CIN419

System Development
DATA MODELS: [2] Data Modeling and
Analysis

Topic 4

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Learning Outcome
To evaluate data models used in systems analysis and design

Objectives:

◦ Define systems modeling and differentiate between logical and physical system
models.
◦ Define data modeling and explain its benefits
◦ Recognize and understand the basic concepts and constructs of a data model
◦ Read and interpret entity relationship data model
◦ Explain when data models are constructed during a project and where the models are
stored
◦ Discover entities and relationships
◦ Construct entity relationship context diagram

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Data Modeling
Data modeling – a technique for organizing and
documenting a system’s data. Sometimes called database
modeling.

Entity relationship diagram (ERD) – a data model utilizing

several notations to depict data in terms of the entities and
relationships described by that data.

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Entity Relationship Diagram
(ERD)

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Entity

Entity – a class of persons, places, objects,

events, or concepts about which we need
to capture and store data.
◦ Named by a singular noun

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Entity
 Persons: agency, contractor, customer,
department, division, employee,
instructor, student, supplier.
 Places: sales region, building, room,
branch office, campus.
 Objects: book, machine, part, product, raw material,
software license, software package, tool, vehicle model,
vehicle.
 Events: application, award, cancellation, class, flight,
invoice, order, registration, renewal, requisition, reservation,
sale, trip.
 Concepts: account, block of time, bond, course, fund,
qualification, stock.

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 Entity:
Entity instance – a single occurrence of an entity.

entity
Student ID Last Name First Name
2144 Arnold Betty
3122 Taylor John
3843 Simmons Lisa

instances 9844 Macy Bill

2837 Leath Heather
2293 Wrench Tim

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Attributes
Attribute – a descriptive property or
characteristic of an entity. Synonyms include
element, property, and field.
◦ Just as a physical student can have attributes,
such as hair color, height, etc., data entity has
data attributes

Compound attribute – an attribute that

consists of other attributes. Synonyms in
different data modeling languages are
numerous: concatenated attribute, composite
attribute, and data structure.
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 Data Type
Data type – a property of an attribute that identifies what type of data can be stored
in that attribute.

Representative Logical Data Types for Attributes

Data Type Logical Business Meaning
NUMBER Any number, real or integer.
TEXT A string of characters, inclusive of numbers. When numbers are included in a
TEXT attribute, it means that we do not expect to perform arithmetic or
comparisons with those numbers.
MEMO Same as TEXT but of an indeterminate size. Some business systems require the
ability to attach potentially lengthy notes to a give database record.

DATE Any date in any format.

TIME Any time in any format.
YES/NO An attribute that can assume only one of these two values.
VALUE SET A finite set of values. In most cases, a coding scheme would be established (e.g.,
FR=Freshman, SO=Sophomore, JR=Junior, SR=Senior).

IMAGE Any picture or image.

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Domains
A property of an attribute that defines what values an attribute can
legitimately take on.

Representative Logical Domains for Logical Data Types

Data Type Domain Examples
NUMBER For integers, specify the range. {10-99}
For real numbers, specify the range and precision. {1.000-799.999}
TEXT Maximum size of attribute. Actual values usually infinite; Text(30)
however, users may specify certain narrative restrictions.
DATE Variation on the MMDDYYYY format. MMDDYYYY
MMYYYY
TIME For AM/PM times: HHMMT HHMMT
For military (24-hour times): HHMM HHMM
YES/NO {YES, NO} {YES, NO} {ON, OFF}
VALUE SET {value#1, value#2,…value#n} {M=Male
{table of codes and meanings} F=Female}

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 Default Value
Default value – the value that will be recorded if a value is not specified by the
user.
Permissible Default Values for Attributes
Default Value Interpretation Examples
A legal value from the For an instance of the attribute, if the user does not specify a 0
domain value, then use this value. 1.00
NONE or NULL For an instance of the attribute, if the user does not specify a NONE
value, then leave it blank. NULL
Required or NOT For an instance of the attribute, require that the user enter a legal REQUIRED
NULL value from the domain. (This is used when no value in the domain NOT NULL
is common enough to be a default but some value must be
entered.)

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Identification

Key – an attribute, or a group of attributes,

that assumes a unique value for each entity
instance. It is sometimes called an identifier.
◦ Concatenated key - group of attributes that
uniquely identifies an instance. Synonyms:
composite key, compound key.
◦ Candidate key – one of a number of keys that
may serve as the primary key. Synonym:
candidate identifier.
◦ Primary key – a candidate key used to
uniquely identify a single entity instance.
◦ Alternate key – a candidate key not selected
to become the primary key. Synonym:
secondary key.

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Subsetting Criteria

Subsetting criteria – an attribute(s)

whose finite values divide all entity
instances into useful subsets.
Sometimes called an inversion entry.

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 Relationships
Relationship – a natural business association that exists
between one or more entities.
The relationship may represent an event that links the
entities or merely a logical affinity that exists between the
entities.

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 Cardinality
Cardinality – the minimum and maximum number of
occurrences of one entity that may be related to a
single occurrence of the other entity.
Because all relationships are bidirectional, cardinality must be
defined in both directions for every relationship.

bidirectional

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Cardinality Notations

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Degree

Degree – the number of entities that participate in the

relationship.

 A relationship between two entities is called a binary

relationship.
 A relationship between three entities is called a 3-ary or
ternary relationship.
 A relationship between different instances of the same
entity is called a recursive relationship.

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Degree

Relationships may
exist between more
than two entities and
are called N-ary
relationships.
The example ERD
depicts a ternary
relationship.

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Degree

Associative entity
An entity that inherits its
primary key from more than
one other entity (called
parents).

Each part of that

concatenated key points to Associative
one and only one instance of Entity
each of the connecting
entities.

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Recursive Relationship

Recursive relationship - a relationship that exists between

instances of the same entity

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Foreign Keys
Foreign key – a primary key of an entity that is used in another
entity to identify instances of a relationship.

◦ A foreign key is a primary key of one entity that is

contributed to (duplicated in) another entity to identify
instances of a relationship.
◦ A foreign key always matches the primary key in the another
entity
◦ A foreign key may or may not be unique (generally not)
◦ The entity with the foreign key is called the child.
◦ The entity with the matching primary key is called the
parent.
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Parent and Child Entities

Parent entity - a data entity that contributes one or more

attributes to another entity, called the child. In a one-to-many
relationship the parent is the entity on the "one" side.

Child entity - a data entity that derives one or more attributes

from another entity, called the parent. In a one-to-many
relationship the child is the entity on the "many" side.

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 Foreign Keys
Primary Key
Student ID Last Name First Name Dorm
2144 Arnold Betty Smith
3122 Taylor John Jones
3843 Simmons Lisa Smith
9844 Macy Bill
2837 Leath Heather Smith
2293 Wrench Tim Jones
Primary Key
Foreign Key
Duplicated from
Dorm Residence Director primary key of
Smith Andrea Fernandez Dorm entity
Jones Daniel Abidjan (not unique in
Student entity)
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 Non-identifying Relationships
Nonidentifying relationship – relationship where each participating entity
has its own independent primary key
◦ Primary key attributes are not shared.
◦ The entities are called strong entities

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 Identifying Relationships
Identifying relationship – relationship in which the parent
entity’ key is also part of the primary key of the child entity.
◦ The child entity is called a weak entity.

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CASE Tool Notations

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Nonspecific Relationships

Nonspecific relationship – relationship where many

instances of an entity are associated with many instances
of another entity. Also called many-to-many relationship.
Nonspecific relationships must
be resolved, generally by introducing an associative entity.

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Nonspecific Relationships

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Resolving Nonspecific Relationships

The verb or verb phrase of a many-

to-many relationship sometimes
suggests other entities.

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Resolving Nonspecific Relationships (continued)

Many-to-many
relationships can
be resolved with
an associative
entity.

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Resolving Nonspecific Relationships (continued)

Many-to-Many Relationship

While the above relationship is a many-to-many, the many on

the BANK ACCOUNT side is a known maximum of "2." This
suggests that the relationship may actually represent multiple
relationships... In this case two separate relationships.

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 Generalization
Generalization – a concept wherein the attributes that are
common to several types of an entity are grouped into their
own entity.

Supertype – an entity whose instances store attributes that

are common to one or more entity subtypes.

Subtype – an entity whose instances may inherit common

attributes from its entity supertype
And then add other attributes unique to the subtype.

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Generalization Hierarchy

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Process of Logical Data
Modeling
Strategic Data Modeling
◦ Many organizations select IS development projects based on strategic
plans.
◦ Includes vision and architecture for information systems
◦ Identifies and prioritizes develop projects
◦ Includes enterprise data model as starting point for projects

Data Modeling during Systems Analysis

◦ Data model for a single information system is called an application
data model.

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Logical Model Development
Stages
1. Context Data model
◦ Includes only entities and relationships
◦ To establish project scope
2. Key-based data model
◦ Eliminate nonspecific relationships
◦ Add associative entities
◦ Include primary and alternate keys
◦ Precise cardinalities
3. Fully attributed data model
◦ All remaining attributes
◦ Subsetting criteria
4. Normalized data model

Metadata - data about data.

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 JRP and Interview Questions for Data Modeling
Purpose Candidate Questions
(see textbook for a more complete list)
Discover system entities What are the subjects of the business?
Discover entity keys What unique characteristic (or characteristics) distinguishes
an instance of each subject from other instances of the same
subject?
Discover entity subsetting criteria Are there any characteristics of a subject that divide all
instances of the subject into useful subsets?
Discover attributes and domains What characteristics describe each subject?
Discover security and control needs Are there any restrictions on who can see or use the data?
Discover data timing needs How often does the data change?
Discover generalization hierarchies Are all instances of each subject the same?
Discover relationships? What events occur that imply associations between
subjects?
Discover cardinalities Is each business activity or event handled the same way, or
are there special circumstances?

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Automated Tools for Data
Modeling

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Entity Discovery

In interviews or JRP sessions, pay attention to key

words (i.e. "we need to keep track of ...").
In interviews or JRP sessions, ask users to identify
things about which they would like to capture, store,
and produce information.
Study existing forms, files, and reports.
Scan use case narratives for nouns.
Some CASE tools can reverse engineer existing files
and databases.

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The Context Data Model

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The Key-based Data Model

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The Key-based Data Model
with Generalization

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The Fully-Attributed Data Model

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What is a Good Data Model?
A good data model is simple.
◦ Data attributes that describe any given entity should describe
only that entity.
◦ Each attribute of an entity instance can have only one value.

A good data model is essentially non redundant.

◦ Each data attribute, other than foreign keys, describes at most
one entity.
◦ Look for the same attribute recorded more than once under
different names.

A good data model should be flexible and adaptable to

future needs.

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Data Analysis & Normalization

Data analysis – a technique used to improve a data model for

implementation as a database.
Goal is a simple, non redundant, flexible, and adaptable
database.

Normalization – a data analysis technique that organizes data

into groups to form non redundant, stable, flexible, and
adaptive entities.

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Normalization: 1NF, 2NF,
3NF

First normal form (1NF) – entity whose attributes have no more than one value for
a single instance of that entity
◦ Any attributes that can have multiple values actually describe a separate entity,
possibly an entity and relationship.
Second normal form (2NF) – entity whose nonprimary-key attributes are dependent
on the full primary key.
◦ Any nonkey attributes dependent on only part of the primary key should be
moved to entity where that partial key is the full key. May require creating a new
entity and relationship on the model.
Third normal form (3NF) – entity whose nonprimary-key attributes are not
dependent on any other non-primary key attributes.
◦ Any nonkey attributes that are dependent on other nonkey attributes must be
moved or deleted. Again, new entities and relationships may have to be added to
the data model.

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First Normal Form Example 1

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First Normal Form Example 2

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Second Normal Form Example 1

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Second Normal Form Example 2

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 Third Normal Form Example 1

Derived attribute – an attribute whose value can be calculated from

other attributes or derived from the values of other attributes.

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Third Normal Form Example 2

Transitive dependency –
when the value of a nonkey
attribute is dependent on the
value of another nonkey
attribute other than by
derivation.

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SoundStage 3NF Data Model

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Data-to-Location-CRUD
Matrix

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 …
To be continued

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