JCC Seminar Description

SQL databases and database applications can be complex. This complexity is due to one or more of the following:

• Complex data models with large numbers of tables
• Complex operations on the data
• Large numbers of users
• Large amounts of data
• Inflexible performance requirements

Dealing with each of these complexities requires knowledge, care, and skilled techniques.  When an application embraces many of these complexities, all aspects of design, manipulation, and tuning are more difficult because there are competing requirements.

To get the best results out of a database application, database professionals need to have a thorough understanding of the database tools with which they are working, including the SQL language and the implications of that language for a particular database.

The database language SQL is sufficiently common and powerful that a database professional familiar with one SQL database implementation can readily be productive working with another SQL implementation. However, the SQL Standard defines only the meaning (semantics) of SQL data definition and data manipulation statements. It does not define anything related to the physical database design and performance tuning. The physical database design and performance information is specific to a particular database implementation.

This seminar focuses on SQL as implemented in the Oracle Rdb database engine, with an emphasis on the issues of locking, transaction design, and physical data modeling. The topics covered are:

• Introduction
• Oracle Rdb and SQL
• Data Manipulation
• Retrieving Data with SQL
• Updating Data with SQL
• NULLs: The fear of the Unknown
• Performance Issues, tools, and Solutions
• Locking Overview
• Transaction Design
• Rdb Debug Flags
• Expanded Data Manipulation
• SQL Syntax and Scoping
• Built-in Functions
• Subqueries
• SQL Date and Time
• Programming With SQL
• Embedded and Module Language SQL
• Compound Statements
• Persistent Stored Modules (Stored Routines)

These topics will be covered in five days, through both lecture and lab exercises.

Seminar Presenters:

Keith W. Hare, Senior Consultant
Dr. Jeffrey S. Jalbert, President