Turning data into business advantage

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Why Database Design and Implementation?

A good database design is the cornerstone of data management and data architecture, supporting:

  • stable databases

  • correct data storage, retrieval and reporting

  • stable applications

 

The ideal starting point for database design is data modelling: The essential data structures of a business must be clearly understood and shared. The data model can then be implemented as one of the many commonly used relational databases. State of the art modelling tools facilitate the transformation of a logical data model into a database-specific physical data model. Performance and storage considerations are key factors of this transformation. The resulting physical data model is then used to generate the database. Good modelling tools support both incremental changes and round-trip engineering, ensuring that data model and database cannot get out-of-synch.

 

Data models often used to be design-time documentation, which became soon out of date, and were therefore not a reliable source of data structure information. This has changed with the advent of advanced modelling tools. Synchronized data models are now both design- and run-time documentation, guaranteed up-to-date, and augmented with descriptions for classes, attributes and associations. Such a data model is an ideal candidate for web publishing, on the IntraNet for example, to serve as a graphical, searchable data dictionary for business users and IT specialists alike.

 

The change management capabilities of the modelling tools keep track of the changes and versions over time. This for example can greatly assist in determining the delta between two versions, or the delta between a test environment and a production environment.

 

With over 20 years experience in data modelling, database design for various mainframe to mid-range relational databases and the most advanced modelling tools, I am well positioned to let you reap the benefits of model-driven data management and database design. 


 See my résumé for details and reference sites, or feel free to contact me.

 


        © Copyright 2007 Data Management Solutions, Wellington, New Zealand                   Last Update: 2009 Oct 07