Introduction to Relational Databases (RDBMS)

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/introduction-to-relational-databases

Introduction

### Course Review: Introduction to Relational Databases (RDBMS) on Coursera If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the thought of diving into data engineering, the **Introduction to Relational Databases (RDBMS)** course on Coursera is a perfect entry point. Designed for beginners, this course equips you with essential knowledge and practical skills needed to understand relational databases, making it an invaluable stepping stone in your data journey. #### Course Overview The course concept revolves around the foundational understanding of how data is stored, processed, and accessed within relational databases. By the end of the course, you’ll be comfortable handling industry-standard databases like IBM DB2, MySQL, and PostgreSQL, enabling you to manage and manipulate data effectively. #### What You Will Learn The syllabus is structured in a clear and comprehensive way, dividing the content into four main modules: 1. **Relational Database Concepts** - This module lays the groundwork by introducing you to fundamental concepts of relational databases. You’ll learn about how data is organized into tables and how these tables can relate to each other—an essential skill for making informed business decisions based on data. By understanding database architecture and topologies, you'll be able to appreciate how various database systems operate. 2. **Using Relational Databases** - Here, you'll unlock the practical side of this knowledge. The course teaches you how to use graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and SQL statements to create, manage, and populate tables. Expect to dive into database design techniques that are pivotal for maintaining data integrity. Concepts such as Primary and Foreign keys, indexes, and normalization are covered extensively, ensuring that you grasp how to improve database performance. 3. **MySQL and PostgreSQL** - This module focuses on two of the most widely used RDBMS tools: MySQL and PostgreSQL. You’ll explore how to create databases, define keys, and load data effectively. The emphasis on both command-line and GUI options provides a well-rounded perspective on database management, making it easy for you to choose the tools that best fit your style. 4. **Course Assignment** - The final module culminates in a hands-on project where you’ll consolidate your learning by applying it in a real-world scenario. You will be required to design a database from scratch, create an Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD), normalize tables, load data, and conduct various database management tasks. This project solidifies your ability to transfer theoretical concepts into practical skills. #### Recommendations This course is ideal for anyone new to relational databases or those who wish to broaden their knowledge in data engineering. You don’t need prior experience, and the course promises to build your confidence through hands-on assignments that apply your newfound knowledge in relatable scenarios. **Pros:** - Comprehensive and beginner-friendly syllabus - Hands-on projects for practical experience - Exposure to multiple RDBMS platforms - Clear instructions and supportive resources **Cons:** - While the course is beginner-friendly, those with prior experience in similar fields may find some sections basic. - The self-paced nature requires self-discipline to stay on track. #### Conclusion In a data-driven world, understanding relational databases is becoming increasingly vital for a range of professions. The **Introduction to Relational Databases (RDBMS)** course on Coursera serves as an excellent launching point. The combination of theoretical concepts and practical applications ensures that you walk away with a solid foundation in data management. If you’re looking to enhance your career prospects or simply have a curiosity about data, this course comes highly recommended. Dive in, and kickstart your journey into the rewarding field of data engineering!

Syllabus

Relational Database Concepts

A relational database organizes data into tables that can be linked—or related—based on data common to each. By storing your business data in a relational database, you can retrieve and analyze the data to make important business decisions. There are many companies that offer relational database systems and, regardless of which one you use, they all share a common set of characteristics that you must be familiar with before you can move on to more advanced operations with databases. In this module, you will learn some basic relational database concepts and how to diagram and describe the relationships between tables in a database. You will also learn the different deployment topologies and architectures that are commonly used, who the typical users of databases are, and some of the features and benefits of some common relational database management systems including Db2, MySQL, and PostgreSQL.

In this module, you will learn how to use a RDBMS GUI or web interface and SQL statements to create and manage the tables in a relational database and populate them with data. You will also learn how to employ some database design techniques that help improve the integrity of your data and the performance of your queries, including the use of Primary and Foreign keys to define relationships, indexes, normalization, and relational model constraints.

MySQL and PostreSQL are two common RDBMS tools for creating and managing relational databases. Both are free and open-source, have download/install and cloud versions, and offer both command-line and desktop and/or web interface options. In this module, you will learn the basics of creating databases and tables, defining keys and constraints in tables, and loading a database with data using MySQL and PostgreSQL. You will also learn how to define views in PostgreSQL to limit access to sensitive data and simplify data retrieval.

This module contains the final project for this course. You will consolidate the skills that you learned throughout this course by applying them to a specific scenario. To complete the project successfully, you must demonstrate that you have the skills to design a database from a new set of data, including creating an ERD to identify entities, attributes, and relationships. You will normalize tables, create your database, and load some data. You will also demonstrate some database management tasks by working with views.