Database Modeling

by K. Yue

1. Resources

UML:

UML and DB Modeling:

2. Introduction to DB Modeling

Classroom Exercise

The CS and CIS programs want to have a Web-based application for teaching assistant applications. Ask questions so you can better understand the problem. Prepare a list of questions.

Understanding the problem domain

How do people solve problems?

  1. Get an understanding of the problem.
  2. Form a model to capture the understanding.
  3. Based on the model, devise a solution.
  4. Implement the solution.

The problem of many novices is that they do not spend enough time and effort in steps (1) and (2) (i.e. modeling) and jump to (3) and (4) quickly.

Examples:

What you can do to understand the problem and model it:

Some possible questions to ask for modeling.

Two important options for database modeling:

Advantages of ER diagrams:

Disadvantages of ER diagrams:

What do we look for in a modeling language?

We will focus on UML in this course. You need to know how to construct equivalent ER diagrams.

Read: A Badia and D. Lemire. A call to arms: revisiting database design. SIGMOD Record 40, 3 (November 2011), 61-69.