Hyacinth Mitz M.

Muyco February 20, 2017

AC4a

Comparative Paper on the Database Logical

Models
Database logical models or commonly known as the Logical Data
Model (LDM) is a fully-attributed data model that is independent of DBMS,
technology, data storage or organizational constraints. It typically describes
data requirements from the business point of view. While common data
modeling techniques use a relational model notation, there is no requirement
that resulting data implementations must be created using relational
technologies. (datamodel.com)

But so much on that, let us now compare the kinds of database logical
models. First off is the hierarchical database model. Hierarchical DBMs
were popular from the late 1960s, with the introduction of IBM's Information
Management System (IMS) DBMS, through the 1970s. The hierarchical data
model organizes data in a tree structure. There is a hierarchy of parent and
child data segments. This structure implies that a record can have repeating
information, generally in the child data segments; data in a series of records,
which have a set of field values attached to it. It collects all the instances of
a specific record together as a record type. These record types are the
equivalent of tables in the relational model, and with the individual records
being the equivalent of rows. To create links between these record types, the
hierarchical model uses Parent Child Relationships. In a hierarchical database
the parent-child relationship is one to many. This restricts a child segment to
having only one parent segment.

Network Model. In 1971, the Conference on Data Systems Languages

(CODASYL) formally defined the network model. The popularity of the
network data model coincided with the popularity of the hierarchical data
model. Some data were more naturally modeled with more than one parent
per child. So, the network model permitted the modeling of many-to-many
relationships in data. The basic data modeling construct in the network
model is the set construct. A set consists of an owner record type, a set
name, and a member record type. A member record type can have that role
in more than one set hence the multiparent concept is supported.

Relational Model. This model is also known as the Relational

Database Management System (RDMS) developed by E.F. Codd. It is a
software system designed to allow the definition, creation, querying, and
updating of data stored in relational databases such as Microsoft Access and
MySQL. The RELATIONAL database model is based on the Relational Algebra.

Entity-relationship Model. The ER model defines the conceptual

view of a database. It works around real-world entities and the associations
among them. At view level, the ER model is considered a good option for
designing databases. ERM is a database modeling technique that generates
an abstract diagram or visual representation of a systems data that can be
helpful in designing a relational database. These diagrams are known as
entity-relationship diagrams, ER diagrams or ERDs. Entity-relationship
patterns were first proposed by Peter Pin-Shan Chen of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1976.

Star Schema. Star schema is the simplest form of a dimensional

model, in which data is organized into facts and dimensions. A fact is an
event that is counted or measured, such as a sale or login. A dimension
contains reference information about the fact, such as date, product, or
customer. A star schema is diagramed by surrounding each fact with its
associated dimensions. The resulting diagram resembles a star.

With all of that, LDMs key difference from other data models is that it
is independent of technology, such as DBMS and platforms. It uses business
names for entities (tables), attributes (column/fields), and relationships (key
and it requires to be normalized up to the fourth normal form (4NF), which is
the isolation of independent multiple relationships.

Sources:

What are Conceptual, Logical, and Physical Data Models. Retrieved from
http://www.datamodel.com/index.php/articles/what-are-conceptual-
logical-and-physical-data-models/#sthash.a1Xq6tVG.dpuf last February
19, 2017.
Database Models. Retrieved from
http://unixspace.com/context/databases.html last February 20, 2017.

ER Model Basic Concepts. Retrieved from

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/dbms/er_model_basic_concepts.htm
last Febraury 20,2017.

Logical Data Model. Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_data_model last February 20,
2017.