Improving database quality and performance using SDLC methodology

Database Development

The objective of this study is to recommend three specific tasks that could be performed to improve the quality of datasets using the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) methodology and to recommend the actions that could be performed to optimize record selections and to improve database performance from a quantitative data quality assessment. Finally, this work will suggest three maintenance plans and three activities that could be performed in order to improve data quality. The second part of this study involves the evaluation of which method would be efficient for planning proactive concurrency control methods and lock granularities and assessment of how the selected method can be used to minimize the database security risks that may occur within a multiuser environment. Secondly, this work will analyze how the verify method can be used to plan system effectively and ensure that the number of transactions do not produce record-level locking while the database is in operation.

I. SDLC and Improving Quality of Datasets

High quality data makes the data resources of the organization more optimal for use in that it promotes both effectiveness and efficiency. Improvement of data quality using SDLC is reported to be in three categories including those of: (1) error detection and correction stated to involve the comparison of data to a correct baseline and is stated to involve checking for errors by examining values; (2) process control and improvement which is stated to have a drawback in the implementation of error detection.; and (3) process design stated to involve the building in or data processes reported to be such that can be built new or through redesigning processes. ( p. 6)

IV. Method Efficient for Planning Proactive Concurrency Control Methods and Lock Granularities

According to one report, the provision of concurrency control and prevention of access to data is conducted by placing locks on buffer pools, tables, data partitions, table blocks, or table rows. A lock associates a database manager resource with an application, called the lock owner, to control how other applications access the same resource." (IBM, 2013, p.1) Row-level blocking is utilized by the database manager and is reported to be appropriate upon the basis of "…The isolation level specified at precompile time or when an application is bound to the database." (IBM, 2013, p.1) The isolation level is reported to include: (1) The isolation level can be one of the following (2) uncommitted Read (UR); (3) Cursor Stability (CS); (4) Read Stability (RS); and (5) Repeatable Read (RR). (IBM, 2013, p.1) The isolation levels are differently used in controlling access of uncommitted data as well as for prevention of lost updates and allowing non-repeatable reads of data and to in prevention of phantom reads. (IBM, 2013, p.1) Minimization of performance impact involves the use of the minimum isolation level that meets the needs of the application. Three isolation levels include: (1) the access plan; (2) the lock size attribute for the table; and (3) the amount of memory that is chosen for locking. These limits ensure that the system does not become locked up during the gathering of report data. (IBM, 2013, p.1)