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Databases Made Easy

Databases Made Easy. Well - Almost…. Dawna Travis Dewire. TAB Presentation 5/5/99. FME. Introduce Material in Context. Comet Computer Company. A case series used in FME to illustrate business concepts. Comet Computer assemblies and sells computers from a store in Newton.

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Databases Made Easy

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  1. Databases Made Easy Well - Almost…. Dawna Travis Dewire TAB Presentation 5/5/99

  2. FME Introduce Material in Context

  3. Comet Computer Company A case series used in FME to illustrate business concepts. Comet Computer assemblies and sells computers from a store in Newton.

  4. Comet Computer Company • In the Fall Term: • Goes through the process of deciding whether to open the store • Does Pro Formas • Gets Funding • Parallels what they do for their FME businesses

  5. Comet Computer Company • In the Spring Term: • Is open and has been running for a while (winter break is “fast forward”) • Needs to evaluate how things are going • (life beyond the numbers) • Parallels what they do for their FME businesses

  6. Microsoft Access and FME It’s been part of the curriculum for three years. It’s been part of the Foundation Computer Lab (FCL) for two years.

  7. Microsoft Access and FME Three years ago: Access assignments were stand-alone Two years ago: Access assignments were based on inventory management (manufacturing). This year: Access assignments were based on order management and advertising/promotion.

  8. Three phases of Comet’s database 0: What data do you need to answer questions about orders? 1: Introduce the students to a database structure that mirrored their answers in Phase #0 2: Add data required to answer questions about advertising effectiveness 3: Add data required to answer questions about promotional effectiveness

  9. Assignments • These were not key stroke assignments • The students had to write a query to pull out the data they needed to answer a manage-ment question -- sometimes aggregating, counting, averaging. • They also had to analyze it - no query gave a complete answer. In Competency-eze -- technology and critical thinking!!

  10. Lesson #1: Design Input Forms 1. Design the input form before designing the database. 2. Use that form to generate transactions or inputs into the system.

  11. Lesson #2: Plan for “enhanced” versions 1. When rolling out a self-designed, self-populated database, plan for phased roll-outs (if possible).

  12. Delivery The databases as well as the assign-ments were posted on K. Students copied them to their work-station.

  13. The Next Phase Streamline delivery Web-ifying must be the answer.. NOT!

  14. Why Not? • Why not - • Host the database on a Web server • Use Web pages to access the database.. We wanted them to learn how to “read” a database and write queries.

  15. Plan B:Use Access as a front-end to SQL Server • Pretty straight-forward. • Convert Access database to SQL Server • Find a SQL Server to host it on • Generate an ODBC driver so Access can link to it • Link an Access database to it • Write and execute queries PS. I don’t know SQL Server….

  16. Lesson #3When it seems simple, it isn’t. ITSD converted the database But it wasn’t as straightforward as they thought it would be ITSD hosted it on “googolbox” Generated an ODBC driver Linked an Access database to it Wrote and executed queries Piece of Cake….

  17. Lesson #4:When it still seems simple, it isn’t • Wrote instructions with screen shots • Tested them on two lab machines. • Tested them on my machine as faculty and as student • Tested them on Charlie’s machine with Charlie as the proof reader • Distributed the instructions as an optional homework assignment to four FME sections

  18. Lesson #5:When it still seems really simple,it won’t be Students had no SQL Server listed as one of their ODBC drivers… Reinstall Access or Find the exec file on Microsoft.com and have students run that (Thank you, Joyce!)

  19. Where do we stand? I have about a dozen completed assignments - but it isn’t due until Thursday and their exam was this morning. Unanimous opinion - is (or sounds like) an easier way to access a database

  20. Impact on the Curriculum ODBC drivers is an industry norm Data warehouses Data marts Financial data We want the students used to accessing a database that is somewhere else on a network.

  21. Impact on the curriculum Opens doors for use of databases across disciplines. 1. Get an electronic copy of a data source 2. Have it converted to SQL Server 3. Have it hosted on the “TAB-promised” SQL Server 4. Have your students create their own ODBC driver to it. 5. Have your students write Access queries to get data out of the database

  22. Lesson #6:Try it, you might like it FME introduced students to the power of data and being able to get to it …. Get them while they’re hungry!

  23. Thank You

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