DB Design
Introduction
The three conflicting database requirements that have to be addressed in database design are the adherence to design standards, meeting the right level of database processing speeds and getting the right information needs. This paper will focus on these conflicting database requirements that are necessary in the design of a database.
- Adherence to Design Standards
Database standards are important in that they come up with structures that reduce data redundancies, hence limiting the chance of data being inconsistent. The absence of database design has to in line with the database standards. Without it, a proper design is hard to create, to assess a design or track the probability of any modifications in the design.
The developers are not to use capital letters as a way of relating names and the naming of attributes (Davidson, et al 2009, 35). Additionally, the fields should not be broken down to atomic levels. Regarding the policies of the database is that the invoice ought to have more than one invoice and acquiring the minimum level a flag appears.
High level of processing speeds is top most in certain companies when it comes to implementation. This high speeds similarly need the minimization of the access time. This is realized through reduction of the size and logically needed relationships that may result to conflict with design standards.
- Processing speed
The database processing speed is the time applied to execute database queried. There are a number of factors that affect processing speeds. According to Rob, complexity is one of them and the reduction of the size of relationships will increase the processing speeds (2008, 135). This will affect certain design standards. Commonly used attributes will advance the retrieval speeds
In several companies, more so the ones that involve a wide range of transactions, high processing speeds are of high consideration in the design of a database. High processing speeds is defined as using the shortest possible time to undertake several operations. These tasks may be achieved through reducing the size and complexity of logically needed relationships. For instance, a ‘perfect’ design may use a 1:1 relationship to do limit nulls while a higher transaction speed design may integrate two tables so as to avoid the use of added relationship, applying dummy entries in order to limit nulls. If consideration is on data retrieval speed, one might have to integrate derived characters in the design.
- Information Requirements
The desire to have information at the right time might be of consideration to database design. Complicated information features calls for data change. This may increase the entities and features that are in the design. This calls for the database to eliminate certain aspects of its design structures or/and high transaction speeds. This will make sure that the information generated is at an optimum level. A good example consider a case where sales report has to be created sequentially (Rob, 2008, 137). This report comprises of invoice subtotals, taxes and totals; the invoice line similarly includes subtotals. Taking a situation where sales report involves several of invoices, calculating the sum and subtotals is bound to be time consuming.
Taking a situation where that these calculations were made, and the outcome are stored as derived attributes in INVOICE and LINE tables when they are being handled, the real-time transaction speed may have dropped. However, the loss of the speed would only be noted if there are several other similar transactions (Coronel, Morrison, & Rob, 2012, 76). A minimal loss of transaction speeds in the front end and several derived attributes are bound to pay off. This is common when there are sales reports created.
A design that has all of the logical features and design conventions is necessary. Though, if they are not able to meet the client’s transaction speed and information specifics, the designer will not be able to do good work on the customer’s stand point. One has to compromise a lot for the best result to be achieved in database design.
At the same time as one focuses on the entities, attributes and constraints, the designer ought to take into consideration the needs of the client. This may be in terms of performance, security, and access and data integrity. The designer has to focus on the processing aspects and validate the updates, retrievals and deletion variables are accessible. Lastly, a design is of no importance if the outcome has the ability of delivering the specified queries and reporting requests.
One is bound to note that even the finest design process creates an ERD that calls for additional modifications to be made through operational needs. These changes ought not to daunt one from applying the process. ER modeling is important in the advancement of a sound design that has the ability of connecting the needs of the changes and growth. Applying ERDs leads to the biggest bonus: an extensive awareness of how a company operates works.
References
Coronel, C., Morrison, S. & Rob, P., 2012. Database Systems Design Implementation Management, 10th ed. New York: Cengage.
Davidson, L., Kline, K. et al, 2009. Pro SQL Server 2008 Relational Database Design and Implementation. New York: Apress.
Peter R, 2008. Database Systems Design, Implementation and Management 8th edition. Boston: Massachusetts Course Technology.
