Gish-Abay TVET College ICT Database Administration Level IV

Determine Suitability of Database Functionality and Scalability By Muhammed..A

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Gish-Abay TVET College ICT Database Administration Level IV

This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the following content coverage
and topics.
Defining business requirements following existing data.
Confirming Database objectives inline with defined requirements.
Analyzing the Database to identify the business rules, entities and relationships.
Identifying Existing and proposed business models.
Confirming the Database functionality with client.
This guide will also assist the trainee to attain the learning outcome stated in the cover page. Specifically, upon
completion of this Learning Guide, the trainee will be able to:
Define business requirements following existing data
Confirm Database objectives with defined requirements.
Analyze the Database to identify the business rules, entities and relationships.
Identify Existing and proposed business models.
Document Existing database and environment according to work place procedure.
Confirm the Database functionality with client.
Learning Instructions:
1

Read the specific objectives of this Learning Guide.

Read the information written in the Information Sheets 1. Try to understand what are being discussed. Ask
your teacher for assistance if you have hard time understanding them.

Accomplish the Self-check 1.

Ask from your teacher the key to correction (key answers) or you can request your teacher to correct your work.
(You are to get the key answer only after you finished answering the Self-check 1).

If you earned a satisfactory evaluation proceed to Information Sheet 2. However, if your rating is not
satisfactory, see your teacher for further instructions,

6 Submit your accomplished Self-check. This will form part of your training portfolio.

MODULE TITLE:

Determine Suitability of Database Functionality and

Scalability
MODULE CONTENTS:
LO1 Determine database functionality
1.1 Defining business requirements following existing data.
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Gish-Abay TVET College ICT Database Administration Level IV

Confirming Database objectives inline with defined requirements.
Analyzing the Database to identify the business rules, entities and relationships.
Identifying Existing and proposed business models.
Confirming the Database functionality with client.
LO1: Determine database functionality
Defining business requirements following existing data.
A requirement is a condition or capability that must be met or possessed by a system or system component to
satisfy a contract, standard, specification, or other formally imposed document.
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5

Business requirements are higher-level statements/description of the goals, objectives, or needs of the system.
They describe such things the reasons why a project is initiated, the things that the project will achieve, and the
metrics which will be used to measure its success.
I.e.: Business requirements are instructions describing the functions the system should provide and the
characteristics the solution should have.
How to identify business requirements?
Identifying business requirements means listing the things you will need to make in how the business operates.
These things can range from work activities to procedures, policies, and installing new equipment or software.
A comprehensive look into business requirements can turn up a surprising number of opportunities for taking the
organization to a new level of operating efficiency.
Identify the
Identify business
Solution
Procuremen
business
requirements
selection
t
case
Confirming Database objectives inline with defined requirements.

Implementation

The objectives of a database are to provide a method of:

- Organized data storage,
- Convenient retrieval of selected data,
- Presenting selected data in a convenient format (Generating reports based on the criteria).
DBMS has many objectives; some of them are as follows.
DBMS give multi-user access
Keep and maintain proper backups.

Give good security to database.

Concurrency control.

Give full control to Data

crash recovery

Platform independent.

Complex query support

Support online documentation

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Gish-Abay TVET College ICT Database Administration Level IV

Analyzing the Database to identify the business rules, entities and relationships
A business rule is a statement (a rule of a business, company, or corporation) that describes a business
policy or procedure. Business rules express business policy using a formalized vocabulary and a
series of if-then statements

Those business rules related to the use case steps or business process actions will often be of the
following types:

Limitations: For example: Only two pieces of luggage per passenger is allowed

Validation Rules: For example: Transferring account is not possible if the account is created after
1/1/1980

Permissions: For example: Account details must be visible for Gold members only

Evaluation: For example: If the order sum is higher than 4000, the customer is granted a4% discount

Process rule: For example: If the door lock has been activated the Occupied sign must be switched
on.

Identify Entities
An entity may be an object with a physical existence - a particular person, car, house, or employee or it may be an object with a conceptual existence - a company, a job, a university course, payment or
project that exists by itself.

For example, to develop a company's database for maintaining information on employees, the
application should be able to store and provide data on employee such as:

which department does employee work for

who is his/her manager

What is his/her skill level, etc.

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Gish-Abay TVET College ICT Database Administration Level IV

Generally, entity can be roles, events, locations, tangible things or concepts.

Each entity must have its own identity that distinguishes it from every other entity, called unique identifier.
In E-R Diagram, an entity is represented by a rectangle, and the name is indicated in capital letters.

Identify Relationships
A relationship, in the context of database, is an association that exists between two or more
participating entities in a database when one table has a foreign key that references the primary key of
the other table.
- The function of relationship is to share data between entities.
- In E-R Diagram, a relationship type is represented by a diamond shape with the relationship verb in it.
Identifying Existing and Proposed Business Models
At a conceptual level, a business model includes all aspects of a companys approach to developing a
profitable offering and delivering it to its target customers.
A business model describes the rationale of how an organization creates, delivers, and captures
value.The process of business model construction is part of business strategy.
Confirming Database Functionality

In determining database functionality, a user need analysis is conducted/performed to determine

database functionality. A database program must be able to add, delete and edit records in the tables which make up
the database and also to search for specific records in the tables by using different search criteria. In most cases, user
authentication is required.
A relational DBMS is special software that is used to manage the organization, storage, access,
security and integrity of data. This specialized software allows application systems to focus on the
user interface, data validation and screen navigation. When there is a need to add, modify, delete or
display data, the application system simply makes a "call" to the RDBMS.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Exercise: Self check

What is requirement?
What is business requirement?
Explain the objectives of database.
What is business rule?
Explain the Database Functionality.
Explain business model.

Instruction
Sheet-2

Learning Guide #2

This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the following
content coverage and topics.

Identifying Scalability of Database Component Requirements.

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Gish-Abay TVET College ICT Database Administration Level IV

Comparing Functionality and Scalability Database Features

Determining and Documenting Gap Features
This guide will also assist the trainee to attain the learning outcome stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this Learning Guide, the trainee will be able to:

Identify Scalability of Database Component Requirements.

Compare Functionality and Scalability Database Features
Determine and Documenting Gap Features.
Learning Instructions:

7 Read the specific objectives of this Learning Guide.

8 Read the information written in the Information Sheets 2. Try to understand what are being
discussed. Ask your teacher for assistance if you have hard time understanding them.
9 Accomplish the Self-check 2.
10 Ask from your teacher the key to correction (key answers) or you can request your teacher to correct
your work. (You are to get the key answer only after you finished answering the Self-check 2).
11 If you earned a satisfactory evaluation proceed to Information Sheet 3. However, if your rating is not
satisfactory, see your teacher for further instructions,
12 Submit your accomplished Self-check. This will form part of your training portfolio.

LO2. Identify scalability and functionality requirements

2.1 Identifying Scalability of Database Component Requirements :

2.1.1 System Architecture
2.1.2 Data Models
2.1.3 Data Structures
2.1.4 Hardware and Software
2.2 Comparing Functionality and Scalability Database Features
2.3 Determining and Documenting Gap Features
Identifying Scalability of Database Component Requirements
System Architecture
System Architecture is set of conventions, rules, and standards employed in a computer
system's technical framework, plus customer requirements and specifications.
The architecture of a database system determines its capability, reliability, effectiveness and
efficiency in meeting user requirements. Good database architecture should provide:
c) Ease of programming

a) Independence of data and programs

d) Powerful query facilities
b) Ease of system design
e) Protection of data
Data Models
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Gish-Abay TVET College ICT Database Administration Level IV

Data modeling is the formalization and documentation of existing processes and events that occur
during application software design and development. Data modeling techniques and tools capture and
translate complex system designs into easily understood representations of the data flows and
processes, creating a blueprint for construction and/or re-engineering.

I.e.: A data model is a set of concepts that can be used to describe the structure of the database: data types,
relationships, and constraints that should hold on the data.

There are several different approaches to data modeling, including:

Conceptual Data Modeling - identifies the highest-level relationships between different entities.

It addresses the unique requirements of a specific business.

Logical Data Modeling - illustrates the specific entities, attributes and relationships involved in a business
function.

Physical Data Modeling - represents an application and database-specific implementation of a logical

data model.

Use these guidelines to create a data model:

Identify the different data components- consider raw and processed data.

Identify the relationships between the different data components.

Identify the strengths and constraints of the technology (hardware and software).

Build a draft model of the entities and their relations.

Incorporate intended usage and technology constraints as needed to derive the simplest, most general model
possible

Test the model with different scenarios.

Repeat these steps to optimize the model

Data Structures
Data structure is interrelationship among data elements that determine how data is recorded,
manipulated, stored, and presented by a database.
It is a particular way of storing and organizing data in a computer so that it can be used efficiently.

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Gish-Abay TVET College ICT Database Administration Level IV

Data structures provide a means to manage large amounts of data efficiently, such as large databases
and internet indexing services. Usually, efficient data structures are a key to designing efficient
algorithms.

Exercise:
Self check

Explain Data model

Explain data structure

List down the guidelines to create a data model

Explain the difference between conceptual, logical and physical data model

Instruction
Sheet-3

Learning Guide #3

This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the following
content coverage and topics.

Documenting Functionality and scalability of database.

Submitting Report on database functionality and scalability to client for review.

This guide will also assist the trainee to attain the learning outcome stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this Learning Guide, the trainee will be able to:

Document Functionality and scalability of database.

Submit Report on database functionality and scalability to client for review.

Learning Instructions:

13 Read the specific objectives of this Learning Guide.

14 Read the information written in the Information Sheets 2. Try to understand what are being
discussed. Ask your teacher for assistance if you have hard time understanding them.
15 Accomplish the Self-check 3.
16 Ask from your teacher the key to correction (key answers) or you can request your teacher to correct
your work. (You are to get the key answer only after you finished answering the Self-check 3).
17 If you earned a satisfactory evaluation proceed to Information Sheet 4. However, if your rating is not
satisfactory, see your teacher for further instructions,
18 Submit your accomplished Self-check. This will form part of your training portfolio.
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Gish-Abay TVET College ICT Database Administration Level IV

LO3. Prepare report
3.1 Documenting Database Functionality and Scalability
3.2 Submitting the Database Functionality and Scalability Report for Review

Documenting Database Functionality and Scalability

Database functionality means a database program must be able to add, control, delete and edit records
in the tables which make up the database and able to search for specific records in the tables by using
different search criteria.
i.e.: Function of Database includes:
Indexing
Backup and Recovery
Views
Design
Security
Documentation
Integrity
Update
Concurrency
Query

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Scalability is the ability of a system, network, or process to handle a growing amount of work in a
capable manner or its ability to be enlarged to accommodate that growth.

It can refer to the capability of a system to increase total throughput under an increased load when resources
(typically hardware) are added.

A system, whose performance improves after adding hardware, proportionally to the capacity
added, is said to be a scalable system.

Functionality and scalability of database must be documented.

Submitting the Database Functionality and Scalability Report for Review

Report on database functionality and scalability should be submitted to client for review.

1
2
3

Exercise 3: self check

Explain database functionality.

What is database scalability?
Explain Backup and Recovery.