Data Models and Architecture
Data Models and Architecture
Objectives
Understanding the modern database architectures
Learning some of the terminologies and basic concepts
Learning about data models
Defining the concepts of schemes and instances
Learning about three-scheme DBMS architecture
Learning about the typical languages that are provided by a DBMS
Describing the database system software environment
Learning about classification of the types of DBMS packages
It is also common to include concepts in the data model to specify the dynamic
aspect or behavior of a database application.
Generic operations such as insert, delete, modify, or retrieve any kind of object
are often included in the basic data model operations.
Categories of Data Models
They include relational data model as well as the network and hierarchical
models.
The object data model is considered as a high-level data model and is closer to
the conceptual data model. .
The physical data model describes how the data is stored in the computer by
representing information such as; record formats, record orderings, and access
paths.
Schemas, Instances, and Database State
In any data model, we have to distinguish between the description and the
database itself.
Let’s see if we can explain the differences. Initially we do not have a database.
Once we define a new database, we specify its database schema only to the
DBMS. Now we have a database but no data, the database at its empty state.
Then, we start inserting data and will populate or load the database. By
inserting or deleting data from a database, we will take the database to a new
state. The database at any moment in time is in its current state. When we
insert data, the DBMS will ensure that the database is in a valid state.
The internal level has an internal schema, which describes the physical storage
structure of the database.
The internal schema uses a physical data model and describes the complete
details of data storage and access paths for the database.
The conceptual level
The conceptual level has a conceptual schema, which describes the structure of
the whole database for a community of users.
It concentrates on describing:
entities,
data types,
relationships,
user operations, and
constraints.
Each external schema describes a part of the database that a particular user group
is interested in and hides the rest of the database from that user group.
The three schema are only descriptions of data. The only data that actually
exists is at the physical level.
The mapping between the two levels is changed to reflect the changes.
A DBMS must provide appropriate languages and interfaces for each category
of users.
DBMS Languages
Let’s review, So far:
the design of the database is completed.
Now, the conceptual and internal schema of the database and the required
mapping between the two must be completed.
The DBMS has a DDL compiler whose function is to process DDL statements in
order to identify descriptions of the schema constructs and to store the schema
description in the DBMS catalog.
DBMS Languages – cont.
To specify the internal schema, the storage definition language (SDL) is used..
In this case the mapping can be defined in either one of the two languages.
But wait, for a true three-schema architecture, we need a third language. That
language will be used to specify user views and their mapping to the conceptual
schema. That language is called the view definition language (VDL).
In most DBMSs, the DDL is used to define both conceptual and external schemas.
SQL no longer includes SDL to include conceptual and external levels only.
There are two main types of DML: high-level (nonprocedural DML) or low-
level (procedural DML).
DBMS Languages – cont.
Most DBMSs have database utilities that help the DBA in managing the
database system.
There are other tools often available to database designers, users, and
DBAs.
The relational DBMSs are evolving continuously. This has led to a new
class of DBMSs that are called object-relational DBMSs.