Databases

Topic 9:
Database Design

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Scope and Coverage

This topic will cover:
Understanding requirements
Moving from entities to tables
Documenting attributes with a data dictionary
The use of Case tools

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Learning Outcomes
By the end of this topic, students will be able to:
Understand the process of requirements gathering
Design a set of database tables from an entity
model
Document the tables, columns and domains in a
database using a data dictionary
Understand the use of Case tools

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Systems Analysis
The art of understanding and documenting the
requirements of a given set of users within the
context of an organisation.

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Systems Development
The development of the whole system from
beginning to end. This might include a database,
applications, a network etc.

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Approaches
Traditional systems development lifecycle (SDLC)
or waterfall approach

Iterative approaches

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The Waterfall Lifecycle

Strategy and
Planning

Feasibility Study

Systems Analysis

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Generic Systems Development

Lifecycle - 1
1. Strategy and planning
2. Feasibility study
3. Systems analysis (or analysis)
4. Design
5. Implementation
6. Maintenance

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Generic Systems Development

Lifecycle - 2
1. Strategy and planning
2. Feasibility Study
3. Systems Analysis (or Analysis)
4. Design
5. Implementation
6. Maitenance

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Problems with Waterfall Approach

Users have not communicated requirements
properly

Users have not understood their own needs

Analyst misunderstood

Omission

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Iteration
Evaluation

Design and Analysis

Prototyping

Design and
Analysis Prototyping

Evaluation

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Prototypes and Prototyping

Prototype a first or original example of
something from which others have or will be
developed
Prototyping the process whereby a model is
built of part of the envisaged system and user
feedback on it is gathered. Part of the requirements
gathering process
Note: a prototype is a thing. Prototyping is
something we do.

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Database Design - 1
Anal
yst P
rogra
mm er

naly st
Sys tems A Database Developer

Good communications skills reading,

writing, listening. Interview skill.
Knowledge of techniques to document
requirements etc. etc. etc.

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Database Design - 2
Moving from a set of requirements

To implementing these with Database Technology

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Phases of Database Design

Conceptual design

Logical design

Physical design

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Conceptual Database Design

Investigation of data needed to support system
Does not take account of physical implementation
or data model

In what format
is the data?
What data is held? How is this
the data
used?

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Logical Design
Data is investigated and design is undertaken
without regard to the DBMS product that will be
used, but that data model (usually the relational
model) is known.

Normalisation Entity relationship

diagram

Design transactions

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Physical Design
From entities to tables
Designing the base relations

Indexing Denormalisation

Query tuning
View creation

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Where We Are Now

Logical design

Physical design

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Entities to Tables -1
Most entities will have a one-to-one mapping of
entity to table.

Student Students

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Entities to Tables - 2
Decompose any many-to-many relationships
A doctor has appointments
Doctor Patient with many patients. A patient
can have many
appointments.

Doctor Appointment Patient

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Entities to Tables - 3
Some domains will become separate tables

If a type attributes has many values and these are dynamic, then a look-up table to support the domain should be
added.
Product_Type, Student_Type

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Data Dictionary
Domains
Domain StudentType varchar, length 30, must be Overseas,Home
Domain City varchar length 30
Base Relations
Students(StudentID Number NOT NULL,
Address_line1 Varchar (30) NOT NULL
Address_line2 Varchar (30) NOT NULL
City City
StudentType StudentType NOT NULL DEFAULT Home
PRIMARY KEY (StudentID)
FOREIGN KEY (City) REFERENCES City (City_name));

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Case Tools
Computer Aided Software Engineering

Design tools
Documentation tools
Code generators

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Learning Outcomes Have We

Met Them?
By the end of this topic, students will be able to:
Understand the process of requirements gathering
Design a set of database tables from an entity
model
Document the tables, columns and domains in a
database using a data dictionary
Understand the use of Case tools

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References
Connolly, T. & Begg, C. (2004). Database Systems:
A Practical Approach to Design, Implementation,
and Management, 4th Edition. Addison Wesley.
Chapters 15, 16 & 17.

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Topic 9 Database Design

Any Questions?

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