Design (Phase 1) and implement (Phase 2) a database system, GalaxyNews, to maintain information about newspapers owned an operated by the GalaxyNews corporation. The information represented in the database will be used to track events through time. For example, with the 2008 presidential elections in the USA just around the corner (!), reporters will have the ability to use the GalaxyNews database system to search for stories relevant to the nominees vying for the presidency or relevant to political issues being debated.
As mentioned there are two phases in this project; the goals of the design phase are to research the problem and to build a model of this enterprise. Your job in this phase is to focus on modeling the database needs as completely and correctly as possible. You must create a UML class diagram of the model while applying the appropriate database design patterns we have learned and also while building a database model that can adapt to future changes. Do not worry about the size of the model as you will not implement all of it, so in this phase be certain to build a complete model. Your interaction with the client will also determine the scope of the database model to build.
The goals of the implementation phase are to demonstrate your relational database skills in creating tables in the relational model, maintaining integrity constraints, inserting/updating/deleting information, and creating queries on the data that you have supplied. NOTE: you will not implement the complete model from the first phase since there will not be time. Instead, Dr. Monge will meet with each group after the design phase and determine what parts of the model each group will implement. So do not start on the implementation phase until after you have been assigned the part of the enterprise you will implement. Different groups might end up implementing comparable but different parts of the enterprise. There is also the possibility that a different database model will be implemented rather than the one that each group designs; in this case, the database model will be provided as a UML class diagram and each team will then do the implementation.
Newspapers are in the process of evolving now that the Internet can provide up to the minute reporting of events. People can get their news from the Internet and do not have to wait until the following day to read about an event that has taken place. Newspapers and the corporations that own them are redefining themselves to include content of their newspaper on the Internet. As this transition occurs, the corporation must determine where the revenue must come from since the traditional newspaper subscriptions are decreasing dramatically.
The database you design must model all of the newspapers owned by the GalaxyNews corporation. The central aspects of a newspaper are the stories (articles) written by the reporters. In addition to modeling the reporting aspect of a newspaper, you must also model the business aspect in which people subscribe for newspaper delivery.
Here is a sample of the functionality that should be possible with the data in the GalaxyNews database system.
Any database project starts with examining the actual data involved (assuming that there is some sample data). Often times, prior to the time you build the relational structures for the database, the raw data for your database exists. It may be filed on paper forms in filing cabinets, or it may be on web sites, or sales forms, or weekly/monthly reports, etc. Before you do any actual modeling, it helps to know that data will eventually be stored in the database, so the first step is to research the problem and to analyze the data available to determine some constraints of your model. One of the most important activities in this first step involves communicating with the client about their needs, since the client is expected to know how their business runs and what is needed from a database. In software engineering, this is the requirements elicitation (also requirements gathering) phase.
On this project, there are lots of resources where you can gather information about the enterprise. Many, if not all, of you keep current by reading your local newspaper. Perhaps, you or your family is subscribed to a newspaper -- you may have even delivered when you were younger. If you're not confident regarding newspaper subscriptions, you may want to inquire with your local newspaper about it. These are good sources of information. Still, it is wise to get the information from as many sources as possible. So, start gathering information about different newspapers and the corporations that own them.
To simulate a certain amount of reality in this project, Dr. Monge will play the role of client and each group independently forms the database design and development teams being assigned the project. In the setting of this project, the client has requested your services as you are the ones with the database skills necessary. There will be two official times for interaction with the client, each is referred to as a round. In each round, the database teams will send the questions to the client via E-mail. These questions must be about the enterprise and not about how to model or implement some aspect of the enterprise. The client will answer each team's questions only and these will be sent via a reply E-mail message. After the first round, the client will hold a private meeting with each database team to clarify answers to any questions from the first round. In all of the rounds, each team will get only answers to the questions submitted by the team. Team members may communicate only with other members of the same group. Inter-team communication is prohibited.
| Activity | How/Where? | When? |
|---|---|---|
| Round #1: List of first round questions for the client | Send the list via E-mail with subject: CECS-323: GalaxyNews 1st Round, group # | Thursday Apr. 12 4:15pm |
| Client answers the first round of questions | Answers will be sent via E-mail | Friday Apr. 13 |
| Round #2: List of second round questions for the client | Send the list via E-mail with subject: CECS-323: GalaxyNews 2nd Round, group # | Tuesday Apr. 17th 4:15pm |
| Client answers the second round of questions | Answers will be sent via E-mail reply to each team | Wednesday Apr. 18th |
| Final database model and documentation. Follow instructions here -- available soon. | Printed (hard copy) to be turned in by end of lab. Copy must also be sent via E-mail message with subject: CECS-323: GalaxyNews DB Model, group # |
Thursday Apr. 26 by end of lab |
| Implementation Phase: implement a relational database | Print the relational database scheme, SQL DDL script, SQL DML, and a final report. | Thursday May 17 by end of lab |
NOTE: All of the above deadlines are hard. They will not be adjusted and any team missing a deadline will be penalized in their grade as specified in the syllabus.
This is a group project and as such each student will work on this project with at least one other student from the class. Each member of the group has an equal share on the responsibilities in completing the project. Every group must follow these guidelines as you work on the project:
All E-mail messages must meet the following format requirements: