Part 3 Database Analysis and Design Techniques
Part 3 of the book discusses the main techniques for database analysis and design and how
they can be applied in a practical way.
Chapter 9 presents an overview of the main stages of the database application lifecycle.
In particular, it emphasizes the importance of database design and shows how the process
can be decomposed into three phases: conceptual, logical, and physical database design. It
also describes how the design of the application (the functional approach) affects database
design (the data approach). A crucial stage in the database application lifecycle is the
selection of an appropriate DBMS. This chapter discusses the process of DBMS selection
and provides some guidelines and recommendations. The chapter concludes with a discussion
of the importance of data administration and database administration.
Chapter 10 discusses when a database developer might use fact-finding techniques
and what types of facts should be captured. The chapter describes the most commonly
used fact-finding techniques and identifies the advantages and disadvantages of each. The
chapter also demonstrates how some of these techniques may be used during the earlier
stages of the database application lifecycle using the DreamHome case study.
Chapters 11 and 12 cover the concepts of the Entity–Relationship (ER) model and the
Enhanced Entity–Relationship (EER) model, which allows more advanced data modeling
using subclasses and superclasses and categorization. The EER model is a popular high-level
conceptual data model and is a fundamental technique of the database design methodology
presented herein. The reader is also introduced to UML to represent ER diagrams.
Chapters 13 and 14 examine the concepts behind normalization, which is another important
technique used in the logical database design methodology. Using a series of worked
examples drawn from the integrated case study, they demonstrate how to transition a
design from one normal form to another and show the advantages of having a logical
database design that conforms to particular normal forms up to, and including, fifth normal
form.
Part 3 of the book discusses the main techniques for database analysis and design and how
they can be applied in a practical way.
Chapter 9 presents an overview of the main stages of the database application lifecycle.
In particular, it emphasizes the importance of database design and shows how the process
can be decomposed into three phases: conceptual, logical, and physical database design. It
also describes how the design of the application (the functional approach) affects database
design (the data approach). A crucial stage in the database application lifecycle is the
selection of an appropriate DBMS. This chapter discusses the process of DBMS selection
and provides some guidelines and recommendations. The chapter concludes with a discussion
of the importance of data administration and database administration.
Chapter 10 discusses when a database developer might use fact-finding techniques
and what types of facts should be captured. The chapter describes the most commonly
used fact-finding techniques and identifies the advantages and disadvantages of each. The
chapter also demonstrates how some of these techniques may be used during the earlier
stages of the database application lifecycle using the DreamHome case study.
Chapters 11 and 12 cover the concepts of the Entity–Relationship (ER) model and the
Enhanced Entity–Relationship (EER) model, which allows more advanced data modeling
using subclasses and superclasses and categorization. The EER model is a popular high-level
conceptual data model and is a fundamental technique of the database design methodology
presented herein. The reader is also introduced to UML to represent ER diagrams.
Chapters 13 and 14 examine the concepts behind normalization, which is another important
technique used in the logical database design methodology. Using a series of worked
examples drawn from the integrated case study, they demonstrate how to transition a
design from one normal form to another and show the advantages of having a logical
database design that conforms to particular normal forms up to, and including, fifth normal
form.
No comments: