DATABASE DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE - Database Design and Development: An Essential Guide for IT Professionals - page 137

• At regular intervals of about 12 months, review your processor capacity to
handle the increased number of transactions. Upgrade if necessary.
CHAPTER SUMMARY
• Because of the importance of database systems, organizations must build them
with a lot of care and attention.
• Right at the outset, adopt a data-oriented approach and establish a framework
for the development.
• The database development life cycle (DDLC) consists of the following phases
or steps, not necessarily in sequential order: planning, feasibility study, require-
ments definition, design, implementation and deployment, maintenance and
growth.
• Database practitioners from IT and user representatives have distinct roles in
database development.
• Proper definition of requirements is critical because it drives the design and the
other phases.
• The design phase consists of producing the logical design (data structures, rela-
tionships, etc.) and physical design (files, records, etc.).
• Database administrators play key roles in database implementation, deploy-
ment, and maintenance.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What do you understand about a data-oriented approach for database devel-
opment?
2. Name the phases or steps of DDLC. Describe very briefly the types of tasks
in two of these phases.
3. Who normally does the planning for the database system in an organization?
What are the planning responsibilities?
4. What are the three general areas for feasibility study? Why are they
important?
5. Describe the types of costs associated with a database system.
6. List any six major tasks in the requirements definition phase. Describe any
one of these tasks.
7. What is the distinction between logical and physical design? Why are these
two levels of design necessary?
8. What are some of the tasks for populating the new database with initial data?
Describe briefly.
9. “DDLC does not end with the initial deployment of the database.” Do you
agree? Explain.
10. What is tuning the database for performance? Why is this necessary?