Database Reference
In-Depth Information
STEP 4: DETERMINE THE MOST USEFUL FORM
Someone will need to review your work and use your findings during development, so de-
ciding the most useful form is an important step. We know the users for the model after
getting an answer to Strategic Question #4 from Step 1:
Who is our audience?
Who is the
person or group who is the validator and can confirm our understanding of the CDM, and
who will be the users of the CDM?
If the validator and users are already familiar with data modeling notation, the decision is
an easy one: use the traditional data modeling notation they are comfortable with. However,
very frequently at the conceptual level, the validator especially (and sometimes the users,
too) are not familiar with traditional data modeling notation or simply don't want to see
a data model. In these situations, be creative with how you display the model, coming up
with a visual that the audience for the model would understand. I'll share with you some
forms you can choose from for both relational and dimensional. However, the resulting
form you come up with can vary from the examples that follow—and that's great, as long
as you are thinking of your audience.
For Relational
There are many different forms we can choose from for the relational conceptual data mod-
eling deliverable. Let's look at three options.
Traditional Conceptual Data Model
