INSTRUCTIONS
Discuss in detail:
(a) the reasons for and characteristics of storing this information in a relational database (including talking about referential integrity and how many primary and foreign keys would be in such a database), and (b) what types of various IT controls and considerations Hiroshi should make to address his concerns.
Hiroshi Yoshimura is chair of the Panda Preservation Project, which maintains a database of all panda bears across the globe. The database design includes a relational database comprising two tables. The first table stores the name, birth date, and other characteristics of panda bear parents that have been registered. In this table, each panda bear parent is uniquely identified by a registration number.
The second table stores the name, birth date, and other characteristics of panda bear kids that have been registered. In this table, each panda bear kid is uniquely identified by a registration number. This second table also includes the registration numbers of each panda bear kid’s parents. The panda bear kids in the second table are linked to their parents in the first table by means of the registration numbers of both parents.
Physically, the database is housed in an information system located on a wildlife preserve. As such, Hiroshi has concerns about potential physical threats to the system, such as storm or water damage, or power failure. Hiroshi also worries about the correctness of the information being entered into the database, as it is entered by many PPP workers and volunteers across different sites, often remotely, without any centralized, consistent training on the system.