Database System

Development
Lifecycle
1
Database system development
lifecycle - stages

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Stages of database system
development lifecycle
Database planning
System definition
Requirements collection and analysis
Database design
DBMS selection (optional)

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Stages of database system
development lifecycle
Application design
Prototyping (optional)
Implementation
Data conversion and loading
Testing
Operational maintenance.

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Database planning
Management activities that allow stages
of database system development lifecycle
to be realized as efficiently and effectively
as possible.
 Should be integrated with overall IS
strategy of the organization.
Includes creation of the mission
statement and mission objectives for the
database system.

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Mission statement
Those driving database project normally
define the mission statement.
Defines major aims of database system.
Helps clarify purpose of the database
system and provides clearer path towards
the efficient and effective creation of
required database system.

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Mission objectives
Once mission statement is defined, mission
objectives are defined.
Each objective should identify a particular
task that the database system must support.
 Should also include additional information
that specifies the work to be done, the
resources with which to do it, and the
money to pay for it all.

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Database planning
Database planning may 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.

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System definition
Describes scope and boundaries of
database system, including its major
user views.
 Describes how database system will
interface with other parts of the
organization’s information system.

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System definition
User view defines what is required of a
database system from the perspective of:
a particular job (such as Manager or
Supervisor) or
business application area (such as marketing,
personnel, or stock control).
Database system may have one or more user
views.

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System definition
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 system allowing
requirements to be broken down into
manageable pieces.

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Extended version of the StayHome
Online case study

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Database system with multiple user
views

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Requirements collection and analysis
Process of collecting and analyzing
information about the organization to be
supported by the database system, and
using this information to identify the
requirements for the new system.
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 system.
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Requirements collection and analysis
Information is analyzed to identify
requirements for new database system.
Another important activity is deciding how
to manage database system with multiple
user views.
Three main approaches:
centralized approach;
view integration approach;
combination of both approaches.

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Centralized approach
Requirements for each user view are
merged into a single set of requirements
for the new database system.
A data model representing all user
views is created during the database
design stage.

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Centralized approach

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View integration approach
Requirements for each user view remain as
separate lists. Data models representing
each user view are created and then merged
during the database design stage.
Data model representing one or more but not
all user views is called a local data model.
 Local data models are then merged to
produce a global data model to represent all
user views.

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View integration approach

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Database design
Process of creating a design that will
support the organization’s mission
statement and objectives for the required
database system.
Three main phases of database design:
conceptual database design,
logical database design,
physical database design.

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DBMS selection
Selection of an appropriate DBMS to
support the database system.
 Undertaken at any time prior to logical
design provided sufficient information is
available regarding system requirements.

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Application design
Design of user interface and application
programs that use and process the database.
 Database and application design are parallel
activities.
Transaction is an action, or series of actions,
carried out by a single user or application
program that accesses or changes content of
the database.
 Should define and document the high-level
characteristics of the transactions required.

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Application 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 transactions
update transactions
mixed transactions

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Guidelines for form/report design

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Prototyping
Building working model of a database
system.
Purpose is to:
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.
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Prototyping
There are two prototyping strategies:
Requirements prototyping determines the
requirements of a proposed database
system and then the prototype is
discarded.
Evolutionary prototyping is used for the
same purposes, but the prototype is not
discarded and with further development
becomes the working database system.

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Implementation
Physical realization of the database and
application designs.
Use DDL to create database schemas and
empty database files.
Use DDL to create user views.
Use 3GL or 4GL to create the application
programs, which includes database
transactions.
Use DDL to implement security and integrity
controls. However, some may be defined
using DBMS utilities or operating system.
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Data conversion and loading
Transferring any existing data into new
database and converting any existing
applications to run on new database.
only required when a new database
system is replacing an old system.
common for a DBMS to have a utility that
loads existing files into the new database.
May be possible to convert and use
application programs from the old system
for use by the new system.
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Testing
Process of running the database system
with the 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.
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Operational maintenance
Process of monitoring and maintaining
the database system following
installation and involves:
monitoring performance of system. If
performance falls, may require tuning or
reorganization of the database.
maintaining and upgrading database
system (when required).
incorporating new requirements into
database system.

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