CS465

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Advanced Database Systems

Course (UG/PG)

Undergraduate

Offering Unit/Department

Course Description

This course takes a step-by-step investigation of modern analytical databases. It starts with hardware-aware storage, then moves through execution flow, indexing, cost-based optimisation, and emerging analytic tasks. The course offers lectures and guided labs to let students practise ideas such as columnar layout, vector processing, joins, estimators, and approximate answers right away. It provides an in-depth exploration of modern database systems and data management techniques with a special focus on their application in data science and artificial intelligence. Students will gain practical experience designing, implementing, and optimizing analytical pipelines, preparing them to tackle real-world data analysis challenges.

Course Learning Outcomes

Understand how hardware, data layout and execution model impact modern analytical engines.
Track the query life cycle though optimiser, plan generation and execution pipeline.
Link textbook concepts to real workloads, data models, and performance trade-offs.
Grasp the fundamentals of computer architecture as they relate to database performance
Recognise when graph, vector, or approximate techniques add value to analytical tasks.
Evaluate design choices holistically, balancing latency, memory, and accuracy.

Discipline-Specific Competencies

Systems Design, Algorithm Analysis, Data Analytics

SMU Graduate Learning Outcomes

Disciplinary knowledge, Critical thinking & problem solving, Collaboration and leadership

Grading Basis

GRD - Graded