_type_code, Genre_code, and Store_id.
Ultimately, the Rental_movies table describes which movies are available to rent as well
as the stock, the condition, the format, and the genre of each movie in addition to which
stores each movie is available in.

The Customers table has the Foreign Key Membership_vn, which retrieves details
regarding customer memberships.

Finally, just to have the database schemas columns verbally make more sense and become more
easily traceable, we renamed some of the columns. For instance, we changed Actors to
Leads because the word actor tends to imply a particular gender, whereas the word lead
does not. In order to successfully achieve the enhanced data organization and functionality
emphasized above, we utilized the processes and approaches of the Normalization organizational
method.
Normalization/Approaches
In our effort to resolve Flix2Yous database schema situation, we reorganized their database by
removing all unwanted data redundancies and anomalies, thus improving data efficiency. This
process, known as Normalization, was essentially executed through two major steps:
1. Eliminating redundant data
2. Defining the data dependencies
To further increase Flix2Yous data efficiency, we eliminated repetitive data, rearranged the data
into more logical groups, while maintaining overall data integrity, which was achieved through
the detailed steps of the traditional Normalization process. These steps, in order, are as follows:
1. Convert the tables into First Normal Form
a. Tables are in First Normal Form when all repeating data is removed and each
column has a unique identifier
2. Convert the tables into Second Normal Form
a. Tables are in Second Normal Form when all partial dependencies are removed
and, for tables possessing a composite Primary Key, each column depends on the
whole composite Primary Key for its entire existence rather than only part of it
3. Convert the tables into Third Normal Form
a. Tables are in Third Normal Form when all transitive dependencies are removed
and non-prime attributes depend on the Primary Key

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As expressed through our organizational improvements and Normalization techniques, all of

these database schema enhancements, in Third Normal Form, can be viewed in the updated
Entity-Relationship Diagram below:
Genre_codes

Condition_codes

Movie
PK

PK

Movie_id

PK

Condition_code

Format_types

genre_desc

Condition_desc

Movie_tittle
Release_year
Movie_desc
Rental_daily_rate
Sale_Price

Genre_type_code

PK

Format_type_code
Format_type_desc

Rental_movies

Stock
PK

Stock_id

FK1

Number_in_stock
Movie_id

PK

Item_rental_code

FK1
FK2
FK3
FK4
FK5

Stock_id
Condition_code
Format_type_code
Store_id
Genre_type_code

Leads
PK

Lead_id

FK1

Lead_gender
Lead_Fname
Lead_Lname
Movie_id

Rental_Status_Codes
PK

Rental_status_code

Video_Stores
PK

Store_id
Store_name
Store_address
Store_phone
Store_Email
Other_Store_Details

Customer_Rentals
PK

Item_rental_id

FK1
FK2
FK3

Rental_date_out
Rental_date_due
Rental_date_returned
Rental_amount_due
Other_rental_details
Rental_status_code
Item_rental_code
Customer_id

Transaction_Types
PK

Trans_type_code
Trans_desc

Final_Transactions
Rental_status_desc

Customers
Membership
PK

PK

Customer_id

FK1

Customer_fname
Customer_lname
Customer_address
Customer_phone
Customer_email
Customer_dob
Membership_vn

Membership_vn
Membership_number
Date_of_membership

Payment_Methods
PK

PK

Transaction_id

FK1
FK2
FK3
FK4

Trans_date
Trans_amount
Trans_comment
Trans_type_code
Account_id
Previous_trans_id
Item_rental_id

Accounts
PK

Account_id

FK1
FK2

Account_Name
Account_Details
Pay_method_code
Customer_id

Pay_method_code
Pay_method_desc

Evidenced through the enhanced database schema above, through detailed analysis of the
companys previous faulty database schema and the utilization of the Normalization
organizational strategy in the Third Normal Form for the reasons previously mentioned, we were
able to successfully improve the overall functionality of Flix2Yous database systems, thus
allowing the company to become more data and information rich. Furthermore, to ensure smooth
future maintenance and utilization of the improved database schema, we have included the SQL
necessary to operate the enhanced database tables, which can be found in Appendix A.

Database Administration
When one boils it down, they discover that the practice of database administration consists of the
planning, executing, securing, and maintaining of a companys data, specifically pertaining to a
Database Management System (DBMS). Seeing that the strong majority of commerce is built on
the foundation of sound data, it is vital that a company, such as Flix2You, executes efficient data
administration practices so they are better able to utilize and comprehend their companys data.
Typically within a corporation, only one employee is appointed to be in charge of all
responsibilities associated with database administration; this person is known as a Database
Administrator (DBA). As is the case with Flix2You, the DBA is solely responsible for efficiently
developing systems, designing strategies, and improving the overall performance of the database.
However, a DBA may also orchestrate and implement various measures to secure and safeguard

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the data within a companys database. To better serve the changes and requirements associated
with the implementation of our proposed plan, we recommend that Flix2Yous DBA be
responsible for all of the typical database administration responsibilities in addition to the
installation and upgrading of the database server and application tools, allocation of system
storage, planning of future storage requirements, and continued maintenance and evolution in
order to continually increase the efficiency of Flix2Yous database system. Furthermore, we
recommend that the DBA also be responsible for modifying database structures as required by
the application developers, enrolling new users, granting privileges, ensuring compliance with
the database vendors agreement, and maintaining overall system security. Finally, we also
recommend that Flix2Yous DBA be responsible for monitoring and optimizing the performance
of the database, conducting backup and recovery procedures, and generating reports as well.
Database Backup and Recovery
Since Flix2Yous business operations revolve around massive amounts of data, it is rather
important that the company establishes a database backup and recovery plan. Without a backup
plan, valuable data and information will face the threat of being lost. If valuable data and
information go missing, the result could negatively affect the companys profits and future
customers. Fortunately, there exist numerous options regarding backing up the database.
However, since the Flix2You database is constantly changing, the company will need to backup
their corporate data as many time as possible within as little time as possible. That being said,
Flix2You may not want to affect their customers or business operations by shutting down their
servers in order to back up corporate data. To achieve this desire, the most efficient way to
backup Flix2Yous corporate data will include:
A full backup
A differential backup
A transaction log backup
RMAN backup
These various backup methods, which could be implemented into Flix2Yous database system as
a sequential plan, are explained in detail as follows:
Full Backup
A full backup executes a complete backup of the entire database. For good reason, every
database backup strategy should start with a complete backup. Furthermore, a complete backup
is advantageous due to the fact that it can be run every night. To optimize efficiency, the
companys DBMS will automatically create transaction logs. In addition, by using differential
and transactional backup methods, transaction logs will then be used to optimize the companys
data backup processes. Also during the full backup, the database will be available to and will not
affect the customers. According to our plan, running a full backup every 3 days would be
recommended.

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Differential Backup
A differential backup stores and alters all of the changes to the database since the last full
backup. According to our plan, running a differential backup every night would be recommended
provided Flix2Yous database is not executing a full backup during the same night.
Transaction Log Backup
A transaction log backup creates a copy of all changes that have been made to the database saved
in the transition log. Once the user runs the transaction log backup, it will automatically backup
every change since the last full backup in addition to clearing the transaction log. Our proposed
plan suggests that a transaction log backup be performed every hour.
RMAN Backup
We also propose the use of an RMAN backup, which will create a compressed file of the backed
up data and store it on a specified disk drive. Performing this backup this will ensure that data is
saved even when the other backup options fail or hardware problems occur within the system.
Data Access and Security
Needless to say, the Flix2You database will include sensitive information regarding customers,
business operations, and even private information about the employees as well. Therefore, it is
imperative that the database is secure and capable of preventing minor security breaches.
Furthermore, it is necessary to implement security measures to minimize the possibility of data
theft.
The ability of a database to prevent itself from minor data breaches is crucial to a companys
success. This ability could be made possible by running database web applications on different
servers and installing a firewall between them. This configuration would prevent access from
unidentified IP addresses and also ensure that no malware is able to find its way inside the
database.
Another strategy for preventing unauthorized access to the data is by utilizing SQL through the
following features:
1. Passwords Every person who has access to the database has to go through a gateway.
This gateway can only be accessed through specific username and password
combinations, which will be provided to them by Flix2You.
2. Security Domains This determines actions, available disk space, and system resource
limits available to each user who makes it through the database gateway.
3. Privileges Privileges will be granted to every user who makes it through the gateway.
Such privileges will limit their abilities to create a session, create new tables, add new
data, and modify existing data.
4. Roles Every user who makes it through has a set of actions they would be able to
perform on the database. This can be achieved through the utilization of views or using
commands such as grant or revoke.

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Furthermore, in order to avoid dangerous litigious situations, Flix2Yous customers are made
aware of how their data will be used by the company through the Privacy Statement discussed in
the Legal Issues section of this report.
Dataload
The loading of data into a database should be very streamlined and convenient; however, some
data has to be manually entered in the database by the DBA or other trustworthy personnel with
access to the database. In our proposed plan, the customers data will primarily be entered
through the Flix2You web application. As previously discussed, this application will be linked to
the database, and the customer data will be directly loaded into the database from the web
application. Moreover, Flix2you will be able to run small-scale private applications on their
private server to enter other pertinent data. This data would be comprised of more secondary
data, such as movie details. Also, the DBA will be responsible for adding primary data to the
companys database, which would include employee information, accounts, and transactions.
In addition, the company will be able to utilize the benefits of adTempus to automatically run
updates on the database and prevent any chance of human error. This will also streamline the
process, making it more efficient and less time-consuming. In addition, this will also allow the
DBA to look into other crucial aspects of the database, rather than manually entering data into
the database.

Database Dashboard and Analytics

As requested by Flix2You, tac2, inc. has provided several samples of dashboards that may be
implemented into the companys updated database system. Simply put, a dashboard is a
graphical representation of the companys current or projected data. Furthermore, the provided
dashboards will allow Flix2Yous management to securely log into the companys database and
view weekly reports that contain corporate information, including company sales and user
demographics. These informative dashboards allow Flix2You employees to easily gather and
view valuable data with the ability to export said data to MS Excel and even print said data as a
Portable Document Format (PDF). Though the operation of these dashboards depends on
accurate SQL Queries, Flix2You executives will be able to view the companys data elements
without extensive knowledge of SQL codes and commands. tac2, inc. has coupled with
ClicDatas dashboard creation software to create the following samples, and, should Flix2You
decide to implement this asset into their business operations, will implement the ClicDatas
simple dashboard creation tools into the companys database system. ClicData provides diverse
system compatibility, as the software is capable of extracting data from Oracle, SQL Server,
FTTP, Google Drive, Google Analytics, Salesforce, Smartsheet, ODBC, LDAP, and a variety of
other data sources. Samples of possible dashboards include the following:

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The above image offers an example of a possible dashboard with the ability to collect financial
information regarding costs and displays them in several different analytical methods, such as a
pie chart and various bar graphs. The SQL query required for the operation of this figure can be
found in Appendix B. In addition, the companys financial dashboards will be able to be
modified in a variety of different to show a variety of different information. Furthermore,
Flix2You will be able to create dashboards to represent more company information than just
finances. For example, Flix2Yous management may want to better understand the companys
customer usage, which can be viewed below.

This above figure is a representation of the total usage of Flix2Yous various services. From this
dashboard, Flix2You personnel are able to quickly gather information on several key elements
regarding customer usage. The SQL query required for the operation of this figure can be found
in Appendix C. The image toward the left side of the above figure represents the overall ratings,
online usage, and average target age of the Flix2You customers. The table toward the top right
corner of the above figure shows a data chart representing the average rentals, streaming, and
purchases of Flix2You customers, allowing the company to adjust their inventory or boost their
servers depending on the trending usage of their products. Finally, the three data charts on the
bottom of the figure are graphical representations of the users streaming and renting behaviors
based on geographical location, which would specifically help the Flix2You marketing staff to
adjust their schemes based, in part, on these analyses showing strengths and weaknesses.

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This image, which can be viewed above, is a graphical representation of information pertaining
to a particular movie. The SQL query required for the operation of this figure can be found in
Appendix D. Toward the top left of the figure, one can see a representation of the movies
ratings over the course of a year. The streaming graphic (top right) and the Rental graphic
(bottom left) show how many users either streamed the movie or rented the physical disk during
each month. Finally, the pie chart located near the bottom right of the above figure represents the
total amount of viewers, streaming and renting combined. Within seconds, the Flix2You
management, sales, and marketing teams are able to assess the value of a video and adapt their
business strategies accordingly.
The aforementioned dashboards merely offer a glimpse into the possible dashboard
configurations that could be implemented into Flix2Yous business operations. We believe that
implementing this technology into the Flix2You infrastructure would greatly enhance the
companys ability to utilize and comprehend their corporate data, making them more data and
information rich.

Legal Issues
For companies operating on such massive amounts of data as Flix2You, business operations can
carry great potential for controversy. Controversies can lead to tarnished business reputations,
loss of customers, and even detrimental, costly legal recourse. In order to avoid any potential
controversy or necessary legal action, we recommend that Flix2You adopt a strict Privacy
Statement and Terms and Conditions for Use.
Privacy Statement
This Privacy Statement explains our suggested policies regarding the collection, use, disclosure,
and allocation of user information by Flix2You. By using, visiting, or even browsing the
Flix2You website, the user accepts and agrees to the information and practices described below.

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Collection and Use of Information

Flix2You receives and stores information, including the users personal information, about the
user and their usage of Flix2Yous services. This information is collected through manifold ways
and includes anything the user inputs into the Flix2You website or dashboard. In this Privacy
Statement, the term personal information translates to any and all information that can be used
to specifically identify or contact a given user. Any non-personal information is information
that does not permit or allow direct association with the user. Furthermore, the user may choose
not to provide any personal information; however, the majority of the personal information that
Flix2You will request is required in order for Flix2You to provide their services. Choosing to
deny such information will make the user ineligible for Flix2Yous products and services.
Flix2You will keep constant track of the users interactions with the company and collect all
information related to the user and their usage of the companys services. The company may also
disclose and otherwise use, on an anonymous basis, movie and TV ratings, reviews, and viewing
habits. While using Flix2Yous services, the user will have the opportunity to post reviews and
ratings in public forums. It is imperative for the user to understand that posting such information
is made public and is not subject to any of this policy. Flix2You will not be responsible for any
3rd partys use of the users information that the user publicly discloses through Flix2Yous
services. The user will also have the opportunity to connect one or more social networks, such as
Facebook or Google+, with their Flix2You account. In such scenarios, it is crucial that the user
understands that doing so will allow Flix2You to collect and use information from their social
networking accounts and their use of Flix2Yous social features.
Disclosure of Personal Information
Flix2You may use other companies, agents, or contractors to perform services on the companys
behalf or to assist the company with providing their services to the user. For example, Flix2You
may solicit an outside company to provide marketing, communications, infrastructure, and
process credit card transactions, collect debts, and analyze data on the companys behalf. In the
course of providing such services, these other companies may have access to the users personal
information. Flix2You will not authorize these companies to use or disclose the users personal
information except in relation to providing the services that Flix2You request of them.
Terms and Conditions for Use
Flix2Yous Terms and Conditions for Use are legally instated to make the user aware of the rules
and standards associated with the purchasing/downloading, refunding, prohibiting of file sharing
and copying of Flix2Yous services as well as the consequential ramifications for violating such
terms and conditions.
Purchasing/Streaming Policy
Flix2Yous customers have the ability to purchase and stream the companys various services
and products; however, the user may not download Flix2Yous services or products for the
purpose of illegally distributing the companys assets or for any purpose other than the purpose
consented to on Flix2Yous website and expressed through Flix2Yous Terms and Conditions of
Use. Illegal distribution includes prohibited file sharing.

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Refund Policy
Refunds will be available for customers who receive damaged products via mail provided the
incident is reported within 30 days from initial transaction.
Ramifications
Upon the instance of any form of violation confirmed through the companys Privacy Statement
or Terms and Conditions for Use, Flix2You will seek immediate legal action and terminate the
offenders Flix2You account.

List of References
1) Homepage. (2012, January 1). . Retrieved January 1, 2014, from
<http://www.clicdata.com/home>
2) Bercich, N. (2013, April 5). The Evolution of the Computerized Database. Database
Concepts. Retrieved April 6, 2014, from
<http://concept.journals.villanova.edu/article/view/311/274>
3) DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE AND ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS OF USE. (2012, January
. Retrieved January 1, 2014, from <http://www.hulu.com/terms>
4) Privacy Policy. (2013, January 1). . Retrieved January 1, 2014, from

<https://www.netflix.com/PrivacyPolicy>
5) Gonzalez, W. (2006, April 25). 9 Backing Up the Database. All about Database contents.
Retrieved March 21, 2014, from
<http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E11882_01/backup.112/e10642/rcmbckba.htm#BRADV8003
>
6) Inc, I. (2007, February 15). What is a database management system?. publib.boulder.ibm.
Retrieved March 12, 2014, from
<http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/zos/basics/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.zos.zmid
dbmg/zmiddle_46.htm>
7) Herman, A. (1998, May 2). Training Requirements in OSHA Standards and Training
Guidelines. . Retrieved April 29, 2014, from
<https://www.osha.gov/Publications/2254.html>
8) Backing Up the Database. (2013, January 1). Retrieved January 1, 2014, from
<http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E11882_01/backup.112/e10642/rcmbckba.htm#BRADV8003
>

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9) Normalization of Database. (2013, January 1).. Retrieved January 1, 2014, from

<http://www.studytonight.com/dbms/database-normalization.php>
10) Database Security. (2005, January 1). . Retrieved January 1, 2014, from
<http://docs.oracle.com/cd/B19306_01/server.102/b14220/security.htm>
11) The Future Of The Video Streaming Industry. (2011, January 1). . Retrieved January 1,
2014, from <http://www.businessinsider.com/the-future-of-the-video-streaming-industry2011-4>

Appendix A
CREATE TABLE Movie
(
movie_id

Varchar2(10)

PRIMARY KEY,

movie_title

Varchar2(100)

NOT NULL,

release_year

Date

NOT NULL,

movie_desc

Varchar2(500)

NOT NULL,

rental_daily_rate

Numeric(5,2)

NOT NULL,

sale_price

Numeric(5,2)

NOT NULL

);
INSERT INTO Movie VALUES ('mov9897', 'Knocked Up', '12-Apr-2012', 'Unplanned
pregnancy ensues hilarity', 6.99, 11.99);
INSERT INTO Movie VALUES ('mov7653', 'Braveheart', '10-Jun-1996', 'Scottish
warriors fighting', 5.99, 12.99);
INSERT INTO Movie VALUES ('mov4243', 'Sleepless in Seattle', '14-Jul-2003',
'Romantic story about love', 7.99, 13.99);
INSERT INTO Movie VALUES ('mov7654', 'Titanic', '15-Oct-1995',
that sinks', 3.99, 14.99);

'Big boat

INSERT INTO Movie VALUES ('mov9876', 'Saw', '19-Aug-2005', 'Very disturbing,

blood!', 4.99, 15.99);
CREATE TABLE Leads
(
lead_id

Varchar2(100)

PRIMARY KEY,

lead_gender

Varchar2(2)

NOT NULL,

lead_fname

Varchar2(40)

NOT NULL,

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lead_lname

Varchar2(40)

NOT NULL,

movie_id

Varchar2(10)

NOT NULL,

CONSTRAINT fk_movie_id FOREIGN KEY (movie_id) REFERENCES Movie (movie_id)

);
INSERT INTO Leads VALUES ('l27362', 'M', 'Seth', 'Rogen', 'mov9897');
INSERT INTO Leads VALUES ('l76542', 'M', 'James', 'Beluschi', 'mov7653');
INSERT INTO Leads VALUES ('l87865', 'F', 'Amy', 'Adams', 'mov4243');
INSERT INTO Leads VALUES ('l12134', 'F', 'Meg', 'Ryan', 'mov7654');
INSERT INTO Leads VALUES ('l98987', 'F', 'Kate', 'Winslett', 'mov9876');
CREATE TABLE Rental_Movies
(
item_rental_code

Varchar2(40)

PRIMARY KEY,

condition_code

Varchar2(40)

NOT NULL,

format_type_code

Varchar2(40)

NOT NULL,

genre_type_code

Varchar2(40)

NOT NULL,

store_id

Varchar2(40)

NOT NULL,

stock_id

Varchar2(40)

NOT NULL,

CONSTRAINT fk_condition_codE FOREIGN KEY (condition_code) REFERENCES

Condition_Codes (condition_code),
CONSTRAINT fk_format_type_codE FOREIGN KEY (format_type_code) REFERENCES
Format_Types (format_type_code),
CONSTRAINT fk_genre_type_code FOREIGN KEY (genre_type_code) REFERENCES
Genre_codes (genre_type_code),
CONSTRAINT fk_store_id FOREIGN KEY (store_id) REFERENCES Video_Stores
(store_id),
CONSTRAINT fk_stock_id FOREIGN KEY (stock_id) REFERENCES Stock (stock_id)
);
INSERT INTO Rental_Movies VALUES ('ch635254', 'con87', 'for321', 'gen6372',
'vs74', '111');
INSERT INTO Rental_Movies VALUES ('jk837264', 'con86', 'for323', 'gen4809',
'vs75', '222');
INSERT INTO Rental_Movies VALUES ('jj736453', 'con85', 'for322', 'gen7654',
'vs76', '333');

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INSERT INTO Rental_Movies VALUES ('ll987654', 'con84', 'for324', 'gen9897',

'vs77', '444');
INSERT INTO Rental_Movies VALUES ('mm879832', 'con83', 'for325', 'gen2143',
'vs78', '555');
Commit;

create view vw_custmovieinfo as

Select c.customer_id, (c.customer_fname || ' , ' || c.customer_lname) as
Name, m.movie_id,
cr.item_rental_id, rm.item_rental_code
from customer c, movie m, customer_rental cr, rental_movies rm, stock s
where c.customer_id = cr.customer_id
and cr.item_rental_code = rm.item_Rental_code
and rm.stock_id = s.stock_id
and s.movie_id = m.movie_id;

Select c.customer_id, (c.customer_fname || ' , ' || c.customer_lname) as

Name,
a.account_id, m.membership_number, cr.item_rental_id, t.transaction_id,
t.trans_amount
from customer c, accounts a, membership m, customer_rental cr,
final_transaction t
where c.customer_id = cr.customer_id
and c.customer_id = a.customer_id
and cr.item_rental_id = t.item_Rental_id
and a.account_id = t.account_id
and m.membership_vn = c.membership_vn;

select item_rental_id, rental_date_due, rental_date_returned,

rental_amount_due, customer_id
from customer_rental;

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select m.movie_id, s.stock_id, rm.item_rental_code, cr.item_rental_id,

c.customer_id
from movie m, stock s, rental_movies rm, customer_rental cr, customer c
where c.customer_id = cr.customer_id
and cr.item_rental_code = rm.item_rental_code
and rm.stock_id = s.stock_id
and s.movie_id = m.movie_id;

Appendix B

This sample code shows some of the possible select statements that ClicData can pull from a
database to create informative and aesthetically pleasing dashboard configurations.
select ms.movie_month, ms.rating_per_month, ms.rental_per_month,
ms.stream_per_month, ms.movie_id, m.movie_tittle, m.release_year,
m.rental_daily_rate, ms.movie_screening_id
from movie m, movie_screening ms
where m.movie_id = ms.movie_id;

Appendix C

select * from region_usage;

Appendix D

select customer_id, stream_per_month, rental_per_month,

purchase_per_month, cust_mtotal_views
from customerUsage;

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