CS 6400: Database Systems Concepts
and Design course at Georgia Tech,
updated for the 2026/2027 syllabus
How to Use This Guide
The guide is organized by major topic area to align with how the course is typically
structured. Each question is presented with its corresponding answer clearly marked
with ANSWER ✓. You can use this to test your knowledge or as a quick reference for
key concepts.
Topic 1: Core Database Concepts & Architecture
Q1: What is a Database Management System (DBMS)?
ANSWER ✓ A computerized system that enables users to create and maintain a
database .
Q2: What is metadata, and how is it stored in a DBMS?
ANSWER ✓ Metadata is the database definition or descriptive information. It is stored
by the DBMS in a database catalog or dictionary .
Q3: Define the term "transaction" in the context of a database.
ANSWER ✓ A transaction is an executing program or process that includes one or
more database accesses, such as reading or updating database records .
Q4: What is the purpose of Data Modeling?
ANSWER ✓ Data Modeling is defining a database so that it faithfully represents all key
components of an organization's environment. The objective is to explicitly capture and
store data about every business activity the organization wishes to plan, control, or
evaluate .
Q5: What are the three main phases of database design, in order?
ANSWER ✓ 1. Conceptual Design, 2. Logical Design, 3. Physical Design .
, Q6: What is the difference between Logical Design and Physical Design?
ANSWER ✓ Logical Design translates the conceptual design into the internal model for
a selected DBMS (software-dependent). Physical Design translates the logical design
into physical components, including implementation and population with data .
Q7: What does "self-describing data" mean?
ANSWER ✓ It refers to a structure (like a JSON document or the DBMS catalog) that
includes both the data item names and their data values together .
Q8: What is the role of a Database Administrator (DBA)?
ANSWER ✓ The DBA is the person responsible for coordinating, controlling, and
managing the database .
Q9: What are the two main types of end users?
ANSWER ✓ 1. Parametric End Users: Their main job function revolves around
constantly querying and updating the database using standard types of queries.
2. Sophisticated End Users: They familiarize themselves with the DBMS facilities to
implement their own complex applications (e.g., engineers, business analysts) .
Q10: What is the difference between a Database Schema and a Database State?
ANSWER ✓ The database schema is the "map" or description of the database structure
(intension). The database state (or snapshot) is the data in the database at a particular
moment in time (extension) .
Q11: What is Data Abstraction?
ANSWER ✓ Data abstraction is the suppression of details of data organization and
storage, and the highlighting of essential features for an improved understanding of
data. It allows for program-data independence and program-operation independence .
Q12: What is a Data Model?
ANSWER ✓ A data model is a collection of concepts that can be used to describe the
structure of a database, including data types, relationships, and constraints. It provides
the necessary means to achieve data abstraction .
Q13: What is the difference between a high-level (conceptual) data model and a
low-level (physical) data model?
ANSWER ✓ High-level or conceptual data models provide concepts that are close to
the way many users perceive data. Low-level or physical data models describe the
details of how data is stored on computer storage media .
Q14: What are the two main types of Data Manipulation Languages (DMLs)?
ANSWER ✓ 1. High-level or nonprocedural DML (set-at-a-time) which can specify
and Design course at Georgia Tech,
updated for the 2026/2027 syllabus
How to Use This Guide
The guide is organized by major topic area to align with how the course is typically
structured. Each question is presented with its corresponding answer clearly marked
with ANSWER ✓. You can use this to test your knowledge or as a quick reference for
key concepts.
Topic 1: Core Database Concepts & Architecture
Q1: What is a Database Management System (DBMS)?
ANSWER ✓ A computerized system that enables users to create and maintain a
database .
Q2: What is metadata, and how is it stored in a DBMS?
ANSWER ✓ Metadata is the database definition or descriptive information. It is stored
by the DBMS in a database catalog or dictionary .
Q3: Define the term "transaction" in the context of a database.
ANSWER ✓ A transaction is an executing program or process that includes one or
more database accesses, such as reading or updating database records .
Q4: What is the purpose of Data Modeling?
ANSWER ✓ Data Modeling is defining a database so that it faithfully represents all key
components of an organization's environment. The objective is to explicitly capture and
store data about every business activity the organization wishes to plan, control, or
evaluate .
Q5: What are the three main phases of database design, in order?
ANSWER ✓ 1. Conceptual Design, 2. Logical Design, 3. Physical Design .
, Q6: What is the difference between Logical Design and Physical Design?
ANSWER ✓ Logical Design translates the conceptual design into the internal model for
a selected DBMS (software-dependent). Physical Design translates the logical design
into physical components, including implementation and population with data .
Q7: What does "self-describing data" mean?
ANSWER ✓ It refers to a structure (like a JSON document or the DBMS catalog) that
includes both the data item names and their data values together .
Q8: What is the role of a Database Administrator (DBA)?
ANSWER ✓ The DBA is the person responsible for coordinating, controlling, and
managing the database .
Q9: What are the two main types of end users?
ANSWER ✓ 1. Parametric End Users: Their main job function revolves around
constantly querying and updating the database using standard types of queries.
2. Sophisticated End Users: They familiarize themselves with the DBMS facilities to
implement their own complex applications (e.g., engineers, business analysts) .
Q10: What is the difference between a Database Schema and a Database State?
ANSWER ✓ The database schema is the "map" or description of the database structure
(intension). The database state (or snapshot) is the data in the database at a particular
moment in time (extension) .
Q11: What is Data Abstraction?
ANSWER ✓ Data abstraction is the suppression of details of data organization and
storage, and the highlighting of essential features for an improved understanding of
data. It allows for program-data independence and program-operation independence .
Q12: What is a Data Model?
ANSWER ✓ A data model is a collection of concepts that can be used to describe the
structure of a database, including data types, relationships, and constraints. It provides
the necessary means to achieve data abstraction .
Q13: What is the difference between a high-level (conceptual) data model and a
low-level (physical) data model?
ANSWER ✓ High-level or conceptual data models provide concepts that are close to
the way many users perceive data. Low-level or physical data models describe the
details of how data is stored on computer storage media .
Q14: What are the two main types of Data Manipulation Languages (DMLs)?
ANSWER ✓ 1. High-level or nonprocedural DML (set-at-a-time) which can specify
