Data Models

A database model shows the logical structure of a database, including the relationships and
constraints that determine how data can be stored and accessed. Individual database models are
designed based on the rules and concepts of whichever broader data model the designers adopt.
Most data models can be represented by an accompanying database diagram.

Data models capture the nature of and relationships among data and are used at different levels
of abstraction as a database is conceptualized and designed.

Types of Data Models:

• Relational Model
• Hierarchical Model
• Network Model
• Object-Oriented Database Model
• Object-Relational Model
• Entity-Relationship Model
• Star Schema
Most database management systems are built with a particular data model in mind and require
their users to adopt that model, although some do support multiple models. Record-based
logical models more closely reflect ways that the data is stored on the server.

Selecting a data model is also a matter of aligning your priorities for the database with the
strengths of a particular model, whether those priorities include speed, cost reduction, usability
or something else.

1. Relational Model
It is the most common model. It stores the data into tables, which consists of rows and columns.
In relational model, tables are also known as relations. A column in the table consists of list of
the attributes of entity. All attributes in table (relation) are called domain. Rows can also call
tuples. Rows include data about a specific instance of the entity. These tables can also connect
to other tables to increase the relationship among them. We can create the relationship with
other tables by choosing a particular attribute in a table as Primary Key, then we referred it to
the other table, which we want to create the relation.

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Diagram:

2. Hierarchical Model
The Hierarchical Model organizes the data into a tree-like structure. Each record has a single
parent or root in the tree. Child (sibling) records in that particular order. This can be used as a
physical order for storing the data into the database. This model can be used to describe many
real-world relationships.

This model was primarily used by IBM’s Information Management System in the 60s and 70s.
But they as rarely seen today due to certain operational inefficiencies.

Diagram:

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 3. Network Model
This model drives from the Hierarchical Model by creating the many-to-many relationship
between the records which are linked together as well as implying the multiple parent records.
This model is based on the mathematical set theory, which constructed with the sets of related
records. Each set can have one root or parent (owner) record, which consists of one or more
child (sibling) records. A record can be a child or member in multiple sets. This allows the
model to convey complex relationships.

It was most popular in the 70s after it was formally defined by the Conference on Data Systems
Languages (CODASYL).

Diagram:

4. Object-Oriented Database Model

This model is defined a database as a collection of objects with associated (or reusable software
elements) features and methods. There are several kinds of object-oriented database:

• Multimedia Database
• Hypertext Database

Multimedia Database:
It incorporates media (images, videos) that could not be stored in a relational database.

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Hypertext Database:
It allows any object to link to any other objects. It is useful for the organization of disparate
data, but it is not ideal for numerical analysis.

It is also known as Post-Relational Database Model because it incorporates tables but it is not
limited to tables. So, these models are also known as hybrid database models.

Diagram:

5. Object-Relational Model
It is also a Hybrid Model. It combines the simplicity of the Relational Model with the advance
functionality of Object-Oriented Database Model. It allows designers to incorporate objects
into the familiar table structure.

Languages and call interfaces include SQL3, Vendor Languages, Open Database Connectivity
(ODBC), Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) and proprietary call interfaces that are
extensions of the languages and interfaces used by the relational model.

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Diagram:

6. Entity-Relationship Model
It is mostly like to the Network Model because it captures the relationship between the real-
world entities. But the Entity-Relationship Model is not as directly tied to the physical structure
of the database. It is often used for the designing a database conceptually.

Diagram:

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 7. Star Schema
The Star Schema is the simplest style of Data Mart Schema and is the approach most widely
used to develop the Data Warehouses and Dimensional Data Marts. The star schema consists
of one or more fact tables referencing any number of dimension tables. The star schema is an
important special case of the snowflake schema and is more effective for handling simpler
queries.

The star schema gets its name from the physical model’s resemblance to a star shape with a
fact table at its center and the dimension tables surrounding it representing the star’s points.

A star schema that has many dimensions is sometimes called a centipede schema having
dimensions of only a few attributes, while simpler to maintain, results in queries with many
tables joins and makes the star schema less easy to use.