Exam 98-364:

Database Fundamentals

Published:	August 02, 2010
Language(s):	English
Audience(s):	Academic
Technology:	Microsoft SQL Server 2008
Type:	Proctored Exam

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Overview

Preparing for an ExamThis exam is designed to allow candidates to assess their knowledge of and skills with databases and operations.

Audience Profile

Candidates for this exam are seeking to prove introductory knowledge of and skills with databases, including relational databases such as Microsoft SQL Server. It is recommended that candidates be familiar with the concepts of and have hands-on experience with the technologies described here either by taking relevant training courses or by working with tutorials and samples available on MSDN and in Microsoft Visual Studio. Although minimal hands-on experience with the technologies is recommended, job experience is not assumed for these exams.

Candidates for this exam are in the process of expanding their knowledge and skills in the following areas:

core database concepts
relational database concepts
security requirements for databases and the data stored in them
database objects, such as tables and views
graphical tools and T-SQL scripts
database queries
stored procedures

Note This preparation guide is subject to change at any time without prior notice and at the sole discretion of Microsoft. Microsoft exams might include adaptive testing technology and simulation items. Microsoft does not identify the format in which exams are presented. Please use this preparation guide to prepare for the exam, regardless of its format.

Skills Measured

Skills Being MeasuredThis exam measures your ability to accomplish the technical tasks listed below.The percentages indicate the relative weight of each major topic area on the exam.The higher the percentage, the more questions you are likely to see on that content area on the exam.

The information after “This objective may include but is not limited to” is intended to further define or scope the objective by describing the types of skills and topics that may be tested for the objective. However, it is not an exhaustive list of skills and topics that could be included on the exam for a given skill area. You may be tested on other skills and topics related to the objective that are not explicitly listed here.

Understanding Core Database Concepts (23 percent)

Understand how data is stored in tables.

This objective may include but is not limited to: understanding what a table is and how it relates to the data that will be stored in the database; columns/fields, rows/records

Understand relational database concepts.

This objective may include but is not limited to: understanding what a relational database is, the need for relational database management systems (RDBMS), and how relations are established

Understand data manipulation language (DML).

This objective may include but is not limited to: understanding what DML is and its role in databases

Understand data definition language (DDL).

This objective may include but is not limited to: understanding how T-SQL can be used to create database objects such as tables and views

Creating Database Objects (23 percent)

Choose data types.

This objective may include but is not limited to: understanding what data types are, why they are important, and how they affect storage requirements

Understand tables and how to create them.

This objective may include but is not limited to: purpose of tables; creating tables in a database by using proper ANSI SQL syntax

Create views.

This objective may include but is not limited to: understanding when to use views and how to create a view by using T-SQL or a graphical designer

Create stored procedures and functions.

This objective may include but is not limited to: selecting, inserting, updating, or deleting data

Manipulating Data (26 percent)

Select data.

This objective may include but is not limited to: utilizing SELECT queries to extract data from one table; extracting data by using joins; combining result sets by using UNION and INTERSECT

Insert data.

This objective may include but is not limited to: understanding how data is inserted into a database; how to use INSERT statements

Update data.

This objective may include but is not limited to: understanding how data is updated in a database and how to write the updated data to the database by using the appropriate UPDATE statements; update by using a table

Delete data.

This objective may include but is not limited to: deleting data from single or multiple tables; ensuring data and referential integrity by using transactions

Understanding Data Storage (17 percent)

Understand normalization.

This objective may include but is not limited to: understanding the reasons for normalization, the five most common levels of normalization, how to normalize a database to third normal form

Understand primary, foreign, and composite keys.

This objective may include but is not limited to: understanding the reason for keys in a database, choosing appropriate primary keys, selecting appropriate data type for keys, selecting appropriate fields for composite keys, understanding the relationship between foreign and primary keys

Understand indexes.

This objective may include but is not limited to: understanding clustered and non-clustered indexes and their purpose in a database

Administering a Database (11 percent)

Understand database security concepts.

This objective may include but is not limited to: understanding the need to secure a database, what objects can be secured, what objects should be secured, user accounts, and roles

Understand database backups and restore.

This objective may include but is not limited to: understanding various backup types, such as full and incremental, importance of backups, how to restore a database

Preparation Materials

Preparation Tools and ResourcesTo help you prepare for this exam, Microsoft Learning recommends that you have hands-on experience with the product and that you use the following training resources. These training resources do not necessarily cover all of the topics listed in the "Skills Measured" tab.

Learning Plans and Classroom Training