Logical Design Concepts

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Go Up to Developing the Logical Model

To avoid bugs, rewrites, and, in some instances, failed projects, ensure critical design issues have been fully identified and addressed. In order to realize the benefits of data modeling, you must commit to certain practices that require a more thorough design cycle in order to realize a more efficient development cycle. A sound design can streamline the development process and improve the quality of your data models and ultimately improve the performance of your database.

Because most people involved in data modeling are database administrators or developers, there is a tendency to approach data modeling as a straightforward database design exercise. While you ultimately implement a data model as a database design, you should not dismiss the opportunity to re-examine fundamental assumptions about your business and the rules that govern it. At the design stage the focus should be on business problems, not the technical details. In the process of developing the logical model, you might discover a simpler approach to implementing a database design that better accommodates growth and change.

The following topics provide guidelines for the logical design process that should help you achieve better results:

  • Object Name Rules describes how to name the entities and attributes in the logical design.
  • Logical Design Documentation describes the importance of providing definitions for entities, attributes, and relationships.
  • Normalization briefly describes the importance of normalizing your logical design before transforming it to a physical design.


See Also