Database Design

Database Design

According to Rod Stephens Beginning database design solutions ( 2008),Few parts of an application's design are as critical as the database's design. "The database is the repository of the information that the rest of the application manages and displays to the users. If the database doesn't store the right data, doesn't keep the data safe, or doesn't let the application find the data it needs, then the application has little chance for success".

Explain what database systems are and how they are used at your workplace. Database systems are computer programs and software packages that are used to create, use and maintenance of a database. A database is a collection of data records, files and objects used by different applications. A Database Management System (DBMS) can have and use a variety of database models, including the object model and the widely used relational model. These models support query languages. Database languages can simplify organization as well as finding and presenting data from it.

I am not currently employed nor have been where I would have access to an organizations database. The most common data base model used currently is the relational model.

Define database architecture. For the database systems in your workplace, identify which architecture they fall under. Database architecture is used to answer different end user needs from the same database. Different operations of the organization may require different views and/or level of detail including different visual forms. To be effective the database architecture consists of three levels; external, conceptual and internal. The separation of these three levels has been an important part of the relational database model.

Define relational database architecture. Consider Microsoft® Access®, Microsoft SQL Server®, Oracle®, IBM DB2®, and so on. According to Microsoft ( 2011), "Although there are different ways to organize data in a database, relational databases are one of the most effective. Relational database systems are an application of mathematical set theory to the problem of effectively organizing data. In a relational database, data is collected into tables (called relations in relational theory). When organizing data into tables, you can usually find many different ways to define tables. Relational database theory defines a process called normalization, which ensures that the set of tables you define will organize your data effectively". ( Relational Database, para. 1, 3).

MS Access is not considered a true relational DBMS when compared to M SQL Server and Oracle RDMB. This is because MS Access is not a management system, but does store data in relational tables. MS Access is geared more toward a single user database compared to SQL and Oracle being multi-user and multi-transactional systems.

"A database