Database Reference
In-Depth Information
As you can see, this model solves all our scalability problems. In fact,
this new model doesn't need to be scaled. We can still enter one address
for each customer, but we can also easily enter more addresses when the
need arises. Additionally, each address can be labeled so that we can tell
what the address is for.
Meeting Business Requirements
Many big, expensive solutions have been implemented over the years that
serve no real purpose—IT only for the sake of IT. Some people thought that
if they bought the biggest and best computer system, all their problems would
be solved. Experience tells us that things just don't work that way: Technology
is more successful when it's deployed to solve a business problem.
With data modeling, it's easy to fall into implementing something that
the business doesn't need. To make your design work, you need to take a
big step back and try to figure out what the business is trying to accomplish
and then help it achieve its goals. You need to take the time to do data
modeling correctly, and really dig into the company's requirements. Later,
we look specifically at how to get the requirements you need. For now, just
keep in mind that if you do your job as a data modeler correctly, you will
meet the needs, and not only the wants, of your customer.
Easy Data Retrieval
Once you have data stored in a database, it is useful only if users can retrieve
it. A database serves no purpose if it has a ton of great information but it's
hard to retrieve it. In addition to thinking about how you will store data, it's
crucial to design a model that lends itself to getting the data back out.
One of the worst databases I have ever seen, I designed. (Because this
book is written by two authors, I'm forced to acknowledge that the author
speaking here is Eric Johnson.) I am not proud of it, but it was a great
learning experience. Years before I was properly introduced to the world
of relational database management systems, I started, as many people do,
by playing with Microsoft Access to build a database for a small Visual
Basic application I was writing. I was working as a trainer and just starting
to take Microsoft certification exams to become a Microsoft Certified
Systems Engineer (MCSE).
As part of my job as a trainer, I had to find a way to test the students
to make sure they were learning the material. The first few classes got a
Search WWH ::
Custom Search