This book introduces the fundamental concepts necessary for designing, using, and implementing database systems and database applications. Our presentation stresses the funda- mentals of database modeling and design, the languages and models provided by the database management systems, and database system implementation techniques. The book is meant to be used as a textbook for a one- or two-semester course in database systems at the junior, senior, or graduate level, and as a reference book. Our goal is to provide an in-depth and up-to-date presentation of the most important aspects of database systems and applications, and related technologies. We assume that readers are familiar with elementary programming and data-structuring con- cepts and that they have had some exposure to the basics of computer organization