Module 4: Entity

Relationship (ER)
Modeling

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 Chapter Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Identify the main characteristics of entity relationship components

2. Describe how relationships between entities are defined

3. Explain how ERD components affect database design and implementation

4. Describe how real-world database design often requires the reconciliation of

conflicting goals

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 The Entity Relationship Model
• The entity relationship model (ERM) forms the basis of an ERD
− The ERD represents the conceptual database as viewed by the end user

• ERDs depict the database’s main components:

− Entities
− Attributes
− Relationships

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 Entities
• An entity is an object of interest to the end user
− An entity refers to the entity set and not to a single entity occurrence

• An entity in the ERM corresponds to a table—not to a row—in the relational

environment
− ERM refers to a table row as an entity instance or entity occurrence

• In Chen, Crow’s Foot, and UML notations, an entity is represented by a rectangle that
contains the entity’s name
− The entity name, a noun, is usually written in all capital letters

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 Attributes (1 of 4)
• Attributes are characteristics of entities

• A required attribute is an attribute that must have a value and cannot be left empty

• An optional attribute does not require a value and can be left empty

• Attributes must have a domain, which is the set of possible values for a given
attribute

• An identifier is one or more attributes that uniquely identify each entity instance

• A composite identifier is a primary key composed of more than one attribute

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 Attributes (2 of 4)
• A composite attribute is an attribute that can be subdivided to yield additional
attributes

• A simple attribute is an attribute that cannot be subdivided

• A single-valued attribute is an attribute that has only a single value

• Multivalued attributes are attributes that have many values

• Implementing multivalued attributes

− Create several new attributes, one for each component of the original multivalued
attribute
− Create a new entity composed of the original multivalued attribute’s components

• A derived attribute is an attribute whose value is calculated from other attributes

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Attributes (3 of 4)

• Figure 4.1 The Attributes of the

STUDENT Entity: Chen and Crow’s Foot

• Figure 4.3 A Multivalued Attribute in

An Entity

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Attributes (4 of 4)

• Figure 4.4 Splitting the Multivalued

Attribute into New Attributes

• Figure 4.6 Depiction of a Derived

Attribute

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 Relationships

• The entities that participate in a relationship are also known as participants and each
relationship is identified by a name that describes the relationship

• The relationship name is an active or passive verb

• Relationships between entities always operate in both directions

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 Connectivity and Cardinality (1 of 2)

• Connectivity describes the relationship classification

− Includes 1:1, 1:M, and M:N

• Cardinality expresses the minimum and maximum number of entity occurrences

associated with one occurrence of the related entity
− In the ERD, cardinality is indicated by placing the appropriate numbers beside the
entities, using the format (x,y)
− The first value represents the minimum number of associated entities and the
second value represents the maximum number of associated entities

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Connectivity and Cardinality (2 of 2)

Figure 4.7 Connectivity and

Cardinality in an ERD

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 Existence Dependence

• An entity is said to be existence-dependent if it can exist in the database only when

it is associated with another related entity occurrence
− An entity is existence-dependent if it has a mandatory foreign key

• If an entity can exist apart from all of its related entities, it is existence-independent
− It is referred to as a strong entity or regular entity

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 Relationship Strength (1 of 3)

• Weak (Non-identifying) Relationships

− A weak relationship exists if the primary key of the related entity does not
contain a primary key component of the parent entity

• Strong (Identifying) Relationships

− A strong relationship exists when the primary key of the related entity contains a
primary key component of the parent entity

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Relationship Strength (2 of 3)

Figure 4.9 A Weak (Non-Identifying)

Relationship Between COURSE and
CLASS

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Relationship Strength (3 of 3)

Figure 4.10 A Strong (Identifying)

Relationship Between COURSE and
CLASS

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 Weak Entities (1 of 3)

• A weak entity is one that meets the following two conditions:

− The entity is existence-dependent
− The entity has a primary key that is partially or totally derived from parent entity
in the relationship

• The database designer usually determines whether an entity can be described as

weak based on business rules

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Weak Entities (2 of 3)

Figure 4.11 A Weak Entity in an

ERD

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Weak Entities (3 of 3)

Figure 4.12 A Weak Entity in a

Strong Relationship

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 Relationship Participation (1 of 3)

• Optional participation means that one entity occurrence does not require a
corresponding entity occurrence in a particular relationship

• Mandatory participation means that one entity occurrence requires a corresponding

entity occurrence in a particular relationship

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Relationship Participation (2 of 3)

• Figure 4.13 An Optional CLASS Entity in the

Relationship “PROFESSOR teaches CLASS”

• Figure 4.14 CLASS is Optional to COURSE

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Relationship Participation (3 of 3)

Figure 4.15 COURSE and CLASS

in a Mandatory Relationship

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 Relationship Degree (1 of 3)

• A relationship degree indicates the number of entities or participants associated with

a relationship

• A unary relationship exists when an association is maintained within a single entity

• A binary relationship exists when two entities are associated

• A ternary relationship exists when three entities are associated

• A recursive relationship is a relationship within a single entity type

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Relationship Degree (2 of 3)

Figure 4.16 Three Types of

Relationship Degree

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Relationship Degree (3 of 3)

Figure 4.17 The Implementation of

a Ternary Relationship

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 Knowledge Check Activity 4-1

What two conditions must be met before an entity can be classified as a

weak entity?

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 Recursive Relationships (1 of 2)

• A recursive relationship can exist between occurrences of the same entity set
− Naturally, such a condition is found within a unary relationship

• One common pitfall when working with unary relationships is to confuse participation
with referential integrity
− Similar because they are both implemented through constraints on the same set
of attributes

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Recursive Relationships (2 of 2)

• Figure 4.18 An ER Representation of Recursive

Relationships

• Figure 4.19 The 1:1 Recursive Relationship

“EMPLOYEE Is Married to EMPLOYEE”

• Figure 4.20 Implementation of the 1:M Recursive

Relationship “EMPLOYEE manages EMPLOYEE”

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 Associative (Composite) Entities (1 of 2)

• The ER model uses the associative entity to represent an M:N relationship between
two or more entities

• It is also called a composite or bridge entity and is a 1:M relationship with the parent
entities
− It is composed of the primary key attributes of each parent entity

• The composite entity may also contain additional attributes that play no role in
connective process

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Associative (Composite) Entities (2 of 2)

Figure 4.26 A Composite Entity in

an ERD

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 Developing an ER Diagram (1 of 7)

• Building an ERD usually involves the following activities:

− Create a detailed narrative of the organization’s description of operations
− Identify business rules based on the description of operations
− Identify main entities and relationships from the business rules
− Develop the initial ERD
− Identify the attributes and primary keys that adequately describe entities
− Revise and review the ERD

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Developing an ER Diagram (2 of 7)

• Figure 4.27 The First Tiny College ERD Segment

• Figure 4.28 The Second Tiny College ERD Segment

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Developing an ER Diagram (3 of 7)

• Figure 4.29 The Third Tiny College ERD Segment

• Figure 4.30 The Fourth Tiny College ERD Segment

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Developing an ER Diagram (4 of 7)

• Figure 4.31 The Fifth Tiny College ERD Segment

• Figure 4.32 The Sixth Tiny College ERD Segment

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Developing an ER Diagram (5 of 7)

• Figure 4.33 The Seventh Tiny College ERD Segment

• Figure 4.34 The Eighth Tiny College ERD Segment

• Figure 4.35 The Ninth Tiny College ERD Segment

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Developing an ER Diagram (6 of 7)

Figure 4.36 The Completed Tiny

College ERD

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 Developing an ER Diagram (7 of 7)
Table 4.4 Components of the ERM
Entity Relationship Connectivity Entity
SCHOOL operates 1:M DEPARTMENT
DEPARTMENT has 1:M STUDENT
DEPARTMENT employs 1:M PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT offers 1:M COURSE
COURSE generates 1:M CLASS
SEMESTER includes 1:M CLASS
PROFESSOR is dean of 1:1 SCHOOL
PROFESSOR chairs 1:1 DEPARTMENT
PROFESSOR teaches 1:M CLASS
PROFESSOR advises 1:M STUDENT
STUDENT enrolls in M:N CLASS
BUILDING contains 1:M ROOM
ROOM is used for 1:M CLASS

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 Database Design Challenges: Conflicting
Goals (1 of 2)
• Database designers must often make design compromises that are triggered by
conflicting goals
− Database design must conform to design standards
− High processing speed may limit the number and complexity of logically desirable
relationships
− Maximum information generation may lead to loss of clean design structures and
high transaction speed

• A design that meets all logical requirements and design conventions is an important
goal

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Database Design Challenges: Conflicting
Goals (2 of 2)

Figure 4.39 Various

Implementations of the 1:1 Recursive
Relationship

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 Knowledge Check Activity 4-2

• How is a relationship between entities indicated in an ERD?

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 Summary

Now that the lesson has ended, you should be able to:

1. Identify the main characteristics of entity relationship components

2. Describe how relationships between entities are defined

3. Explain how ERD components affect database design and implementation

4. Describe how real-world database design often requires the reconciliation of

conflicting goals

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 Solve this!

Given the following brief summary for the CM catering service, draw the fully labeled
ERD. Make sure to include all appropriate entities, attributes, relationships,
connectivities, and cardinalities.
− Each dinner is based on a single entrée, but each entrée can be served at many
dinners. A guest can attend many dinners, and each dinner can be attended by
many guests. Each dinner invitation can be mailed to many guests, and each
guest can receive many invitations.

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