MIT Database Systems (6.830) TA Course Notes

Thanks, at first glance this looks like a good set of notes to skim over. I wouldn't spend a tremendous amount of time trying to deeply understand the query optimization details. My experience has been that being able to grab out low hanging fruit (ie, are the right indexes being used by the query optimizer, check the plan your RDBMS generates) is more helpful. Most people will never need to think about query optimization as in the notes.

Understanding indexing and index selectivity is probably a bigger deal for most apps these days. At least, it seems that I come across many more read intensive apps than high transaction rate apps. But I'm a data warehouse app guy usually.

I'd also strongly recommend the Joe Celko books for really building up your SQL chops. Once you have a intermediate understanding of your RDBMS backend and SQL, you'll have all the knowledge you'll need for 90% of db development and know how to investigate the other 10%.

I have typically joined projects after the db has been designed. I need to work on being able to quickly refactor table designs to cleanup and enforce constraints. My gut feel is that the best way to do this is to first define a data access layer via some type of procedural API to the other devs on a project and then cleanup the backend design on the side while the project goes forward.

Now, if only SQL had the ability to define and dynamically build first class functions as well . . . I could do some snazzy stuff much quicker . . .

This is great. I only wish our computer science program required Databases to graduate, because while learning about thunks and trampolining in PL and writing a disassembler for the M68K were all fun (and required), in the real world the chances are you'll more likely be faced with challenging database problems.

And database gurus tend to be snobs, so if you can't challenge them on an issue because you simply know how to use inner joins and outer joins and don't have a depth of knowledge, they'll bite your head off. Anyone in a position to earn a computer science degree: trade in that exciting independent research course for a course in Databases.

Good. Is there a text book associated?

Any recomendations of a good text book on database systems. Something that can be used as a reference, and/or explains the subtle details on database design (modeling).