Database Design Methodology
Information System Life Cycle
• Database system is typically part of the information system
• Phases of the information system life cycle
– Feasibility analysis
– Requirements collection and analysis
– Design
– Implementation
– Validation and acceptance testing
– Deployment, operation, and maintenace
Database System Life Cycle
• System definition
– Defining scope of database system, its users and applications
• Database Design
– Logical and physical design of the database system on the chosen DBMS
• Database implementation
– Specifying conceptual, external and internal database definitions
– Creating empty database files
– Implementing software applications
• Loading or data conversion
– Populating the database
• Application conversion
– Converting applications to the new system
• Testing and validation
• Operation
– Running the new system
• Monitoring and maintenance
– System maintenance
– Performance monitoring
1
Database Design Process
• Problem
– Design the logical and physical structure of one or more databases to accommodate the infor-
mation needs of the users in an organization for a defined set of applications.
• Goals
– Satisfy the content requirements
– Provide easy structuring of information
– Support processing requirements and performance objectives
Phases of Database Design and Implementation Process
• Requirements Collections and Analysis
• Conceptual Database Design
• Choice of a DBMS
• Data Model Mapping (Logical Database Design)
• Physical Database Design
• Database System Implementation and Tuning
Phases of Database Design and Implementation Process
2
Requirements Collections and Analysis
• Identifying Users
• Interacting with users to gather requirements
• Time consuming BUT very important
– Very expensive to fix requirements error
Conceptual Database Design
• Produce a conceptual schema for the database that is independent of a specific DBMS
• Involves two parallel activities
– Conceptual Schema Design
– Transaction and Application Design
Choice of DBMS
Many factors to consider
• Technical Factors
– Type of DBMS: Relational, object-relational, object etc.
– Storage Structures
– Architectural options
• Economic Factors
– Acquisition, maintenance, training and operating costs
– Database creation and conversion cost
• Organizational Factors
– Organizational philosophy
∗ Relational or Object Oriented
∗ Vendor Preference
– Familiarity of staff with the system
– Availability of vendor services
Logical Database Design
• Transform the Schema from high-level data model into the data model of the selected DBMS.
• Design of external schemas for specific applications
• Two stages
1. System-independent mapping
– DBMS independent mapping
2. Tailoring the schemas to a specific DBMS
– Adjusting the schemas obtained in step 1 to conform to the specific implementation
features of the data model used in the selected DBMS
• Result: DDL statements in the language of the chosen DBMS
3
Physical Database Design
• Design the specifications for the stored database in terms of physical storage structures, record
placements and indexes.
• Design Criteria
– Response Time: Elapsed Time between submitting a database transaction for execution and
receiving a response
– Space Utilization: Storage space used by database files and their access path structures
– Transaction throughput
∗ Average number of transactions/minute
∗ Must be measured under peak conditions
• Result: Initial determination of storage structures and access paths for database files
Database System Implementation and Tuning
• During this phase database and application programs are implemented, tested and deployed
• Database Tuning
– System and Performance Monitoring
– Data indexing
– Reorganization
• Tuning is a continuous process
File: Lectures 2014.tex Date: Tuesday 11th February, 2014 3:03pm Revision: 0.3
