Microsoft - MTA Database Fundamentals

Curriculum

Module 1: Understanding Core Database Concepts

• Understand how data is stored in tables
• Understand what a relational database is, the need for relational database management systems (RDBMS), and how relations are established
• Work with the data manipulation language (DML)
• Study data definition language (DDL)
• Utilise T-SQL to create database objects, such as tables and views

Module 2: Creating Database Objects

• Learn what data types are, why they are important and how they affect storage requirements
• Understand and create tables
• How to create and use views by using T-SQL or a graphical designer
• Create stored procedures and functions

Module 3: Manipulating Data

• Utilise SELECT queries to extract data from one table, extract data by using joins, combine result sets by using UNION and INTERSECT
• Understand how data is inserted into a database, how to use INSERT statements
• Update data in a database and learn how to write the updated data to the database by using the appropriate UPDATE statements, update by using a table
• Delete data from single or multiple tables, ensure data and referential integrity by using transactions

Module 4: Understanding Data Storage

• Understand the reasons for normalisation, the five most common levels of normalisation, how to normalise a database to third normal form
• Choose appropriate primary keys, select appropriate data type for keys, select appropriate fields for composite keys and understand the relationship between foreign and primary keys
• Learn the purpose of clustered and non-clustered indexes in a database

Module 5: Administering a Database

• Learn database security concepts
• How to secure a database: what objects can be secured, what objects should be secured, user accounts and roles
• How to implement various backup types, such as full and incremental