Degrees of Abstraction Edit Data abstraction is the idea that a database design begins with a high level vie

w and as it approaches implementation level, the level of detail increases. The benefit to using levels of abstraction is the ability to work with and integrate multiple views into a cohesive set. In 1970, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standards Planning and Requirements Committee (SPARC) established a framework for database design base d on the degrees of abstraction. The ANSI/SPARC architecture is composed of four levels of data abstraction; these levels are external, conceptual, internal, an d physical. Contents [show] The External Model Edit The external environment is the end users' view of the data. The end users view of data usually applies to their specific business needs and those of their orga nizational unit. The benefits of representing the design through the external model are: It is easier to identify the data needed by the end users. It can be easily checked to ensure it is adequate and will support the p rocesses, requirements, and constraints as defined Through good design, security can be increased by only allowing users ac cess to the subset of data that they need. The Conceptual Model Edit The conceptual model is created by taking all views and forming a global view of the entire database. The conceptual model is generally represented by E/R Diagr ams. Another name for the conceptual model is the logical design of the database . The Internal Model Edit The internal model can be created after a specific DBMS platform is chosen. The internal model is the database as seen by the specific DBMS. What sets the inter nal model apart from the external and conceptual is its reliance on its software platform. The goal in designing the internal model is to acheive logical indepe ndence, where the internal model can be changed without affecting conceptual mod el. The Physical Model Edit This is the final and lowest level of abstraction. This is the model which descr ibes such implementation level design as how the data is stored on media and wha t media to use. This level of abstraction is reliant on software and hardware. T his level is created last because designers will know the exact specifications o f the database and can from there decide what exact hardware specs are needed. T he goal of the physical level is to create a design where the physical model can be changed without affecting the internal model...

If the rules established by the ANSI/SPARC are followed, the database is easily scalable and upgradeable. A common need is for the ease of upgradability in the physical model. As technology improves and as the database grows and needs more

processing power and space it is important to be able to upgrade the hardware wi thout worrying about needing to redesign parts or the entire database.