Answer the 5 questions in the case study on page 255. Answer 1.

Examining the log presented in Figure 7-11 in the textbook, we observe the following sequence of activities: Transaction 2: The DBMS started at 8:01, and the database change to complete the transaction took place at 8:02 when Order record (21700) was inserted. At 8:05 the first OrderLine record is inserted At 8:09 a second OrderLine record is inserted. If Transaction 2 is interrupted at 8:10; then in order to Rollback the transaction, the DBMS will delete the three added records. Answer 2. The following report has been issued to explain the typical unrepeatable read scenario, also known as inconsistent read, dirty read or inconsistent retrieval. Typically, unrepeatable read occurs when a users retrieval transaction reads a set of data that other users transactions have partially updated. To explain this further, lets assume that user A transaction requires the calculation of the total balance for all customers; Assuming the customer balances are $1000, $800, and $1200 for a total of $3000. Considering now that a $200 order from the third customer was entered for the first customer by mistake, and that user B updates transaction will change the customer for that order from the first to the third customer. (The new customer balances will be $800, $800, and $1400.) An unrepeatable read will occur if the DBMS processes the two transactions as follows: a) The DBMS reads the first customers $1000 balance for user A transaction. b) The DBMS reduces the first customers $1000 balance to $800 for user B transaction. c) The DBMS read the second customers $800 balance for user A transaction. d) The DBMS increases the third customers $1200 balance to $1400 for user B transaction. e) The DBMS reads the third customers $1 400 balance for user A transaction. f) The DBMS calculates the total balance from Steps a, c, and e and displays the total customer balance of $3,200 for user A and the displayed total is $200 higher than the actual total.

Answer 3. Replication allows users in different geographic locations to use and modify copies of a database, and share their changes with other users. A DBMS must provide a facility to handle replication by managing multiple copies of a database at multiple locations. There are several situations when replication would be necessary, useful and possible. Two of those situations are: Auditors might need their own replicas to review the status of data at the end of a reporting period. Senior management might need a replica to be used as part of a presentation, or discuss matters in a meeting with other executives. Answer 4. Typically, statistical databases are used to generated only statistics (for example sums, averages, maximums, counts, etc.) about the data in the database. However, if the database contains confidential data, 9for example medical records) a user should not be able to infer information about any individual record in that database. This is one of the biggest concerns with statistical databases since any user can obtain information about individual records in this type of database. The example below (retrieved from the Internet and adapted to Premiere Products) illustrates how the statistic databases works. Suppose that the commissions earned by Premiere Products reps are confidential to Pat, that Pat can use only statistical queries against the Rep table, and that she wants to find out Valerie Kaisers commission. Because Valerie is the only rep living in Grove FL, Pat can determine Valeries commission by requesting the average commission for reps in Grove FL. Thus, by obtaining a statistic, Pat can infer information about an individual. It might seem you could avoid this problem by reporting a statistic only when there was a minimum number of values upon which the statistic was calculated. The DBMS could report an average commission, for example, only if there were at least five records within the sample used for the statistic. Even this might not be good enough, however. Suppose Premiere Products has six reps and Valerie is the only female rep. If Pat requested the average commission of all reps, the DBMS would give the answer because six reps are involved in the query. The DBMS would not give an answer if Pat requested the average commission of all female reps, but it would give an answer if Pat requested the average commission of all male reps because five reps are involved. From these

two averages, however, Pat could calculate Valeries commission, thus circumventing the confidentiality controls built into the DBMS. Researchers have proposed other solutions to the confidentiality problem, but no solution works perfectly in all situations. Answer 5. Biometrics is the science that use methodology to identify users of a database by their physical or biological characteristics. Some of these characteristics are listed in the figure below:

Apparently, there is not one exclusive method of biometric data gathering and reading that provides the most efficient solution in ensuring secure authentication. Nevertheless, each methods of biometric identification have something to offer that is different than the rest. Some methods are less invasive, while others can be implemented with little or no knowledge of the subject, and some others are very difficult to fake. From the list above, I would recommend Fingerprint identification. It is scientifically accepted that fingerprints remain constant throughout life, and there is no record worldwide that two fingerprints have ever been found to be alike, not even those of identical twins. Currently, fingerprint scanners have been installed in PDAs such as the iPad, Pocket PC, etc, which means that scanning technology is also reliable and easy. However, one problem with this method is that it might not work in industrial applications because it requires clean hands.