Database design

Database design is the process of producing a detailed data model of a database. This logical data model contains all the needed logical and physical design choices and physical storage parameters needed to generate a design in a Data Definition Language, which can then be used to create a database. A fully attributed data model contains detailed attributes for each entity.

The term database design can be used to describe many different parts of the design of an overall database system. Principally, and most correctly, it can be thought of as the logical design of the base data structures used to store the data. In the relational model these are the tables and views. In an object database the entities and relationships map directly to object classes and named relationships. However, the term database design could also be used to apply to the overall process of designing, not just the base data structures, but also the forms and queries used as part of the overall database application within the database management system (DBMS).^[1]

The process of doing database design generally consists of a number of steps which will be carried out by the database designer. Usually, the designer must:

• Determine the relationships between the different data elements.
• Superimpose a logical structure upon the data on the basis of these relationships.^[2]

ER Diagram (Entity-relationship model)

A sample Entity-relationship diagram

Database designs also include ER(Entity-relationship model) diagrams. An ER diagram is a diagram that helps to design databases in an efficient way.

Attributes in ER diagrams are usually modeled as an oval with the name of the attribute, linked to the entity or relationship that contains the attribute.

Within the relational model the final step can generally be broken down into two further steps, that of determining the grouping of information within the system, generally determining what are the basic objects about which information is being stored, and then determining the relationships between these groups of information, or objects. This step is not necessary with an Object database.^[3] Bold text

The Design Process

The design process consists of the following steps^[4]:

1. Determine the purpose of your database - This helps prepare you for the remaining steps.
2. Find and organize the information required - Gather all of the types of information you might want to record in the database, such as product name and order number.
3. Divide the information into tables - Divide your information items into major entities or subjects, such as Products or Orders. Each subject then becomes a table.
4. Turn information items into columns - Decide what information you want to store in each table. Each item becomes a field, and is displayed as a column in the table. For example, an Employees table might include fields such as Last Name and Hire Date.
5. Specify primary keys - Choose each table’s primary key. The primary key is a column that is used to uniquely identify each row. An example might be Product ID or Order ID.
6. Set up the table relationships - Look at each table and decide how the data in one table is related to the data in other tables. Add fields to tables or create new tables to clarify the relationships, as necessary.
7. Refine your design - Analyze your design for errors. Create the tables and add a few records of sample data. See if you can get the results you want from your tables. Make adjustments to the design, as needed.
8. Apply the normalization rules - Apply the data normalization rules to see if your tables are structured correctly. Make adjustments to the tables

Determining data to be stored

In a majority of cases, a person who is doing the design of a database is a person with expertise in the area of database design, rather than expertise in the domain from which the data to be stored is drawn e.g. financial information, biological information etc. Therefore the data to be stored in the database must be determined in cooperation with a person who does have expertise in that domain, and who is aware of what data must be stored within the system.

This process is one which is generally considered part of requirements analysis, and requires skill on the part of the database designer to elicit the needed information from those with the domain knowledge. This is because those with the necessary domain knowledge frequently cannot express clearly what their system requirements for the database are as they are unaccustomed to thinking in terms of the discrete data elements which must be stored. Data to be stored can be determined by Requirement Specification.^[5]

Normalization

Main article: Database normalization

In the field of relational database design, normalization is a systematic way of ensuring that a database structure is suitable for general-purpose querying and free of certain undesirable characteristics—insertion, update, and deletion anomalies—that could lead to a loss of data integrity.

A standard piece of database design guidance is that the designer should create a fully normalized design; selective denormalization can subsequently be performed, but only for performance reasons. However, some modeling disciplines, such as the dimensional modeling approach to data warehouse design, explicitly recommend non-normalized designs, i.e. designs that in large part do not adhere to 3NF. Normalization consists of normal forms that are 1NF,2NF,3NF,BOYCE-CODD NF (3.5NF),4NF and 5NF

Types of Database design

Conceptual schema

Main article: Conceptual schema

Once a database designer is aware of the data which is to be stored within the database, they must then determine where dependancy is within the data. Sometimes when data is changed you can be changing other data that is not visible. For example, in a list of names and addresses, assuming a situation where multiple people can have the same address, but one person cannot have more than one address, the name is dependent upon the address, because if the address is different, then the associated name is different too. However, the other way around is different. One attribute can change and not another.

(NOTE: A common misconception is that the relational model is so called because of the stating of relationships between data elements therein. This is not true. The relational model is so named because it is based upon the mathematical structures known as relations.)

Logically structuring data

Once the relationships and dependencies amongst the various pieces of information have been determined, it is possible to arrange the data into a logical structure which can then be mapped into the storage objects supported by the database management system. In the case of relational databases the storage objects are tables which store data in rows and columns.

Each table may represent an implementation of either a logical object or a relationship joining one or more instances of one or more logical objects. Relationships between tables may then be stored as links connecting child tables with parents. Since complex logical relationships are themselves tables they will probably have links to more than one parent.

In an Object database the storage objects correspond directly to the objects used by the Object-oriented programming language used to write the applications that will manage and access the data. The relationships may be defined as attributes of the object classes involved or as methods that operate on the object classes.

Physical database design

The physical design of the database specifies the physical configuration of the database on the storage media. This includes detailed specification of data elements, data types, indexing options and other parameters residing in the DBMS data dictionary. It is the detailed design of a system that includes modules & the database's hardware & software specifications of the system.

See also

• Database normalization
• Relational database
• Relational model
• POOD (Principle of Orthogonal Design)
• POFN (Principle of Full Normalization)
• The Third Manifesto
• Concept mapping
• Data modeling
• Entity-relationship model
• Object-relationship modelling
• Object role modeling
• Knowledge representation
• Logical data model
• Mindmap
• Physical data model
• Semantic Web
• Three schema approach

References

1. ^ Gehani, N. (2006). The Database Book: Principles and practice using MySQL. 1st ed., Summit, NJ.: Silicon Press
2. ^ Teorey, T.J., Lightstone, S.S., et al., (2009). Database Design: Know it all.1st ed. Burlington, MA.: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers
3. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Teorey.2C_T.J._2009_-_Prosenjit_Mitra; see Help:Cite errors/Cite error references no text
4. ^ Database design basics. (n.d.). Database design basics. Retrieved May 1, 2010, from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access/HA012242471033.aspx
5. ^ Teorey, T.; Lightstone, S. and Nadeau, T.(2005) Database Modeling & Design: Logical Design, 4th edition, Morgan Kaufmann Press. ISBN 0-12-685352-5

Further reading

• S. Lightstone, T. Teorey, T. Nadeau, “Physical Database Design: the database professional's guide to exploiting indexes, views, storage, and more”, Morgan Kaufmann Press, 2007. ISBN 0-12369389-6

External links

• [1]
• [2]
• Database Normalization Basics by Mike Chapple (About.com)
• Database Normalization Intro, Part 2
• An Introduction to Database Normalization by Mike Hillyer.
• Normalization by ITS, University of Texas.
• Efficient Database Design
• Data Modelers Community

• Database design at the Open Directory Project