Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2026 - CMPT 454 D100

Database Systems II (3)

Class Number: 4897

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Tue, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

    Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Thu, 2:30–3:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    (CMPT 201 or CMPT 300 or ENSC 351) and CMPT 354, both with a minimum grade of C-.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An advanced course on database systems which covers crash recovery, concurrency control, transaction processing, distributed database systems as the core material and a set of selected topics based on the new developments and research interests, such as object-oriented data models and systems, extended relational systems, deductive database systems, and security and integrity.

COURSE DETAILS:

CMPT 454 is a systems-oriented course on the design and implementation of relational database systems, the backbone of many today's data-intensive applications, like e-commerce, banking, social-network, telecom, etc. This course provides an in-depth coverage of core topics in the making of relational database systems, topics includes data storage, indexing, query optimization and transaction processing.


This course will not use Canvas. Course schedule, materials, etc. will be available on the course website: https://www.cs.sfu.ca/~tzwang/teaching/cmpt454-fall26

Topics

  • Data storage, indexing
  • Query processing
  • Transaction processing
  • Logging and crash recovery
  • Other related database systems topics

Grading

NOTES:

To be discussed in the first week of class and may be revised during the semester.

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Reference Books

  • Database Systems: The Complete Book, Hector Garcia-Molina, Jeffrey D. Ullman, Jennifer Widom, 9780131873254, 2nd or latest Edition
  • Transaction Processing: Concepts and Techniques, Jim Gray, Andreas Reuter, 9781558601901
  • Database Management Systems, Raghu Ramekrishnan, Johannes Gehrke, McGraw-Hill, 9780072465631, 3rd Edition

Department Undergraduate Notes:

The following are default policies in the School of Computing Science. Please check your course syllabus whether the instructor has chosen a different policy for your class, otherwise the following policies apply.

  • Students must attain an overall passing grade on the weighted average of exams in the course in order to get a D or higher.

 

  • All student requests for accommodations for their religious practices must be made in writing by the end of the first week of classes, or no later than one week after a student adds a course. After considering a request, an instructor may provide a concession or may decline to do so. Students requiring accommodations as a result of a disability can contact the Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca).

 

  • Use of AI tools by students for completing graded scholarly activities and course submissions that has not been explicitly authorized by the instructor  will be considered as plagiarism under SFU’s Code of Academic Policy (http://www.sfu.ca/policies/teaching/t10-02.htm).  Following this policy, instructors will report all instances of plagiarism to the academic integrity board.  

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.