Data Modeling: Logical Database Design (3 days)

This guidebook, and its companion volume which follows, provide a solid basis from which one can successfully implement relational database, multidimensional data warehouse and business intelligence (BI) technologies. The principal objective of this initial course volume is to convey a practical and common sense guide to the theory and concepts of data modeling. Using these sophisticated techniques one can create an elegant logical design of a database. Within this course we discuss not only the premier modeling theories from the best industry experts but also present the practical and real-world experience of the past 20-years of Sideris data design practitioners.

The methodologies discussed are applicable to any relational database environment, including IBM DB2, the Oracle database, Microsoft SQL Server, the open-source MySQL and PostgreSQL databases as well as other RDBMS platforms. They are also applicable to other database technologies, such as object databases and legacy IMS and IDMS databases. Finally, while we use the free Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler product as a demonstration modeling tool, one can complete the exercises of this course and apply the techniques learned using any other popular data model diagramming tool, such as IBM InfoSphere Data Architect, CA ErWin Data Modeler, Embarcadero ER/Studio and others.

Audience

Prerequisites

Suggested Next Courses

Instructor Resources

This textbook may be used as the first module within a Sideris courseware kit entitled DATA MODELING – COMPLETE LIBRARY. When delivered in this format as an instructor-led training (ILT) or live virtual training session, the suggested presentation length of all modules included in this kit is 4 or 5 days. The sequence in which the modules should be considered is:
• DATA MODELING: LOGICAL DATABASE DESIGN
• DATA MODELING: MULTIDIMENSIONAL DATA WAREHOUSE DESIGN

In the workshop exercises you will build an increasingly complex series of data models, and will critique and correct other models. A summary of the detailed objectives of this textbook are:
• A review of model-based design, including process modeling, physical data modeling and other modeling techniques which relate to logical data modeling.
• A comparison of data modeling concepts and theories, including top-down data modeling, bottom-up data modeling, data normalization, object-oriented and semantic modeling.
• Hints, tips and guidelines in identifying entities, attributes and relationships which should appear within a data model.
• Review the popular commercial data modeling tools commonly in use today.
• The benefits of building a conceptual data model in advance of the logical model.
• Learn to find and fix well-known mistakes which can exist in relationship definitions, finding missing attributes and correcting erroneous attribute definitions.
• Review a recommended strategy for unique identifiers.
• Using semantic modeling constructs and techniques such as supertypes, subtypes, generalization, specialization, constraints, lattices and arcs.
• Using object-oriented modeling techniques such as domains, attribute classes, extended types and abstraction of attributes.
• Time-dependency and state-dependency within a data model.
• Explore classic structures and modeling patterns, including many-to-many recursion.
• Steps and available options for engineering a physical data model from a logical model.
• Reverse engineering and forward engineering of a physical data model into an implementation relational database.

• DATA MODELING THEORY & CONCEPTS
• BUILDING AN INITIAL DATA MODEL
• DRAWING A MODEL USING SOFTWARE ENGINEERING TOOLS
• INCREASING THE ACCURACY OF THE MODEL
• FINDING & FIXING ATTRIBUTE MISTAKES
• SEMANTIC & OBJECT ORIENTED MODELING OF ENTITIES & RELATIONSHIPS
• SEMANTIC & OBJECT ORIENTED MODELING OF DOMAINS & TYPES
• TIME-DEPENDENCY & STATE-DEPENDENCY
• CLASSIC STRUCTURES & PATTERNS
• LOGICAL / PHYSICAL MODEL TRANSFORMATION
• RDBMS IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PHYSICAL MODEL