Chapter 9

DATABASE PLANNING, DESIGN,

AND ADMINISTRATION TRANSPARENCIES

MTI – Faculty of Computer Science – UI, 2005

 Chapter 9 - Objectives
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 Main components of an information system.

 Main stages of database system development

lifecycle.

 Main phases of database design: conceptual,

logical, and physical design.

 Benefits of CASE tools.

 How to evaluate and select a DBMS.

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 Information System
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Resources that enable collection, management,

control, and dissemination of information throughout
an organization.

Database is fundamental component of IS, and its

development/usage should be viewed from perspective
of the wider requirements of the organization.

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 Database System Development Lifecycle
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 Database planning  Application design

 Prototyping (optional)
 System definition
 Implementation
 Requirements collection
 Data conversion and
and analysis loading
 Database design  Testing

 DBMS selection (optional)  Operational

maintenance
Stages of the Database System
Development Lifecycle
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 Database Planning
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Management activities that allow stages

of database system development lifecycle
to be realized as efficiently and
effectively as possible.

Must be integrated with overall IS strategy of the

organization.

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 Database Planning
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Database planning should also include

development of standards that govern:
 how data will be collected,

 how the format should be specified,

 what necessary documentation will be needed,

 how design and implementation should proceed.

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 System Definition
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Describes scope and boundaries of database

system and the major user views.

User view defines what is required of a database

system from perspective of:
 a particular job role (such as Manager or Supervisor) or
 enterprise application area (such as marketing, personnel,
or stock control).

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 System Definition
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Database application may have one or more user

views.

Identifying user views helps ensure that no major

users of the database are forgotten when developing
requirements for new system.

User views also help in development of complex

database system allowing requirements to be broken
down into manageable pieces.

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Representation of a Database System with Multiple
User Views
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Requirements Collection and Analysis
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Process of collecting and analyzing

information about the part of
organization to be supported by the
database system, and using this
information to identify users’
requirements of new system.

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Requirements Collection and Analysis
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Information is gathered for each major user view

including:
 a description of data used or generated;
 details of how data is to be used/generated;
 any additional requirements for new database system.

Information is analyzed to identify requirements to

be included in new database system. Described in the
requirements specification.

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Requirements Collection and Analysis
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Another important activity is deciding how to

manage the requirements for a database system
with multiple user views.
Three main approaches:
 centralized approach;
 view integration approach;
 combination of both approaches.

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Requirements Collection and Analysis
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Centralized approach
 Requirements for each user view are merged into a single
set of requirements.
 A data model is created representing all user views during
the database design stage.

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Centralized Approach to Managing Multiple
User Views
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Requirements Collection and Analysis
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View integration approach

 Requirements for each user view remain as separate lists.
 Data models representing each user view are created and
then merged later during the database design stage.

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Requirements Collection and Analysis
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Data model representing single user view (or a

subset of all user views) is called a local data model.
Each model includes diagrams and documentation
describing requirements for one or more but not
all user views of database.
Local data models are then merged at a later stage
during database design to produce a global data
model, which represents all user views for the
database.

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View Integration Approach to Managing Multiple User
Views
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1995, 2005
 Database Design
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Process of creating a design for a

database that will support the
enterprise’s mission statement and
mission objectives for the required
database system.
Main purposes of data modeling include:
 to assist in understanding the meaning (semantics) of the
data;
 to facilitate communication about the information
requirements.

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 Database Design
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Building data model requires answering

questions about entities, relationships, and
attributes.
A data model ensures we understand:
- each user’s perspective of the data;
- nature of the data itself, independent of its physical
representations;
- use of data across user views.

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Criteria to Produce an Optimal Data Model
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 Database Design
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Three phases of database design:

 Conceptual database design

 Logical database design
 Physical database design.

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 Conceptual Database Design
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Process of constructing a model of the

data used in an enterprise, independent
of all physical considerations.

Data model is built using the information

in users’ requirements specification.

Conceptual data model is source of

information for logical design phase.

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 Logical Database Design
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Process of constructing a model of the

data used in an enterprise based on a
specific data model (e.g. relational), but
independent of a particular DBMS and
other physical considerations.

Conceptual data model is refined and

mapped on to a logical data model.

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 Physical Database Design
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Process of producing a description of the

database implementation on secondary
storage.

Describes base relations, file organizations,

and indexes used to achieve efficient access
to data. Also describes any associated
integrity constraints and secuirty measures.

Tailored to a specific DBMS system.

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Three-Level ANSI-SPARC Architecture and
Phases of Database Design
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 DBMS Selection
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Selection of an appropriate DBMS to support the

database system.
Undertaken at any time prior to logical design
provided sufficient information is available
regarding system requirements.
Main steps to selecting a DBMS:
 define Terms of Reference of study;
 shortlist two or three products;
 evaluate products;
 recommend selection and produce report.

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DBMS Evaluation Features
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DBMS Evaluation Features
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 Application Design
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Design of user interface and application

programs that use and process the
database.

Database design and application design

are parallel activities.

Includes two important activities:

 transaction design;

 user interface design.

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 Application Design - Transactions
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An action, or series of actions, carried

out by a single user or application
program, which accesses or changes
content of the database.

Should define and document the high-

level characteristics of the transactions
required.

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 Application Design - Transactions
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Important characteristics of
transactions:
 data to be used by the transaction;
 functional characteristics of the transaction;
 output of the transaction;
 importance to the users;
 expected rate of usage.

Three main types of transactions:

retrieval, update, and mixed.

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 Prototyping
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Building working model of a database

system.

Purpose
 to identify features of a system that work well, or are
inadequate;
 to suggest improvements or even new features;
 to clarify the users’ requirements;
 to evaluate feasibility of a particular system design.

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 Implementation
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Physical realization of the database and

application designs.
 Use DDL to create database schemas and empty
database files.
 Use DDL to create any specified user views.
 Use 3GL or 4GL to create the application programs.
This will include the database transactions
implemented using the DML, possibly embedded in a
host programming language.

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 Data Conversion and Loading
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Transferring any existing data into new

database and converting any existing
applications to run on new database.
Only required when new database system is
replacing an old system.
 DBMS normally has utility that loads existing files
into new database.
May be possible to convert and use
application programs from old system for use
by new system.

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 Testing
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Process of running the database system with

intent of finding errors.
Use carefully planned test strategies and
realistic data.
Testing cannot show absence of faults; it can
show only that software faults are present.
Demonstrates that database and application
programs appear to be working according to
requirements.

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 Testing
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Should also test usability of system.

Evaluation conducted against a usability
specification.
Examples of criteria include:
 Learnability;
 Performance;
 Robustness;
 Recoverability;
 Adaptability.

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 Operational Maintenance
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Process of monitoring and maintaining

database system following installation.
Monitoring performance of system.
 if performance falls, may require tuning or
reorganization of the database.
Maintaining and upgrading database
application (when required).
Incorporating new requirements into
database application.

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 CASE Tools
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Support provided by CASE tools include:

- data dictionary to store information about database
system’s data;
- design tools to support data analysis;
- tools to permit development of corporate data model, and
conceptual and logical data models;
- tools to enable prototyping of applications.

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CASE Tools and Database System
Development Lifecycle
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