Data Modelling

How to build the data environment for future systems

Course contents:

Course benefits

Who should attend

Prerequisites

What you will learn

What you will cover

How you will learn

Duration and availability

Course of the month

Course directory

Public schedule and prices

Terms of business

Course benefits:

Good information is critical to an organisation's success, but businesses change and information needs change with them. In order to cope with this data must be recorded both completely and flexibly. Data is the cornerstone of application developments and a full understanding of the data that the business creates, records and uses is crucial. The problem that developers face is to understand the data, what it means and how it will be used, and to construct the means to satisfy today's needs with flexibility for the future.

Well-defined and well-constructed data allows applications to succeed. In its absence applications will fail. If the data is not there, or not associated correctly, the business will not obtain the information it requires. Organisations can spend a lot of money on changing programs, but if the data is not constructed correctly that money represents wasted effort.

The benefits to organisations are immense. Available and correctly analysed data offers information advantage. Well-defined and recorded data promotes re-use. Discipline in developing applications enhances productivity.

Who should attend:

This course is for

• Analysts and Designers
• Analyst Programmers
• Database Administrators
• Business staff involved with defining system requirements

To obtain the ISEB Certificate in Data Modelling, please check the description for the examined version of this material.

Prerequisites:

There are no specific prerequisites for this course but an appreciation of the need for well-ordered data and the difficulties of developing such would be an advantage.

What you will learn:

This course teaches the key techniques of data modelling and data analysis that allow developers to satisfy the business information needs. Most importantly it provides experience-based advice and guidance on how to use them. Delegates acquire the skills necessary to define data needs and to develop a first cut relational database design that will meet system requirements.

On successful completion of the course, attendees will be able to:

• Identify the data requirements for a system and develop a model to represent these
• Carry out accurate relational data analysis to remove data redundancy, ambiguity and anomalies
• Document and build logical models based on the business relationships of the data and on the system requirements

What you will cover:

• Introduction - The problems caused by poor file and database design; the need for well-organised data; introduction to relational data analysis; entity modelling and logical database design
• Entity Modelling - Logical models to support processing requirements; data structures; fitting data structures to system needs; access paths; the entity modelling technique; validation against requirements
• Relational Data Analysis - A procedure for third normal form (TNF) data analysis; normalisation rules; optimisation; using TNF on complex applications; discussion of fourth and fifth normal forms
• Composite Logical Data Design - Combining the results of TNF data analysis with the business-oriented entity model; converting the TNF relations to a logical data model; combining the entity model and the TNF structures; specification of requirements for physical design

How you will learn:

This course comprises a mixture of lecture sessions and practical work. Practice is essential to a full understanding and over 50% of the course is spent on exercises and a case study. The case study is based on a project for which we undertook the data analysis. Worked solutions are provided for each assignment.

Duration and availability:

Two days non-residential. In-house only.

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