The Data Base Design Process

Abstract

The objective of data base design is to produce an integrated data base which is accurate and secure and which supports application systems in an efficient manner. Each of these characteristics—integration, integrity, security, and performance—must be addressed during the design process to assure the desired outcome. Integration is the result of specifying data base content and structure in response to the needs of more than one application area. Integrity is assured through controls on application systems that prevent data loss or improper modification. The use of procedures and dbms features that promote data sharing, while limiting access to data which are not shared, results in data base security. Finally, data base performance depends on both the efficiency of the physical realization of the data and the ability of the data base to satisfy processing requests in a timely manner.