6/4/2017 ConceptualDatabaseDesignEntityRelationship(ER)Modeling

ConceptualDatabaseDesignEntityRelationship(ER)Modeling

DatabaseDesignTechniques

1.ERModeling(TopdownApproach)

2.Normalization(BottomUpapproach)

WhatisERModeling?

Agraphicaltechniqueforunderstandingandorganizingthedataindependentofthe
actualdatabaseimplementation

Weneedtobefamiliarwiththefollowingtermstogofurther.

Entity

Anythingthathasanindependentexistenceandaboutwhichwecollectdata.Itisalso
knownasentitytype.

InERmodeling,notationforentityisgivenbelow.

Entityinstance

Entityinstanceisaparticularmemberoftheentitytype.

Exampleforentityinstance:Aparticularemployee

RegularEntity

Anentitywhichhasitsownkeyattributeisaregularentity.

Exampleforregularentity:Employee.

Weakentity

Anentitywhichdependsonotherentityforitsexistenceanddoesn'thaveanykey
attributeofitsownisaweakentity.

Exampleforaweakentity:Inaparent/childrelationship,aparentisconsideredasa
strongentityandthechildisaweakentity.

InERmodeling,notationforweakentityisgivenbelow.

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Attributes

Properties/characteristicswhichdescribeentitiesarecalledattributes.

InERmodeling,notationforattributeisgivenbelow.

DomainofAttributes

Thesetofpossiblevaluesthatanattributecantakeiscalledthedomainoftheattribute.
Forexample,theattributedaymaytakeanyvaluefromtheset{Monday,Tuesday...
Friday}.Hencethissetcanbetermedasthedomainoftheattributeday.

Keyattribute

Theattribute(orcombinationofattributes)whichisuniqueforeveryentityinstanceis
calledkeyattribute.

E.gtheemployee_idofanemployee,pan_card_numberofapersonetc.Ifthekeyattribute
consistsoftwoormoreattributesincombination,itiscalledacompositekey.

InERmodeling,notationforkeyattributeisgivenbelow.

Simpleattribute

Ifanattributecannotbedividedintosimplercomponents,itisasimpleattribute.

Exampleforsimpleattribute:employee_idofanemployee.

Compositeattribute

Ifanattributecanbesplitintocomponents,itiscalledacompositeattribute.

Exampleforcompositeattribute:Nameoftheemployeewhichcanbesplitinto
First_name,Middle_name,andLast_name.

SinglevaluedAttributes

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Ifanattributecantakeonlyasinglevalueforeachentityinstance,itisasinglevalued
attribute.

exampleforsinglevaluedattribute:ageofastudent.Itcantakeonlyonevaluefora
particularstudent.

MultivaluedAttributes

Ifanattributecantakemorethanonevalueforeachentityinstance,itisamultivalued
attribute.Multivalued

exampleformultivaluedattribute:telephonenumberofanemployee,aparticular
employeemayhavemultipletelephonenumbers.

InERmodeling,notationformultivaluedattributeisgivenbelow.

StoredAttribute

Anattributewhichneedtobestoredpermanentlyisastoredattribute

Exampleforstoredattribute:nameofastudent

DerivedAttribute

Anattributewhichcanbecalculatedorderivedbasedonotherattributesisaderived
attribute.

Exampleforderivedattribute:ageofemployeewhichcanbecalculatedfromdateofbirth
andcurrentdate.

InERmodeling,notationforderivedattributeisgivenbelow.

Relationships

Associationsbetweenentitiesarecalledrelationships

Example:Anemployeeworksforanorganization.Here"worksfor"isarelationbetween
theentitiesemployeeandorganization.

InERmodeling,notationforrelationshipisgivenbelow.

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HoweverinERModeling,ToconnectaweakEntitywithothers,youshoulduseaweak
relationshipnotationasgivenbelow

DegreeofaRelationship

Degreeofarelationshipisthenumberofentitytypesinvolved.Thenaryrelationshipis
thegeneralformfordegreen.Specialcasesareunary,binary,andternary,wherethe
degreeis1,2,and3,respectively.

Exampleforunaryrelationship:Anemployeeiaamanagerofanotheremployee

Exampleforbinaryrelationship:Anemployeeworksfordepartment.

Exampleforternaryrelationship:customerpurchaseitemfromashopkeeper

CardinalityofaRelationship

Relationshipcardinalitiesspecifyhowmanyofeachentitytypeisallowed.Relationships
canhavefourpossibleconnectivitiesasgivenbelow.

1.Onetoone(1:1)relationship

2.Onetomany(1:N)relationship

3.Manytoone(M:1)relationship

4.Manytomany(M:N)relationship

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Theminimumandmaximumvaluesofthisconnectivityiscalledthecardinalityofthe
relationship

ExampleforCardinalityOnetoOne(1:1)

Employeeisassignedwithaparkingspace.

Oneemployeeisassignedwithonlyoneparkingspaceandoneparkingspaceisassigned
toonlyoneemployee.Henceitisa1:1relationshipandcardinalityisOneToOne(1:1)

InERmodeling,thiscanbementionedusingnotationsasgivenbelow

ExampleforCardinalityOnetoMany(1:N)

Organizationhasemployees

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Oneorganizationcanhavemanyemployees,butoneemployeeworksinonlyone
organization.Henceitisa1:NrelationshipandcardinalityisOneToMany(1:N)

InERmodeling,thiscanbementionedusingnotationsasgivenbelow

ExampleforCardinalityManytoOne(M:1)

ItisthereverseoftheOnetoManyrelationship.employeeworksinorganization

OneemployeeworksinonlyoneorganizationButoneorganizationcanhavemany
employees.HenceitisaM:1relationshipandcardinalityisManytoOne(M:1)

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InERmodeling,thiscanbementionedusingnotationsasgivenbelow.

CardinalityManytoMany(M:N)

Studentsenrollsforcourses

Onestudentcanenrollformanycoursesandonecoursecanbeenrolledbymanystudents.
HenceitisaM:NrelationshipandcardinalityisManytoMany(M:N)

InERmodeling,thiscanbementionedusingnotationsasgivenbelow

RelationshipParticipation

1.Total

Intotalparticipation,everyentityinstancewillbeconnectedthroughtherelationshipto
anotherinstanceoftheotherparticipatingentitytypes

2.Partial

Exampleforrelationshipparticipation

ConsidertherelationshipEmployeeisheadofthedepartment.

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Hereallemployeeswillnotbetheheadofthedepartment.Onlyoneemployeewillbethe
headofthedepartment.Inotherwords,onlyfewinstancesofemployeeentityparticipate
intheaboverelationship.Soemployeeentity'sparticipationispartialinthesaid
relationship.

Howevereachdepartmentwillbeheadedbysomeemployee.Sodepartmententity's
participationistotalinthesaidrelationship.

AdvantagesandDisadvantagesofERModeling(MeritsandDemeritsofER
Modeling)

Advantages

1.ERModelingissimpleandeasilyunderstandable.Itisrepresentedinbusinessusers
languageanditcanbeunderstoodbynontechnicalspecialist.

2.IntuitiveandhelpsinPhysicalDatabasecreation.

3.Canbegeneralizedandspecializedbasedonneeds.

4.Canhelpindatabasedesign.

5.Givesahigherleveldescriptionofthesystem.

Disadvantages

1.PhysicaldesignderivedfromERModelmayhavesomeamountofambiguitiesor
inconsistency.

2.Sometimediagramsmayleadtomisinterpretations

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