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Database Analysis and Design Methods

Analysis and Design Aims
Questions to be addressed

Analysis and Design Aims

Major Steps in Analysis and Design

To produce a robust, exible database that

will provide reliable support for the di erent
and evolving applications provided by an
information system.

Database Analysis and Design

Techniques
Database Analysis and Design Methods

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Questions to be addressed

Major Steps in Analysis and Design

What will be stored in the database?

1. Data Analysis

How will the data evolve in time?

2. Conceptual Design

How will the data be represented

3. Process Design

at the conceptual level, and

4. Physical Design

in terms of a particular database

management system?

a Structural Design

b Implementation Design

What processing will be required?

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Database Analysis and Design Methods

Database Analysis and Design

Techniques

Organised application of techniques

Traceable, reproducible, manageable
processes

Data ow modelling
Entity-Relationship modelling

Examples:

Relational data modelling

Structured Systems Analysis De

Marco

Combined techniques

Information Engineering
MERISE

Entity-Event modelling

SSADM

Database Tuning
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OMT Rumbaugh
:::

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Techniques used in SSADM and OMT

SSADM and OMT combine di erent
techniques to produce an overall system
design.
An important feature of SSADM and OMT
is that they both make use of three di erent
models to describe di erent aspects of the
data in an information system.
Data ow Model

Data ow Modelling
Current Physical Data ow Model
Current Logical Data ow Model
Required Logical Data ow Model
The main aim of data ow modelling is to
identify events and functions of the required
system.

Entity-Relationship Model
Entity-Event Model
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Current Physical Data ow Model

Describes the movement of data-bearing
entities, including documents, labels on
boxes, name badges etc.
Describes the movement of physical
entities

Hoarders and Collectors Ltd.

Current Physical Context Diagram
0
Purchase Orders
goods

Sales Orders
Hoarders and
Collectors Ltd.

Suppliers
Delivery Notes

Describes how these real entities are

currently processed

goods
Customers
Delivery Notes

and how they are stored

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Current Logical Data ow Model

Describes how data moves through the
current system
as well as the data transforming
processes that are currently enacted

Hoarders and Collectors Ltd.

Current Logical Context Diagram
Purchase Orders
Suppliers

Sales Orders
Hoarders and

Delivery Notes

Collectors Ltd.

Customers
Delivery Notes

and how data items are currently stored

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Hoarders and Collectors Ltd.

Current Logical Level 2 Diagram
Expansion of Accept Delivery"

Hoarders and Collectors Ltd.

Current Logical Level 1 Diagram

Purchase
Order
Recd.

Suppliers

P.O

1
Order

Accept

Goods

Order

Purchase
Order

2
D.N.
Suppliers

Qty.
in
Stock

Qty.
in
Stock

D1 Stock File
Qty.
Qty.
Sold
Recd.
4

Accept

Fill

Deliveries

Order

2.1

S.O
Customers

Delivery Note
(from Suppliers)

Sales

Check
Delivery
Filled Purchase
Order

Order

D2 Filled P.O.s

Checked
Delivery Note

2.2
Update
Stock File

Goods received
(to stock file)

D.N
Customers

Who looks at the lled orders stored in

D2?
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Where are un lled orders stored?

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Creating the Current Physical Data ow

Model

Required Logical Data ow Model

Describes the required or proposed
data movement

The model consists of

Data ow Diagrams
Supporting Documentation

as well as the data transforming

processes that are to be enacted

The diagrams are constructed using

basic symbols

and how data items will be stored

and are organised as a levelled hierarchy.

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Levelled Data ow Diagrams

Data ow Diagrams Basic Symbols

A
0
B

Process

A
1

Datastore

D1

External System

Dataflow

3.2

3.1

Physical flow

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Process Descriptions

Supporting Documentation
As well as the data ow diagrams, a data ow
model includes
descriptions of the lowest level processes
descriptions of the structure and content
of the datastores
descriptions of the data ows

Narrative Prose

should not be too long; about half an

A4 page per lowest level process.

Decision Tables

useful when alternative actions are taken

depending on clearly de ned
circumstances.

Structured English

makes use of a limited vocabulary and

syntax.

descriptions of the external entities

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Data ow and Datastore Descriptions

These are usually represented as data dictionary

entries.

Structured English example

Example data dictionary entry for Delivery

Note

ORDER GOODS

Name: Delivery Note

Source: Fill Order Process 4
Destination: Customer External Entity
Contents: Customer id.
Delivery address
Goods' description
code

description
 repeats
quantity

Delivery Note Number
Date

1. for each kind of stock

1.1 check quantity in store
1.2 if quantity in stock is less than
reorder level
then issue purchase order

Data Dictionary entries may also be created for

processes and external entities.
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Case Study a Video Library

See Downs, Clare and Coe, SSADM: Application and
Context, 2nd Edition, Prentice-Hall 1992, section 3.2

Library
Committee
Video

0 Context
Borrower

Video

GVLC

Video
available

Transforming Current Physical Data ow

Diagrams to obtain Current Logical
Data ow Diagrams

The current physical model is further

analysed and transformed to produce a
current logical data ow model.

Enquiry
Membership card

Please return

A current physical data ow model shows

how data is processed in an existing
information system.

Context Data ow Diagram

Video details

142

Borrower

available

see Downs, Clare and Coe, gures 3.8 and 3.10

The current logical data ow model

describes what data processing is carried out
in the current system, regardless of how
that system is implemented.

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Change of
address

New
member

Reservation

Membership
Secretary

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Transforming the Current Physical

Data ow Model to obtain the Current
Logical Data ow Model

Determining the Logical Datastores

Remove duplicate datastores
logically, each item of data is stored only
once
in real life and curent physical DFDs it is
often duplicated
duplication is discovered by crossreferencing
entities with datastores
aim for a situation were
 each entity corresponds to exactly one
datastore
 each datastore corresponds to one or more
entities

Using the current physical data ow

diagrams,
1. specify logical datastores,
2. write logical descriptions of lowest level
processes and data ows,
3. group lowest leve processes to form
higher level processes until level 1
processes have been obtained, and

Eliminate transient datastores

datastores that exist in order to implement
the current system; e.g. a le where video
cards are stored before being moved to the
loans le.

4. draw a logical context diagram.

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Current Logical DFD for GVLC

reservations
Making the lowest level processes and data ows
logical

Borrowers

Ensure that each process transforms some data

if data passes through a process without
being transformed, replace the process by a
data ow, or let the data bypass the process
remove minor retrievals
abolish processes that were required to
maintain consistency between duplicate
datastores

Reservatoin

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3.4

3.3

Record
Reservation

Request
Return

D4

Reservation details
Reservations
Reservation
details

3.2
video
available

remove duplicate processes

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Please Return

Reservation details

combine processes that are always performed

together
remove physical ows, references to physical
locations and references to forms currently used
rather let these refer to the data items
embodied in the forms

Borrowers

Notify
Availability

Reservation details

video
available
1

2
Borrowers
Return

Issue

compare with current physical DFDs, Downs, Clare

and Coe
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Grouping processes to form higher level

processes
all the way back to level 1
:::

Summary
transform the current physical DFDs to produce
current logical DFDs

a bottom up restructuring of the

hierarchy of levelled DFDs

use a technique called logicalization", which

results in logical
datastores,
bottom level processes, and
levelling hierarchy.

aim to minimize data ow between

processes at the top level by grouping
processes that use the same data

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Developing the Required Logical

Data ow Model

Developing the Required Logical

Data ow Model

The current logical data ow modelling

describes the data processing carried out by
the existing information system.

1. Identify the domain of change

The required logical data ow model

describes the processing that will be carried
out by the new system that will replace the
existing information system.

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2. Create data ow models for a selection

of proposed new systems
3. Assist the client in choosing from
amongst the best of these proposalss

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Identify the Domain of Change

include any bottom level process that is
likely to be changed in the new system
for example, by being partly or fully
automated, eliminated, or done in a
di erent way

Domain of Change shaded

if a process will not change, it lies

outside the domain of change
there may be several disconnected areas
from the current logical DFDs that lie
within the domain of change
but the domain of change is a single
item
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The context diagram for the required

system
replace the entire domain of change by a
single process; this is the context
diagram for the required system
any data ow that crossed the boundary
of the domain of change appears in the
new context diagram

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Level 1 proposals for the required

system
several level 1 diagrams are invented
fresh creative views are essential
problems and requirements are taken
into account

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Guidelines for new level 1 DFDs

Business System Options

partition to minimise interfaces between

processes

options for the new system based on the best

level proposals

name processes for the data transformations

they achieve

usually between two and six options are prepared

and name data ows for the data they carry

each includes
a level 1 DFD
an entity relationship model or logical data
model
narrative outlining main features
costs, bene ts and e ects

don't include too many processes in a DFD

include every data ow
make sure every process transforms some data
use a data dictionary

existing systems should always be considered

be prepared to scrap diagrams

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Business System Options for the GVLC

1. A PC based package built using a
standard dbms like Access
low cost

2. A specially tailored system running on

a client server network
expensive

speedy implementation
comprehensive, exible and clear user
enquiry facility
some limitations on the volume of data
that can be held
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slower time to installation

immense capacity for growth and
extension

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Business System Options for the GVLC

Resource Flow Diagrams

3. A web site

model physical movement of goods

immediate distributed access

used as a preliminary step

capacity to link to other systems

Tapes
Supplier

some security hazards

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1 Post Room

Tapes

Receive goods

New Tapes
Tapes

etc.

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Document Flow Diagram

Document Flow Diagrams

Expenditure Report

model external entities and data ows

Library
Committee

Accounts
Suggestions list
Authorised invoice

and movement of documents

New videos report

Acquisitions
Officer

help in identifying the system boundary

Video
details
Issue discharge
system

Order
Invoice

Supplier

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