BSCCS2001: Graded Assignment with Solutions
Week 10
1. For the given statements:
• A transaction must keep the database consistent during execution.
• A transaction when starting to execute must see a consistent database.
Which one of the following is the correct choice? [ MCQ: 1 point]
Both statements are correct
√
First statement is wrong
Both statements are wrong
Second statement is wrong
Solution:
According to the Consistency property of transacti ons, a transaction must start
working on a consistent database and it must keep the database consistent after
it finishes execution. But a transaction while getting executed may not keep the
database in a consistent state. Therefore, the first statement is wrong and option 2
is correct.
2. Which of the following methods always ensures deadlock free schedules?
[MSQ: 2 points]
√
Timestamp ordering
2-Phase Locking
Rigorous 2-Phase locking
√
Tree protocol or partial ordering
Solution: Timestamp ordering protocol and tree protocol ensures deadlock free
schedules.
Any variation of 2-phase locking does not ensure deadlock free schedules, it only
guarantees conflict serializable schedules.
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Consider the following schedule S and answer questions 3 and 4.
Figure 1: S
3. Which of the following is true for schedule S? [MSQ: 2points]
Schedule S is Conflict serializable
Schedule S is View serializable
√
Schedule S is not Conflict Serializable
√
Schedule S is not View Serializable
Solution: Pairs of conflicting instructions : w1(A) → r2(A), w1(A) → w2(A),
w2(B) → r1(B), w2(B) → w1(B)
These conflicting instructions create a cyclic dependency of T1 on T2 and vice-versa.
Hence, the schedule is not Conflict serializable.
There are no blind writes. Hence, the given schedule is not View serializable.
4. Which of the following is correct? [MSQ: 3 points]
The schedule is 2-phase lockable
√
The schedule is not 2-phase lockable
Schedule is Serializable
√
Schedule is not Serializable
Solution: When we try to apply 2 phase locking on S.
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Figure 2: S
Before executing the red colored r(B) instruction, T1 needs to have a shared lock.
However, since T1 already has started unlocking, it can’t gain a new lock according
to 2 phase lock protocol. Thus, S is not 2 phase lockable.
Pairs of conflicting instructions : w1(A) → r2(A), w1(A) → w2(A), w2(B) → r1(B),
w2(B) → w1(B)
These conflicting instructions create a cyclic dependency of T1 on T2 and vice-versa.
Hence, the schedule is not Conflict serializable.
There are no blind writes hence schedule is not view serializable
Hence, option 2 and 4 are correct.
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5. For the given schedule S, answer the question that follows.
S: r5(Z), w1(Y), r2(Y), w3(Y), r4(Y), w2(P), r5(P), w4(X), r1(Q), r5(X), w5(Y)
Which of the following is the correct choice? [MCQ: 1 point]
This schedule is not conflict serializable
This schedule is not serializable
This schedule is neither view nor conflict serializable
√
None of the above
Solution: The schedule is conflict serializable to the serial schedule
T1 → T2 → T3 → T4 → T5
A conflict serializable schedule is implicitly view serializable
Hence, option 4 is the correct choice.
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6. What is the number of serial schedules to which S is serializable?
S: w1(P), r2(P), w3(P), r4(P), w5(P)
[MCQ 2points]
0
√
2
1
3
Solution: Since the read-write relations should be maintained in a view serial sched-
ule,
Transaction T2 must be after T1.
Transaction T4 must be after T3
Last write of attribute P must be preserved. Therefore, T5 must be the last trans-
action in a serial schedule and we have two possible serial schedules which are view
equivalent:
T1 → T2 → T3 → T4 → T5
T3 → T4 → T1 → T2 → T5
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7. For Schedule S shown in Figure 5, choose the correct option.
Figure 3: S
[MCQ: 1 point]
√
The schedule is Recoverable with cascading rollback
The schedule is Cascadeless Recoverable
The schedule is Strict
The schedule is not Recoverable
Solution: Transaction T2 reads the value of A after T1 writes it but before T1
commits. Therefore, the schedule is recoverable but with cascading rollbacks.
The schedule is not strict, a strict schedule is cascadeless recoverable.
Hence, option 1 is correct.
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8. Given below is a transaction that transfers an inventory of 1000 cartons from warehouse
A to warehouse B. [ MSQ: 2 points]
Step Operation
1 read(A)
2 A := A − 1000
3 write(A)
4 read(B)
5 B := B + 1000
6 write(B)
Table 1: Transaction 1
Choose the correct option(s) regarding Transaction 1.
The database must always be consistent just after Step 3 but before Step 5.
The database must always be consistent just after Step 4 but before Step 6.
√
The database may be temporarily inconsistent just after Step 3 but before
Step 5.
√
The database may be temporarily inconsistent just after Step 4 but before
Step 6.
The database has to be consistent throughout the transaction due to ACID
properties.
Solution: Transaction 1 starts at Step 1 and ends at Step 6. According to the
consistency property (C in ACID), the database has to be consistent before and
after a transaction. It can afford to have inconsistent states in the intermediate
steps. Hence, Options 3 and 4 are correct.
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9. Let T = {T1 , T2 , T3 , T4 , T5 } be a set of transactions. In each of the options below, we
give a table that shows how each transaction is waiting for release of locks from other
transactions. Which of the following allocations is deadlock-free?
[ MSQ: 3 points]
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Solution: Given below are the wait-for graphs corresponding to the allocation in
each option.
Option 1 :
Option 2 :
Option 3 :
Option 4 :
Since options 1,2 and 4 have cycles in them, they indicate a deadlock. Option 3
shows an acyclic graph and hence it does not indicate a deadlock.
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10. Choose the correct output obtained on running the given SQL statements on Table Em-
ployee.
[ MCQ: 2 points]
SQL> SAVEPOINT SP1;
EID EName SQL> UPDATE Employee SET EName=‘Jainie’
E01 Arthur WHERE EID=‘E06’;
E02 Raina SQL> COMMIT;
E03 Meena SQL> SAVEPOINT SP2;
SQL> DELETE FROM Employee WHERE EID=‘E02’;
E04 Arthur
SQL> SAVEPOINT SP3;
E06 Joey
SQL> UPDATE Employee SET EName=‘Raina’
Table Employee WHERE EID=‘E04’;
SQL> ROLLBACK TO SP1;
EID EName
E01 Arthur
√ E02 Raina
E03 Meena
E04 Arthur
E06 Jainie
EID EName
E01 Arthur
E03 Meena
E04 Arthur
E06 Jainie
EID EName
E01 Arthur
E03 Meena
E04 Raina
E06 Jainie
EID EName
E01 Arthur
E02 Raina
E03 Meena
E04 Arthur
E06 Joey
Solution: Even though the name ‘Joey’ was updated to ‘Jainie’ after savepoint SP1,
this modification is not rolled back because a commit has been done immediately
after modifying ‘Joey’ to ‘Jainie’. Hence, all transactions that happened after the
commit are rolled back.
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11. In Schedule S, there are 3 transactions namely T1, T2, T3. Each of these transactions
will write to a file in secondary storage (hard-disk). For writing, they need access to a
system component C which has a total of ‘x’ instances. If T1 requires 3 instances, T2
requires 5 instances, and T3 requires 3 instances of C to complete the transaction, then
what should be the minimum value of ‘x’ so that no deadlock will occur when 2-phase
locking protocol is used in the system?
[ MCQ: 3 points]
5
3
√
9
deadlock can not be avoided by increasing the count of a component’s instance
Solution: Obviously if we have 5+3+3 = 11 instances, then deadlock can not occur.
But deadlock can be avoided by using lesser number of instances.
Let’s check with 5 instances.
Suppose T1 takes 2 instances simultaneously. T2 takes 3 instances, in this situation
neither T1 nor T2 can complete the transaction and both will hold the instances
already gained and will wait indefinitely for the leftover requirement.
To avoid this, we can use the following strategy :
Suppose T1 gains 2 out of 3 instances, T2 gains 4 out of 5 instances and T3 gains 2
out of 3 instances, i.e. there are total 8 instances. Then also deadlock is possible. If
we add one more to it and make x = 9, then deadlock can be avoided. For example
in the previous scenario the 9th instance can satisfy either of the three transactions
and thus the instances which were already held by that transaction are free since
that transaction is completed. Now the other two transactions can have those free
instances to complete their execution.
Therefore, answer is 9.
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