CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO
DATABASE
(PART D)

1
 Objectives
At the end of this sub-chapter, students should be able to:

Explain the phases in database system development lifecycle

Elaborate on the database design strategy and phases
Describe database administration

2
 Software Depression/Crisis
Major reasons for failure of software projects includes:

- lack of a complete requirements specification

- lack of appropriate development methodology
- poor decomposition of design into manageable components.

Structured approach to development was proposed called information systems

lifecycle.

3
 Information System (IS)
Resources that enable collection, management, control, and dissemination of
information throughout an organization.

Database is fundamental component of I.S., and its development/usage

should be viewed from perspective of the wider requirements of the
organization.

4
 Database Application Lifecycle
 Database planning
 System definition
 Requirements collection and analysis
 Database design
 DBMS selection (optional)
 Application design
 Prototyping (optional)
 Implementation
 Data conversion and loading
 Testing
 Operational maintenance

5
Stages of the Database
Application Lifecycle

6
 Database Planning
Management activities that allow stages of
database application lifecycle to be realized as
efficiently and effectively, as possible.
 Must be integrated with overall IS strategy of
the organization. Issues on IS strategy:
 identification of enterprise plans and goals with
subsequent determination of IS needs
 evaluation of current IS to determine existing
strengths and weaknesses
 appraisal of IT opportunities that might yield
competitive advantage

7
Database Planning
Steps:
1. Mission statement
2. Mission objectives
3. Development of standards

8
 Database Planning –
Mission Statement
Mission statement for the database project defines
major aims of database application.

Those driving database project normally define the

mission statement (e.g. director or owner)

Mission statement helps clarify purpose of the

database project and provides clearer path towards
the efficient and effective creation of required
database application.
9
 Database Planning –
Mission Objectives
Once mission statement is defined, mission
objectives are defined.

Each objective should identify a particular task that

the database must support.

May be accompanied with some additional

information that specifies the work to be done, the
resources with which to do it, and the money to pay
for it all.
10
 Database Planning –
Development of Standards
 Database planning should also include development of standards that
govern:
how data will be collected,
how the format should be specified,
what necessary documentation will be needed,
how design and implementation should proceed.
A well designed standard can provides a basis
for training staff/measuring quality control and
can ensure that work conforms to a pattern.

11
 System Definition
Describes scope and boundaries of database
application and the major user views.

User view defines what is required of a database

application from perspective of:
◦ a particular job role (such as Manager or Supervisor) or
◦ enterprise application area (such as marketing,
personnel, or stock control).

12
 System Definition
Database application may have one or more user
views.

Identifying user views helps ensure that no major

users of the database are forgotten when
developing requirements for new application.

User views also help in development of complex

database application allowing requirements to be
broken down into manageable pieces.

13
Representation of a database
application with multiple user views

14
Requirements Collection
and Analysis
Process of collecting and analyzing information about the part of
organization to be supported by the database application, and using
this information to identify users’ requirements of new system.

15
 Requirements Collection
and Analysis
Information is gathered for each major user view
including:
 a description of data used or generated
 details of how data is to be used/generated
 any additional requirements for new database application.

Information is analyzed to identify requirements

specifications to be included in new database
application.
Information is converted into structured statement
through requirements specifications techniques (e.g.
SAD, DFD & HIPO)

16
 Requirements Collection
and Analysis
Another important activity is deciding how to manage database
application with multiple user views.
Three main approaches:
◦ centralized approach
◦ view integration approach
◦ combination of both approaches

17
 Requirements Collection
and Analysis
Centralized approach
Requirements for each user view are merged into a
single set of requirements.

A global data model is created based on the merged

requirements (which represents all user views) which
consists of diagrams and documentation on the
requirements of the d/b users.

This approach is preferred when there is a significant

overlap requirements for each user and the d/b
application is not overly complex.

18
Centralized approach to
managing multiple user views

19
 Requirements Collection
and Analysis
 View integration approach
Requirements for each user view are used to build a
separate data model.

Data model representing single user view is called a

local data model, composed of diagrams and
documentation describing requirements of a particular
user view of database.

Local data models are then merged to produce a global

data model, which represents all user views for the
database.

20
View integration approach to managing
multiple user views

21
View integration approach
This approach is preferred when there are significant differences
between user views and the d/b application is sufficiently complex to
justify dividing the work into more manageable parts.

22
 Database Design
Process of creating a design for a database that will support the
enterprise’s operations and objectives.

23
 Database Design
Major aims:
◦ Represent data and relationships between data
required by all major application areas and user groups.
◦ Provide data model that supports any transactions
required on the data.
◦ Specify a minimal design that is appropriately structured
to achieve stated performance requirements for the
system (such as response times).

24
 Database Design - approach
Approaches include:
◦ Top-down: starts with the development of data models
using the Entity-Relationship (ER) model
◦ Bottom-up : begins at the fundamental level of
attributes
◦ Inside-out: identify major entities first and then consider
its other entities, relationship and attributes
◦ Mixed : both top-down and bottom-up

25
 Database Design - Data
Modeling
 Main purposes of data modeling include:
 to assist in understanding the meaning (semantics) of the data
 to facilitate communication about the information requirements.

 Building data model requires answering questions about entities,

relationships, and attributes.

26
 Database Design - Data
Modeling
A data model ensures we understand:
- each user’s perspective of the data;
- nature of the data itself, independent of its physical representations;
- use of data across user views.

27
Criteria to produce an
optimal data model

28
 Database Design - phases
Three phases of database design:

◦ Conceptual database design

◦ Logical database design
◦ Physical database design.

29
Conceptual Database
Design
Process of constructing a model of the
information used in an enterprise, independent of
all physical considerations.

Data model is built using the information in users’

requirements specification.

Source of information for logical design phase.

30
 Logical Database Design
Process of constructing a model of the
information used in an enterprise based on a
specific data model (e.g. relational), but
independent of a particular DBMS and other
physical considerations.

Conceptual data model is refined and mapped

on to a logical data model.

31
 Physical Database Design
Process of producing a description of the database
implementation on secondary storage.

Describes storage structures and access methods

used to achieve efficient access to data.

Tailored to a specific DBMS system because in

developing the physical d/b design, the target d.b
system must be identified.

32
Three-level ANSI-SPARC
architecture and phases of
database design

33
 The DBMS
 The DBMS is the software that interacts with the users’ application programs and
the database.
 DBMS provides the following facilities:
 It allows users to define the database, usually through a Data Definition
Language (DDL).
 It allows users to insert, update, delete, and retrieve data from the database,
usually through a Data Manipulation Language (DML).
 It provides controlled access to the database. Examples:
o a security system, which prevents unauthorized users accessing the database;
o an integrity system, which maintains the consistency of stored data;
o a concurrency control system, which allows shared access of the database;
o a recovery control system, which restores the database to a previous consistent state
following a hardware or software failure;
o a user-accessible catalog, which contains descriptions of the data in the database.

34
 DBMS Selection
Selection of an appropriate DBMS to support the
database application.

Undertaken at any time prior to logical design

provided sufficient information is available regarding
system requirements.

Main steps to selecting a DBMS:

 define Terms of Reference of study
 shortlist two or three products
 evaluate products
 recommend selection and produce report.

35
DBMS Evaluation Features

36
DBMS Evaluation Features

37
Example - Evaluation of DBMS
Product

38
Application Design
Design of user interface and application programs
that use and process the database.

Database and application design are parallel

activities.

Includes two important activities:

◦ transaction design;
◦ user interface design.

39
Application Design –
Transaction Design
An action, or series of actions, carried out by a single user or
application program, which accesses or changes content of the
database.

Purpose to define and document the high-level characteristics of the

transactions required.

40
Application Design -
Transaction Design
Important characteristics of transactions:
◦ data to be used by the transaction
◦ functional characteristics of the transaction
◦ output of the transaction
◦ importance to the users
◦ expected rate of usage.

Three main types of transactions: retrieval,

update and mixed.

41
Application Design – User
Interface Design
User Interface Design Guidelines:
 Meaningful title
 Comprehensible instructions
 Logical grouping and sequencing of fields
 Visually appealing layout of the form/report
 Familiar field labels
 Consistent terminology and abbreviations
 Consistent use of colour
 Visible space and boundaries for data-entry fields
 Convenient cursor movement
 Error correction for individual characters and entire fields
 Error messages for unacceptable values
 Optional fields marked clearly
 Explanatory messages for fields
 Completion signal

42
 Prototyping
Building working model of a database application.

Purpose
◦ to identify features of a system that work well, or are
inadequate
◦ to suggest improvements or even new features
◦ to clarify the users’ requirements
◦ to evaluate feasibility of a particular system design.

43
 Implementation
Physical realization of the database and application designs.
◦ Use DDL to create database schemas and empty database
files.
◦ Use DDL to create any specified user views.
◦ Use 3GL or 4GL to create application programs, including
database transactions, created using DML possibly embedded
in a host programming language.

44
 Data Conversion and
Loading
Transferring any existing data into new database and
converting any existing applications to run on new
database.

Only required when new database system is replacing

an old system.
DBMS normally has utility that loads existing files into new
database.

May be possible to convert and use application

programs from old system for use by new system.

45
 Testing
Process of executing application programs with intent
of finding errors.

Use carefully planned test strategies and realistic data.

Testing cannot show absence of faults; it can show
only that software faults are present.
Demonstrates that database and application programs
appear to be working according to requirements.

46
 Operational Maintenance
Process of monitoring and maintaining system
following installation.

Monitoring performance of system.

◦ if performance falls, may require tuning or
reorganization of the database.
Maintaining and upgrading database application
(when required).
Incorporating new requirements into database
application.

47
Database Administration
Database are corporate resources : must be managed like any other
resources

Database administration is the management and control of a DBMS and

its data.

48
Data Administration and Database
Administration

Data Administrator (DA) and Database Administrator (DBA) are

responsible for managing and controlling activities associated with
corporate data and corporate database, respectively.

DA is more concerned with early stages of lifecycle and DBA is more

concerned with later stages.

49
 Data Administration
Management of data resource including:
◦ database planning,
◦ development and maintenance of standards, policies and procedures, and
conceptual and logical database design.

50
 Database Administration
Management of physical realization of a database application
including:
◦ physical database design and implementation,
◦ setting security and integrity controls,
◦ monitoring system performance, and reorganizing the
database.

51
Exercises 1.1
1. Discuss each of the following terms:
a) data
b) database
c) database management system
d) data independence
e) view

2. Describe the five components of the DBMS environment

3. Discuss what a user view represents in the context of a database
application.
4. Discuss the main approaches for managing the design of a database
application that has multiple user views.
5. What are the purposes of data modeling?

52
 Exercises 1.1
6. Compare between logical and global data model.
7. Describe the phases of database design
8. What is the different between prototyping and implementation stage?
9. Define the tasks associated with data administration and database
administration

53