Database Design

Conceptual database design

 Phase 2

• Involves 2 parallel activities :

2. Conceptual schema design -

3. Transaction and application design-
 Conceptual level
• It hides physical storage and
concentrates on describing entities
,data types ,relationships,
constraints...
• Its conceptual schema describes
the structure of the whole
database for a community of users
 Conceptual schema design
Independent of the data base
because:
2. Goal of the conceptual schema design is a
complete understanding of the database
structure, meaning , interrelationships, and
constraints. Its best achieved independent of
DBMS because each has its own rules and
restrictions which can affect conceptual
schema design.
3. Conceptual schema is a very valuable
description of the database .Choice of DBMS
and data decisions should not affect
conceptual schema .
 Conceptual schema design
1. A good understanding of the
conceptual schema is crucial for the
users and developers. High level data
model is better than data models of
individual DBMS
2. Diagrammatic representations are
excellent for communicating among
users, designers and analyst. since
high level models use better concepts
they are preferred over lower level
data model.
Characteristics of data model
• Expressiveness
• Simplicity and understandability
• Minimality (least basic concepts that are
distinct and non overlapping)
• Diagrammatic representation
• Formality (formal unambiguous
specification of data)
Approaches to conceptual schema
design
• Centralized approach
:requirements of different applications
and user groups are merged together.
a single schema is designed
corresponding to the merged set of
requirements. Task is arduous and
time consuming .

DBA and staff accomplish the task.

Approaches to conceptual schema
design
• View integration approach : a
schema is designed for each user
group based only on its
requirements .we develop a high
level schema for each group and
combine into a GLOBAL
CONCEPTUAL SCHEMA.

Again DBA and staff accomplish the

task.
Strategies for schema design
• Top down strategy :start a
schema containing high level
abstractions and then apply
successive top – down
refinement.
• Bottom up strategy :start a
schema containing basic
abstractions and then combine or
add these abstractions .
Strategies for schema design
• Inside out strategy : special case
of bottom up where attention is
focused on a central set of
concepts that are most evident.
Modeling then spreads outwards
by considering new concepts in
the vicinity of existing ones .
• Mixed strategy :requirements
partitioned according to T D and
part of schema designed
according to B U.
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