Chapter |||\\\ 2 |||\\\ - |||\\\ Data |||\\\ Management |||\\\ - |||\\\
Foundations.
Discuss |||\\\ the |||\\\ importance |||\\\ of |||\\\ data |||\\\ modeling. |||\\\ - |||\\\ correct |||\\\ |||\\\ answer✔✔Explanation: |||\\\ A |||\\\
data |||\\\ model |||\\\ is |||\\\ a |||\\\ relatively |||\\\ simple |||\\\ representation, |||\\\ usually |||\\\ graphical, |||\\\ of |||\\\ a |||\\\ more |||\\\
complex |||\\\ real |||\\\ world |||\\\ object |||\\\ event. |||\\\ The |||\\\ data |||\\\ model's |||\\\ main |||\\\ function |||\\\ is |||\\\ to |||\\\ help |||\\\ us |||\\\
understand |||\\\ the |||\\\ complexities |||\\\ of |||\\\ the |||\\\ real-world |||\\\ environment. |||\\\ The |||\\\ database |||\\\
designer |||\\\ uses |||\\\ data |||\\\ models |||\\\ to |||\\\ facilitate |||\\\ the |||\\\ interaction |||\\\ among |||\\\ designers, |||\\\
application |||\\\ programmers, |||\\\ and |||\\\ end |||\\\ users. |||\\\ In |||\\\ short, |||\\\ a |||\\\ good |||\\\ data |||\\\ model |||\\\ is |||\\\ a |||\\\
communications |||\\\ device |||\\\ that |||\\\ helps |||\\\ eliminate |||\\\ (or |||\\\ at |||\\\ least |||\\\ substantially |||\\\ reduce) |||\\\
discrepancies |||\\\ between |||\\\ the |||\\\ database |||\\\ design's |||\\\ components |||\\\ and |||\\\ the |||\\\ real |||\\\ world |||\\\
data |||\\\ environment. |||\\\ The |||\\\ development |||\\\ of |||\\\ data |||\\\ models, |||\\\ bolstered |||\\\ by |||\\\ powerful |||\\\
database |||\\\ design |||\\\ tools, |||\\\ has |||\\\ made |||\\\ it |||\\\ possible |||\\\ to |||\\\ substantially |||\\\ diminish |||\\\ the |||\\\
database |||\\\ design |||\\\ error |||\\\ potential. |||\\\ (Review |||\\\ Section |||\\\ 2.1 |||\\\ in |||\\\ detail.)
What |||\\\ is |||\\\ a |||\\\ business |||\\\ rule, |||\\\ and |||\\\ what |||\\\ is |||\\\ its |||\\\ purpose |||\\\ in |||\\\ data |||\\\ modeling? |||\\\ - |||\\\ correct |||\\\ |||\\\
answer✔✔Explanation: |||\\\ A |||\\\ business |||\\\ rule |||\\\ is |||\\\ a |||\\\ brief, |||\\\ precise, |||\\\ and |||\\\ unambigous |||\\\
description |||\\\ of |||\\\ a |||\\\ policy, |||\\\ procedure, |||\\\ or |||\\\ principle |||\\\ within |||\\\ a |||\\\ specific |||\\\ organization's |||\\\
environment. |||\\\ In |||\\\ a |||\\\ sense, |||\\\ business |||\\\ rules |||\\\ are |||\\\ misnamed: |||\\\ they |||\\\ apply |||\\\ to |||\\\ any |||\\\
organization |||\\\ -- |||\\\ a |||\\\ business, |||\\\ a |||\\\ government |||\\\ unit, |||\\\ a |||\\\ religious |||\\\ group, |||\\\ or |||\\\ a |||\\\ research |||\\\
laboratory; |||\\\ large |||\\\ or |||\\\ small |||\\\ -- |||\\\ that |||\\\ stores |||\\\ and |||\\\ uses |||\\\ data |||\\\ to |||\\\ generate |||\\\ information.
How |||\\\ do |||\\\ you |||\\\ translate |||\\\ business |||\\\ rules |||\\\ into |||\\\ data |||\\\ model |||\\\ components? |||\\\ - |||\\\ correct |||\\\ |||\\\
answer✔✔Explanation: |||\\\ As |||\\\ a |||\\\ general |||\\\ rule, |||\\\ a |||\\\ noun |||\\\ in |||\\\ a |||\\\ business |||\\\ rule |||\\\ will |||\\\
translate |||\\\ into |||\\\ an |||\\\ entity |||\\\ in |||\\\ the |||\\\ model, |||\\\ and |||\\\ a |||\\\ verb |||\\\ (active |||\\\ or |||\\\ passive) |||\\\ associating |||\\\
nouns |||\\\ will |||\\\ translate |||\\\ into |||\\\ a |||\\\ relationship |||\\\ among |||\\\ the |||\\\ entities. |||\\\ For |||\\\ example, |||\\\ the |||\\\
business |||\\\ rule |||\\\ "a |||\\\ customer |||\\\ may |||\\\ generate |||\\\ many |||\\\ invoices" |||\\\ contains |||\\\ two |||\\\ nouns |||\\\
(customer |||\\\ and |||\\\ invoice) |||\\\ and |||\\\ a |||\\\ verb |||\\\ ("generate") |||\\\ that |||\\\ associates |||\\\ them.
Describe |||\\\ the |||\\\ basic |||\\\ features |||\\\ of |||\\\ the |||\\\ relational |||\\\ data |||\\\ model |||\\\ and |||\\\ discuss |||\\\ their |||\\\
importance |||\\\ to |||\\\ the |||\\\ end |||\\\ user |||\\\ and |||\\\ the |||\\\ designer. |||\\\ - |||\\\ correct |||\\\ |||\\\ answer✔✔Explanation: |||\\\
A |||\\\ relational |||\\\ database |||\\\ is |||\\\ a |||\\\ single |||\\\ data |||\\\ repository |||\\\ that |||\\\ provides |||\\\ both |||\\\ structural |||\\\
and |||\\\ data |||\\\ independence |||\\\ while |||\\\ maintaining |||\\\ conceptual |||\\\ simplicity.
