Question 1. Improved Processes

Databases are installed to help solve problems, improve processes, or provide a benefit to the organization. Do you have a scenario that you can share where you believe a Database helped/could help improve a process at your work or at another organization with which you are familiar? It can be for a new application or to replace an existing application or process. Respond to at least two of your classmates' postings.

Question 2. Interviewing the Users

This week's reading contained a section on interviewing the users. Why is this process important? Think about who uses the tool, what they use it for, and what is important for them to get the job done. Have you ever been involved in any of these types of interviews? If so, share your experience.

Question 3. Keys

Why is a Key important in a database? How does it help with Referential Integrity? Chapter 8 lists three compelling reasons why Keys are crucial to table structure. There is an example of a table and its' key in Figure 8.2.

Question 4. Determining System Requirements

Identify the database or process you would like to begin to think about for your future database design. After you have developed a database idea, you need to plan the interviewing of your users. Interviewing will give you a better understanding of user needs, wants, and desires, as well as help you to determine your system requirements. What questions should you ask? How do you think this will help you in determining your table and field requirements? When do you think it would be important to make these decisions?

Question Table Relationships

Chapter 5. discusses table relationships. Define one type of relationship (one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many and self-referencing relationships) and provide an example of this type of data relationship.

Question 6. Business Rules

There is a great deal of information to consider when planning business rules. Now that you have read Chapter 11, think of a business rule from a place you have been employed at and use that in an example. This could be around defining user access or field specific data, deciding if a field is required or if a field has data validation. How effective was the application of the business rule? Please be specific in your example.

Question 7. There are three types of views. Pick one of them and provide a definition, an example of that type of view, and when you would use the view. If you have ever purchased anything online and returned to the vendor Web site, many views of data will be accessible when you login, including your previous orders, their catalog of product, and even your shipping and credit card information. Think of examples like this before you respond.

Question 8. Bending the Rules

Chapter 15 discusses bending or breaking the rules. Can you think of a situation where you would apply this practice? List an example and which rule you would be bending or breaking.

Book:

Hernandez, M. J. (2003). Database Design for Mere Mortals (2nd ed.). Boston: Addison-Wesley. ISBN: 9780201752847