Applied Database Administration and Design

​This intensive, hands-on course is the prerequisite for follow-on database courses in several BCIT Computing programs. Students are introduced to relational database design concepts and industry standards. COMP 1630 starts with tools and processes for data modeling in Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS). Labs and exercises take place in a Windows 11 PC environment. There is also a heavy focus on the Structured Query Language (SQL) to define and manipulate data. Topics include functional dependencies, normalization, database design methodologies, entity relationship modeling and the use of UML as a diagramming notation. Advanced topics include: an introduction to SQL, DDL- data definition language and DML- data manipulation language, views, security, transaction management, triggers and stored procedures. Current trends in database such as Replication, Data Warehousing, Online Analytical Processing (OLAP), using databases on the web and in the cloud are discussed. Students in are required to participate in group work, there is significant reading and assignments required outside of class. Online activities via the BCIT Learning Hub are mandatory. COMP 1630 is a required course for the Applied Database Administration and Design (ADAD) Associate Certificate; the Applied Data Analytics Certificate (ADAC) and the Computer Systems Certificate (CSC). It is also equivalent to the Full-time COMP 2714 and ACIT 1630 database courses. Upon successful completion, participants will be able to design and implement a database application and be prepared to move on to higher level database courses including: COMP 3677 Introduction to MS Server Administration Part 1, COMP 3678 SQL Server Development; COMP 3679 Business Intelligence (BI) Tools, and COMP 3839 Data Quality Improvement.
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in COMP 1002

​​​Business Analysis and Systems Design is the study of concepts, processes and tools that professionals use to plan and develop information systems to industry standards. Computer Systems Certificate (CSC) students must complete COMM 1103 or COMM 1106 prior to COMP 2831. This course assumes that all participants have strong English communication and interpersonal skills. Students must provide their own current model PC, i5 or higher equivalent processor, 8 GB of RAM minimum, and 256 GB minimum storage. High-speed internet access is needed for online sections and for homework. Beginning with an introduction to the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), students work in teams to initiate the system process, analyze problems, discover requirements and create a logical design. Participants will work in groups to ask implicit questions in order to make better decisions. They will then document detailed communication plans prior to developing an information system. COMP 2831 provides the foundation for all is a required in 6 BCIT Computing development credentials. Topics include: techniques used in the discovery of business requirements, traditional approaches to data and process modelling. There is an overview of Object-Oriented Modelling techniques using the Unified Modelling Language (UML) as well as an introduction to Project Management. Please Note: Attendance, participation in class and the BCIT Learning Hub are mandatory. Students may have an average total time commitment of 13+ hours per week; 3 hours of synchronous class time, a 1-hour online component, plus 9+ hours of homework each week. Participants must be able to work in groups, to provide detailed written materials and to make presentations of their designs. Upon completion, successful students will be able to use industry standard tools and methods to analyze, design, document, present, implement information systems and move on to COMP 2833 Agile Methods and the Scrum Framework. ​
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in COMP 2501 or 60% in COMP 1630

​​This hands-on course has replaced both COMP 3700, and COMP 4677. It is the first part of series in Microsoft Server Administration. COMP 1002 is the assumed prerequisite for all follow-on COMP courses. Students are expected to already have a solid working knowledge of file, disk and PC systems management in a Windows 11 networked environment before starting this course. Students begin with an introduction to the basic tasks that an Administrator performs to manage Microsoft server products. They study the different roles and types of servers and the server environment within Microsoft Azure. Participants will install, configure and architect a Microsoft Server in both On-Premises and Cloud environments. Labs and exercises focus on Microsoft Server Administration to create and manage users, groups, shares, and file permissions. Role Based Access Control (RBAC) best practices will be used. COMP 3677 topics include: how to plan and implement Group and local Security Policies; industry standard strategies and planning for server back-ups, troubleshooting, monitoring and managing a server with Microsoft's built-in tools. Server security and recovery plans with compliance strategies for a Microsoft Server will be discussed. Please Note: Attendance, participation in class and the BCIT Learning Hub are required. Students may have an average total time commitment of 12+ total hours each week; 3 hours of synchronous class time and 9+ hours of homework, reading and research each week. This is a required course in both the Applied Database Administration and Design (ADAD), and the Applied Network Administration and Design (ANAD) Associate Certificates, plus an elective in the Computer Systems Technology (CST FLEX) Diploma. COMP 3677 is the prerequisite for both of these follow-on courses: COMP 3680 Microsoft SQL Server Administration and COMP 3681 Microsoft Windows Server Administration. Upon completion, successful students will be able to create and manage user accounts, use built-in troubleshooting tools, monitor performance, and implement a security and recovery plan for Microsoft Server.
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in COMP 1002 or 60% in COMP 1630 or 60% in COMP 2629

This hands-on course along with COMP 3677 has replaced COMP 4677. COMP 3680 is the second part of series in Microsoft Server Administration courses. Students who have successfully completed COMP 1630 and already have an understanding data modeling, relational database design and SQL, will focus on designing and administering MS SQL Server databases. This hands-on course is MS SQL Server 2019 specific, so those who have taken MS SQL 2012/2016 may benefit to better plan migration to SQL Server versions and the Microsoft Azure environment. There will be a brief review of COMP 3677, before in-depth exercises and labs that focus on creating, deploying, optimizing and maintaining MS SQL Server databases from an administrator's perspective. COMP 3680 provides a more detailed examination of database architecture, installing and configuring MS SQL Server. There will be in-depth discussions of physical database design and creation, Role Based Access Control (RBAC) plus best practise in maintenance and security for high availability database solutions. Please Note: Attendance, participation in class and the BCIT Learning Hub are required. Students may have an average total time commitment of 12+ total hours each week; 3 hours of synchronous class time and 9+ hours of homework, reading and research each week. COMP 3680 topics include: how to plan and implement Group and local Security Policies; industry standard strategies and planning for server back-ups, troubleshooting, monitoring and managing a server with Microsoft's built-in tools. Server security and recovery plans with compliance strategies for a Microsoft Server will be discussed. COMP 3677 and COMP 3680 are required in the Applied Database Administration and Design (ADAD) Associate Certificate, and electives in the Computer Systems Technology (CST FLEX) Diploma. Those students with a networking background may also want to consider COMP 3681 Microsoft Windows Server Administration. There is also a related course that would benefit server administrators; COMP 3771 –MS PowerShell Scripting. Upon completion, successful students will be able to create and manage MS SQL databases and user accounts, use built-in troubleshooting tools, monitor performance.
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in COMP 1630 and 60% in COMP 3677

​Microsoft PowerShell is a popular task automation and configuration framework. As a scripting language, PowerShell is commonly used for automating the management of Microsoft systems and services. PowerShell includes scripting tools to automate and control systems, programs, and files to improve productivity. COMP 3771 is a hands-on lab course aimed network or database administrators and software developers. PowerShell scripts are used for systems and services administration or database automation, monitoring, and maintenance, and can also automate tasks for testing software programs and rapid application development. Starting with a basic introduction to scripting with the Command Prompt window, the course then focuses on how to use MS PowerShell with Windows. There will be a brief overview of using Azure resources in PowerShell. COMP 3771 is required course in the Applied Database Administration and Design Associate Certificate and an elective in the Applied Network Administration and Design, Associate Certificates, plus the CST FLEX Diploma. ​Successful participants will be able to automate many tasks with Microsoft PowerShell and reduce repetitive tasks by creating scripts and functions that can run interactively or automatically. This course is offered in April (spring/summer) and September (fall) terms.
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in COMP 1002 or 60% in COMP 1630

​Continuing on from COMP 1630 , this course is aimed at students who already understand relational database, data modeling, using spreadsheets and the importance of improving Data Quality (DQ). Topics include the business impact of Data Quality, data profiling techniques, capability, and maturity models. Data Governance, DQ improvement roadmaps and approaches to gaining executive support for DQ improvement are discussed. In class labs, homework assignments and a project focus on how to use Data Quality techniques and tools. COMP 3839 is a required course in the Applied Database Administration and Design (ADAD) Associate Certificate; the Applied Data Analytics Certificate (ADAC) and an elective in the Computer Systems Technology (CST FLEX) Diploma. ​Successful participants learn how to apply a data quality framework to data migration projects and are better prepared to move on to higher-level Database, Business Intelligence and Data Analytics courses.
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in COMP 1630

​​​This hands-on course is aimed at BCIT Computing students who want to develop and implement an IT project plan. Students focus on Project Management best practices and decisions which apply across the IT sector including software development, building web sites and data analytics systems. COMP 1288 begins with a definition of Project Management fundamentals and terminology. Topics include: stakeholders, scope, deliverables, phases, milestones, deadlines, scheduling, estimates and budgets. Labs and exercises are designed to create project plans that identify and manage risk and take into account quality measures. There is a basic introduction to Microsoft Project software. Participants apply strategies to communicate project progress to stakeholders to keep IT projects on time and on budget. COMP 1288 is an elective in several associate certificates, including Applied Computer Information Systems (ACIS) and Agile Development, and is required for the CST FLEX Diploma. Upon successful completion students will have a basic understanding of project management concepts and tools and will be able to conduct a post project evaluation.
Prerequisite(s):

• No prerequisites are required for this course.

​Power BI is a Microsoft collection of tools and an analytics service for data visualization and business intelligence reporting. BCIT Computing offers a series of MS Power Bi courses. COMP 2156 is a hands-on intro course designed for database professionals, data analysts, business analysts and managers. It follows on from COMP 2362 or COMP 2364, it assumes that students have an understanding of statistics for data analysis and advanced functions of MS Excel. Students begin with a brief introduction to the building blocks of Microsoft Power BI and its related services. They are shown how to get a variety of data into the Power BI Desktop from multiple sources. In class labs and exercises focus on how to model, explore, clean and transform simple data for business reports. Topics include: Data Analysis Expressions, DAX, relationships and Data Visualization. Labs and assignments are designed to provide best practices that can be transferred to the workplace. Participants must provide their own current model PC capable of running Windows 10 and MS Excel, with an i5 or higher equivalent processor, 8 GB minimum RAM, and 256 GB minimum storage. High-speed internet access is needed for online sections and for homework. COMP 2156 is an elective in several BCIT Computing credentials including the CST Diploma (FLEX), and a required course in the Applied Data Analytics Certificate (ADAC). By the end of this course successful students will be able use the Power BI unified analytics platform to build and publish high quality dashboards to the web. They will be prepared to move on to the next level COMP 3156 –MS Power BI Optimization and COMP 3157–MS Power BI Advanced Data Visualization.
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in COMP 2362 or 60% in COMP 2364

​Crystal Reports by SAP is a low-code well established reporting solution used to create reports and dashboards from a wide variety of data sources, with minimal coding for Business Intelligence (BI). Students who know how to use a Windows PC and MS Office are introduced to planning and developing business intelligence reports. COMP 2252 participants will create dynamic reports and dashboards. Labs and exercises apply best practices in: report design, how to extract and manipulate data, and display information in custom formats from many sources. COMP 2252 is an elective in Applied Computer Applications (ACA); Applied Computer Information Systems (ACIS); Applied Database Administration and Design (ADAD) Associate Certificates, as well as the Applied Data Analytics Certificate (ADAC) and the Computer Systems Technology (CST FLEX) Diploma. By the end of this course, successful students will be able to use Crystal Reports to display and analyze data visually for BI and to make actionable decisions. ​Please note:​ Fall 2024 is the last term COMP 2252 will be offered.​​
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in COMP 2010 or 60% in COMP 2364

​This hands-on course is designed for database professionals, data analysts, business analysts and managers, who want to analyze and visualize data from a variety of sources. Students begin with a foundation in data visualization techniques and principles. Effective data analysis techniques, and industry standard best practices are discussed. Through hands-on labs, assignments, projects and group work, participants learn how to build insightful and interactive dashboards. Participants learn to present compelling visuals via lab exercises and assignments. Tableau dashboard performance considerations are discussed. Students registered in COMP 2256 will receive a student license for Tableau software for their home machines for the duration of the course and have access to a Tableau subject matter expert with industry experience. This course is an elective in five School of Computing and Academic Studies credential programs; Computer Systems Technology Diploma (CST/PTS), Applied Computer Information Systems (ACIS), Applied Computer Applications (ACA), Applied Database Administration and Design (ADAD) and Technical Writing. COMP 2256 is a requirement for the Applied Data Analytics Certificate (ADAC). A project presentation is required and designed to help the students become better communicators. By the end of this course successful participants will be able to produce highly interactive graphs, reports and dashboards that access and visualize data from a multiple sources. We recommend that students working toward a Computing credential complete COMP 1630 first.
Prerequisite(s):

• COMP 1002

​​Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool that can be used to analyse, communicate and manage information. Those with no prior spreadsheet experience will acquire expert level applied skills in the latest version of MS Excel. This instructor lead, hands-on course focuses on best practices used to create meaningful workbooks and how to master the techniques and time saving shortcuts for the daily use of MS Excel. Students learn to use MS Excel Ribbon interface with contextual tabs, Quick Access Toolbar and how to make use of templates, styles, pivot tables, what if analysis tools and macros via lectures, lab exercises and assignments outside of class. Topics include: creating, editing, formatting and saving a worksheet, sorting, filtering, slicers, applying formulae, functions, importing and exporting data, and consolidating data in multiple worksheets. This course is required in the Applied Data Analytics Certificate (ADAC) and the Applied Computer Applications (ACA) Associate Certificate from BCIT Computing Part-time Studies. By the end of this course, successful participants will be expert end users of MS Excel.
Prerequisite(s):

• COMP 1002

​​Following on from COMP 2156 , and parallel to COMP 3157, this hands-on advanced course was designed for Business Intelligence and Data Analysts. Students who already know how to use Power BI to build and publish reports begin with an in-depth introduction to Star Schema and its relevance to optimal Power BI data modeling. COMP 3156 in-class labs and exercises focus on specific strategies to optimize large complex Power BI data models and how to leverage Power BI Service in the cloud for fast performing reports. Topics include relational data modeling in Power BI, Designing Import, DirectQuery, and Composite Data Models. There is also an in-depth explanation of Power BI Service Performance Monitoring. Tabular Editor and DAX Studio are also discussed. Labs and assignments include managing security permissions, data visibility based on role as and leveraging specialized third-party tools. Tabular Editor and DAX Studio are used to monitor and evaluate data model performance. Participants must provide their own current model PC capable of running Windows 11 and MS Excel, with an i5 or higher equivalent processor, 8 GB minimum RAM, and 256 GB minimum storage. High-speed internet access is needed for online sections and for homework. COMP 3156 is an elective in several BCIT Computing credentials including the CST Diploma (FLEX), and the Applied Data Analytics Certificate (ADAC). By the end of this course, successful students will be able to build advanced, optimized data models and use the Power BI Service cloud environment.​ This course will be offered in the Winter (January) and Spring (April) terms.
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in COMP 2156

​This hands-on course has replaced COMP 4678 as of September 2023 and follows on from COMP 1630 and COMP 2364. Students who already understand relational database design, SQL programming and MS Excel are introduced SQL Server Development. SQL Server Development begins with a brief overview cloud computing using the MS Azure ecosystem and MS SQL Server tools. There also will be a brief review of the relational database modelling, Entity Relationship Design (ERD) and normalization topics from COMP 1630. COMP 3678 topics include SQL server data types, the use of Data Definition Language (DDL), and how to write MS SQL queries using Data Manipulation Language (DML). Labs and exercises show how to use SQL Server tools and techniques to optimize SQL queries Transact-SQL (T-SQL) runtime errors. Students will use T-SQL to develop and manage the data layer for software applications, working with relational and portable data from multiple sources in MS SQL Server. Participants will see the basic differences between on premises Database Management Systems (DBMS) and a cloud Database setup. Tasks to Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) data, MS SQL Server Database operations will also be discussed. ​COMP 3678 is an elective in the Applied Database Administration and Design (ADAD) Associate Certificate, the Applied Data Analytics Certificate (ADAC) and Computer Systems Technology (CST FLEX) Diploma. Successful participants will be able to: manage data from multiple sources, create scripts and database objects using T-SQL. This course will be offered starting April 2024.​
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in COMP 1630 and 60% in COMP 2364 or 60% in COMP 2362

​This hands-on course follows on from COMP 1630 and COMP 2156. Participants must already understand relational database design, data modeling, SQL programming and the basics of MS PowerBI. COMP 3679 begins with an overview of Business Intelligence (BI) tools and MS Azure data analytics concepts. Students are introduced to cloud computing using Microsoft Azure Cloud Services and explore business intelligence platforms. They review best practices to author, deploy and manage reports using Power BI on Azure. ​Labs and exercises show how to use Azure tools to extract the data from its multiple collections of data sources. MS SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) is used to provide additional BI concepts. COMP 3679 topics include BI platforms, the Data Warehouse (DW) Lifecycle and data modelling concepts. Star, Snowflake schemas and using Azure Data on the cloud are discussed. ​There will be a focus on best practices to implement data pipelines and data loading using Azure Data Factory (ADF) and Azure SQL. Various reporting options will be discussed, students will author, deploy and manage significant BI reports. They will extract data from multiple sources, integrated with MS PowerBI. COMP 3679 is an elective in the Applied Database Administration and Design (ADAD) Associate Certificate; the Applied Data Analytics Certificate (ADAC) and the Computer Systems Technology (CST FLEX) Diploma. Upon successful completion, students will be able to use components of the Azure ecosystem to design and optimize Azure data solutions ​for data analysts and developers.
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in COMP 1630 and 60% in COMP 2156

​This hands-on course along with COMP 3677 has replaced COMP 3700. COMP 3681 is the second part of series in Microsoft Windows Server Administration courses. Students who have successfully completed COMP 1002 or COMP 2629 and who already have an understanding data communication concepts and networking terminology, will now explore MS Windows Server Administration. This hand-on course is MS Windows server 2019 specific, so those who have taken prior versions may benefit for better migration planning to newer Windows Server versions and the Microsoft Azure environment. There will be a brief review of COMP 3677, before in-depth exercises and labs that focus on creating, deploying, optimizing and maintaining MS Windows Server from an administrator's perspective. COMP 3681 provides a more detailed examination installing and configuring the MS Windows Server with a focus on Active Directory Domain Services and Azure Active Directory Services. Labs and exercises include how to implement and test Roaming Profiles for clients with Group and local Security Policies. Topics include: Industry standard strategies and planning for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) services, Remote Desktop Services (RDS) and Virtual Private Networks (VPN). Please Note: Attendance, participation in class and the BCIT Learning Hub are required. Students may have an average total time commitment of 12+ total hours each week; 3 hours of synchronous class time and 9+ hours of homework, reading and research each week. COMP 3677 and COMP 3681 are required in the Applied Network Administration and Design (ANAD) Associate Certificate, and electives in the Computer Systems Technology (CST FLEX) Diploma. Students planning to work as Network Administrators would also benefit from COMP 3771 – MS PowerShell Scripting. Upon completion, successful students will be able to install, configure and manage MS Windows Severs, and have experience with the best practices in user account management. They will also be able to use built-in MS Windows Server troubleshooting tools, monitor performance, manage security and establish recovery plans.
Prerequisite(s):

• 60% in COMP 1002 or 60% in COMP 2629 and 60% in COMP 3677