Database Administration
Master in Informatics Engineering
2026/2027
A course on database systems technology providing a bottom-up perspective of database administration, based on the assumption that solid knowledge of the main performance, reliability, and scale challenges in data management allows administrators to diagnose problems, formulate testable hypotheses, and apply creative solutions in a variety of current data management systems.
This approach contrasts with the common but limiting view of database administration as the repetitive application of recipes prescribed for a specific system. Therefore, this course addresses the concerns of database administrators facing a growing diversity of tools, but also application developers and integrators where data management is their greatest challenge.
Learning outcomes
- Explain the main performance, reliability, and scale challenges in data management systems.
- Describe query processing and transactional mechanisms in database management systems.
- Plan and apply data management solutions that combine, compose, and configure data management mechanisms.
- Estimate and assess the behavior of data management systems.
Instructors
Grading
The grade has two components:
- Group project (50%), with discussion required for grades over 16/20.
- Written exam (50%), with at least 8/20.
The default project is the assessment and tuning of a hybrid transactional analytical application in a cloud environment in groups of 4 students. As an option, a limited set of research and development projects will be proposed for groups of 2 students.
Submitted projects must be fully authored by the students and must not contain materials (text, code, …) from third parties, obtained online, or using AI tools unless explicitly marked and authorized by the instructors. See Academic Regulations and Code of Ethical Conduct for more information.