Final DB Project

Any two students can join forces to complete the project. Any project completed by three or more students will be rejected. A student can choose to complete the project alone. Place the full names of each student on the project. The project is based on Problem #10 from chapter 6. The objective is to use the DB life cycle to develop a professional solution to the problem in the form of a working SQL Server database. The solution should meet the demands of the current and future needs of the business. It must subscribe to good DB design.

Project Description: 

The idea is to use the DB life cycle to develop a SQL database based on the problem. Your job is to create a functional database that exemplifies good database design, make sure to consider, among other things, the design issues listed in the normalization chapter. The DB must be in 3NF. Each table must contain at least 10 records but no more than 15. Create 10 reports in SQL. Your job is to anticipate and create the 10 most useful reports that the business will need to operate on a daily basis. These should be the 10 most important reports needed to run the business successfully. The data you use to test the database must be appropriate. You will lose points if some scenarios can’t be tested properly. Your report should explain those areas where it is important to test certain critical scenarios. If you make any assumptions you need to state them. You will lose points for oversimplifying the problem; in other words, your solution and the assumptions you make should reflect reality.

The report, as a minimum, should include a cover sheet with your name, date, course, professor etc., an assumption page if necessary, a page explaining why you choose each of the 10 reports, the SQL code for each report, the 10 reports, the relational diagram, the ERD, and anything else you see fit to include. Make sure the ERD is complete with all the necessary information. No two reports are allowed to have the same data set. Report must include page numbers and a table of contents.

How Do I intend To Grade the Project?

I will be looking for these important elements in the project:

1. All the tables with appropriate relationships and keys

2. NF tables

3. The tables have the appropriate data types

4. Reports

5. The SQL for the reports

6. Any queries that are created

7. The appropriate use of referential integrity

8. Appropriate use of test data

9. Design consideration discussed in the book

10. Anything else not covered above

The reports are a very important part of the project. Special attention will be placed on your decision to select reports. It is not enough to just select any set of reports. The idea is to select reports that are most important for running the daily operations of the business. It is strongly recommended that you identify ahead of time as many reports as you can, then prioritize them in order of importance. This should be done before the reports are generated or even before the database is completed. Thinking about the reports you want to create significantly influence the database design. The two primary reasons for a database are to store and produce information for decision making. Therefore, do not wait until the last minute to select reports on the fly. The selection process should be given serious consideration and thought prior to your database design.

Regarding the design of the reports, stay away from arbitrary reports. A report that lists consultants in one geographic area is such an example. The problem is that if a manager suddenly decides he wants to see consultants in another part of the country, he has to request another report. If you put more thought into this problem, you will soon realize there is a much better solution.