In the calendar below, the Memorial Day holiday on May 27th is marked in red. The final exam period, June 3-8, is marked in green. You can also see the full Northeastern University Academic Calendar, which is a PDF document, via the Registrar's website.

     March 2002
 S  M Tu  W Th  F  S
                1  2
 3  4  5  6  7  8  9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31

     April 2002
 S  M Tu  W Th  F  S
    1  2  3  4  5  6
 7  8  9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30

      May 2002
 S  M Tu  W Th  F  S
          1  2  3  4
 5  6  7  8  9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31

     June 2002
 S  M Tu  W Th  F  S
                   1
 2  3  4  5  6  7  8
 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30

Note: The reading assignments in your textbook, listed throughout the syllabus below, should be completed before coming to the class meeting they apply to. See the links page for material related to the topics below that you might find useful.

Week 1 -- Overview and administrative matters (one class 3/28/02)

Introduction

Introduction to the course.

The mysteries and magic of transaction processing.

Start Chapter 1.

Week 2, week of April 1st

Transaction Monitors

Read Chapter 1, Introduction

Begin Chapter 2, Transaction Processing Monitors

Week 3, week of April 8th

Monitors and communication

Finish reading Chapter 2, Transaction Processing Monitors

Begin reading Chapter 3, Transaction Processing Communications

Week 4, week of April 15th

Communication and start on Isolation

Assignment #1 on APIs (w. Javadoc) due end of 4/15, midnight

Finish reading Chapter 3, Transaction Processing Communications

The reading on Queues, Chap. 4, has been replaced by Chap. 6 on Locking. On Monday the 22nd, a revised version of the chapter will be handed out, in hardcopy.

Week 5, week of April 22nd

Chapter 6 -- Isolation

Assignment #2 on Isolation posted, due midnight, April 29th and based on the new version of Chapter 6 that Professor Futrelle has received from the author, Bernstein.

By next Monday the 29th, read all of (the new) Chapter 6.

Week 6, week of April 29th

MIDTERM THIS THURSDAY!

Monday the 29th: Assignment #2 on locking due by midnight.

Tuesday, review for the Midterm Exam

Thursday, Midterm exam, focusing on (the new) Chapter 6. Closed book, closed notes.

Week 7, week of May 6th

Chapter 7, High Availability and Chapter 8, Recovery

We will spend a day to a day-and-a-half on Chapter 7, High Availability. So read this chapter.

The more technical topic, that we will begin by Thursday, is Database System Recovery, Chapter 8. This is as technically involved as locking, so start reading the Chapter carefully.

Do your first reading of Chapter 8.

Week 8, week of May 13th

Database System Recovery

Continuing the discussion of the material in Chapter 8.

Study Chapter 8 fully and carefully now.

Week 9, week of May 20th

Chapter 9, Two-Phase Commit

The technically difficult problem of ensuring serializability for transactions that span multiple managers will be discussed all week.

Read and re-read Chapter 9.

Week 10, week of May 27th

TOPIC, READINGS -- To be announced

NO CLASS MONDAY: MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY

The last two classes will be for wrap-up and reviewing for the Final Exam.

Week 11

FINAL EXAM WEEK Monday June 3rd through Saturday June 8th

The final exam will be cumulative, covering a bit of material from Chapter 6, and some from Chapter 7, but focusing on Chapters 8 and 9.

Final exam will be Monday, June 3rd at 1pm. (Schedule "C" on the Spring 2002 Room Schedule available via this page.)

Back to COM1317 Spring 2002 homepage Back to Professor Futrelle's homepage