Unity University Fundamentals of Database Management system

Chapter 3: Conceptual Database Design

Introduction to Database Design
Database design is the process of coming up with different kinds of specification for
the data to be stored in the database. The database design part is one of the middle
phases we have in information systems development where the system uses a
database approach. Design is the part on which we would be engaged to describe
how the data should be perceived at different levels and finally how it is going to be
stored in a computer system.
Information System with Database application consists of several tasks which
include:
 Planning of Information systems Design
 Requirements Analysis,
 Design (Conceptual, Logical and Physical Design)
 Testing
 Implementation
 Operation and Support
From these different phases, the prime interest of a database system will be the
Design part which is again sub divided into other three sub-phases.
These sub-phases are:
1. Conceptual Design
2. Logical Design, and
3. Physical Design
 In general, one has to go back and forth between these tasks to refine a database
design, and decisions in one task can influence the choices in another task.
 In developing a good design, one should answer such questions as:
 What are the relevant Entities for the Organization?
 What are the important features of each Entity?
 What are the important Relationships?
 What are the important queries from the user?
 What are the other requirements of the Organization and the Users?

The Three levels of Database Design

Conceptual Design

Logical Design

Physical Design

Chapter 3: Conceptual Database Design 1

Unity University Fundamentals of Database Management system

Conceptual Database Design

 Conceptual design is the process of constructing a model of the information used
in an enterprise, independent of any physical considerations.
 It is the source of information for the logical design phase.
 Mostly uses an Entity Relationship Model to describe the data at this level.
 After the completion of Conceptual Design one has to go for refinement of the
schema, which is verification of Entities, Attributes, and Relationships.
Logical Database Design
 Logical design is the process of constructing a model of the information used in
an enterprise based on a specific data model (e.g. relational, hierarchical or
network or object), but independent of a particular DBMS and other physical
considerations.
 Normalization process
 Collection of Rules to be maintained.
 Discover new entities in the process.
 Revise attributes based on the rules and the discovered Entities
Physical Database Design
 Physical design is the process of producing a description of the implementation
of the database on secondary storage, defines specific storage or access methods
used by database
 Describe the storage structures and access methods used to achieve
efficient access to the data.
 Tailored to a specific DBMS system, characteristics are function of DBMS
and operating systems.
 Includes estimate of storage space

Conceptual Database Design

 Conceptual design revolves around discovering and analyzing organizational and
user data requirements.
 The important activities are to identify
 Entities
 Attributes
 Relationships
 Constraints
 And based on these components develop the ER model using ER diagrams

The Entity Relationship (E-R) Model

 Entity-Relationship modeling is used to represent conceptual view of the
database.
 The main components of ER Modeling are:

Chapter 3: Conceptual Database Design 2

Unity University Fundamentals of Database Management system

 Entities
 Corresponds to entire table, not row.
 Represented by Rectangle
 Attributes
 Represents the property used to describe an entity or a relationship
 Represented by Oval
 Relationships
 Represents the association that exist between entities
 Represented by Diamond
 Constraints
 Represent the constraint in the data
Before working on the conceptual design of the database, one has to know and
answer the following basic questions.
 What are the entities and relationships in the enterprise?
 What information about these entities and relationships should we store in the
database?
 What are the integrity constraints that hold? Constraints on each data with
respect to update, retrieval and store.
 Represent this information pictorially in ER diagrams, then map ER diagram into
a relational schema.

Developing an E-R Diagram

 Designing conceptual model for the database is not a one linear process but an
iterative activity where the design is refined again and again.
 To identify the entities, attributes, relationships, and constraints on the data,
there are different set of methods used during the analysis phase.
 These include information gathered by…
 Interviewing end users individually and in a group
 Questionnaire survey
 Direct observation
 Examining different documents
 The basic E-R model is graphically depicted and presented for review.
 The process is repeated until the end users and designers agree that the ER
diagram is a fair representation of the organization’s activities and functions.
 Checking the Redundant Relationships in the ER Diagram. Relationships between
entities indicate access from one entity to another - it is therefore possible to
access one entity occurrence from another entity occurrence even if there are
other entities and relationships that separate them - this is often referred to as
Navigation' of the ER diagram

Chapter 3: Conceptual Database Design 3

Unity University Fundamentals of Database Management system

 The last phase in ER modeling is validating an ER Model against requirement of

the user.

Graphical Representations in ER Diagramming

 Entity is represented by a RECTANGLE containing the name of the entity.
Strong Entity Weak Entity

 Connected entities are called relationship participants.

 Attributes are represented by OVALS and are connected to the entity by a line.

CompositAttribute
Composite Attribute
Attribute Multi-Valued Attribute

 A derived attribute is indicated by a DOTTED LINE. (………)

Key
Attribute Multi-Valued Attribute Composite Attribute

 PRIMARY KEYS are underlined.

Key

 Relationships are represented by DIAMOND shaped symbols

 Weak Relationship is a relationship between Weak and Strong Entities.
 Strong Relationship is a relationship between two strong Entities

Strong RelationShip Weak RelationShip

Example 1: Build an ER Diagram for the following information:
 A student record management system will have the following two basic data object
categories with their own features or properties. Students will have an Id, Name,
Dept, Age, GPA and Course will have an Id, Name, Credit Hours
 Whenever a student enroll in a course in a specific Academic Year and
Semester, the Student will have a grade for the course

Chapter 3: Conceptual Database Design 4

Unity University Fundamentals of Database Management system

ID Name Dept DoB Credit

ID Name
GPA
Student Course

Age
Enrolled_in

Acedamic_year Semeste
Grade r

Example 2: Build an ER Diagram for the following information:

 A Personnel record management system will have the following two basic data
object categories with their own features or properties. Employee will have an Id,
Name, DoB, Age, Tel and Department will have an Id, Name, Location
 Whenever an Employee is assigned in one Department, the duration of his
stay in the respective department should be registered.

Structural Constraints on Relationship

1. Constraints on Relationship / Multiplicity/ Cardinality Constraints
 Multiplicity constraint is the number or range of possible occurrence of an entity
type/relation that may relate to a single occurrence/tuple of an entity
type/relation through a particular relationship.
 Mostly used to insure appropriate enterprise constraints.

One-to-one relationship
 A customer is associated with at most one loan via the relationship borrower
 A loan is associated with at most one customer via borrower

Chapter 3: Conceptual Database Design 5

Unity University Fundamentals of Database Management system

E.g. Relationship Manages between Staff ands Branch

 The multiplicity of the relationship is:
 One branch can only have one manager.
 One Employee could Manages either one or no branches.

1..1 0..1
Employee Manages Branch

One-To-Many Relationships
 In the one-to-many relationship a loan is associated with at most one customer
via borrower, a customer is associated with several (including 0) loans via
borrower

E.g. Relationship Leads between Staff and Project.

 The multiplicity of the relationship:
 One staff may lead one or more.
 One project is leaf by one staff.

Chapter 3: Conceptual Database Design 6

Unity University Fundamentals of Database Management system

1..1 0..*
Employee Leads Project

Many-To-Many Relationship
 A customer is associated with several (possibly 0) loans via borrower.
 A loan is associated with several (possibly 0) customers via borrower.

E.g.: Relationship Teaches between Instructors and Course.

 The multiplicity of the relationship
 One Instructor teaches one or more Course(s).
 One course thought by zero or more Instructor(s).

0..* 0..*
Instructor Teaches Course

Chapter 3: Conceptual Database Design 7

Unity University Fundamentals of Database Management system

Chapter 3: Conceptual Database Design 8