Details

1. What are the problems of managing data resources in a traditional file environment and how are they solved by a database management system?
   List and describe each of the components in the data hierarchy.

Define and explain the significance of entities, attributes, and key fields.

List and describe the problems of the traditional file environment.

Define a database and a database management system and describe how it solves the problems of a traditional file environment.

2. What are the major capabilities of DBMS and why is a relational DBMS so powerful?
   Name and briefly describe the capabilities of a DBMS.

Define a relational DBMS and explain how it organizes data.

List and describe the three operations of a relational DBMS.

3. What are some important database design principles?
   Define and describe normalization and referential integrity and explain how they contribute to a well-designed relational database.

Define a distributed database and describe the two main ways of distributing data.

4. What are the principal tools and technologies for accessing information from databases to improve business performance and decision making?
   Define a data warehouse, explaining how it works and how it benefits organizations.

Define business intelligence and explain how it is related to database technology.

Describe the capabilities of online analytical processing (OLAP).

Define data mining, describing how it differs from OLAP and the types of information it provides.

Explain how text mining and Web mining differ from conventional data mining.

Describe how users can access information from a company’s internal databases through the Web.

5. Why are information policy, data administration, and data quality assurance essential for managing the firm’s data resources?
   Describe the roles of information policy and data administration in information management.

Explain why data quality audits and data cleansing are essential.

1. What concepts in this chapter are illustrated in this case?
2. Why was the consolidated terror watch list created? What are the benefits of the list?
3. Describe some of the weaknesses of the watch list. What management, organization, and technology factors are responsible for these weaknesses?
4. If you were responsible for the management of the TSC watch list database, what steps would you take to correct some of these weaknesses?
5. Do you believe that the watch list represents a significant threat to individuals’ privacy or Constitutional rights? Why or why not?