Chapter 17

Database Design Using the REA Data Model

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Learning Objectives
Discuss the steps for designing and implementing a database system.
Use the REA data model to design an AIS database. Draw an REA diagram of an AIS database. Read an REA diagram and explain what it reveals about the business activities and policies of the organization being modeled.

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Database Design Process

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The System Analysis Process

Systems Analysis
Initial planning to determine the need for and feasibility of developing a new system
Judgments about the proposals technological and economic feasibility Identify user information needs Define the scope of the proposed new system Gather information about the expected number of users and transaction volumes to make preliminary decisions about hardware and software requirements

Conceptual Design

Developing the different schemas for the new system at the conceptual, external, and internal levels
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The System Analysis Process (contd)

Physical Design
Translating the internal-level schema into the actual database structures that will be implemented in the new system New applications are developed

Implementation and Conversion

Includes all the activities associated with transferring data from existing systems to the new database AIS Testing the new system Training employees

Maintaining the New System

Data Modeling
Process of defining an information system so it represents an organizations requirements
Occurs at two stages of the design process:
System analysis Conceptual design

Data models:
Data flow diagrams (Chapter 3) Flow charts (Chapter 3) Entity-relationship diagrams (Chapter 17)

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Entity-Relationship Diagrams
Used to graphically represent a database schema
Depicts entities
Anything an organization wants to collect information about

Relationships between entities

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E-R Diagram Variations

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Resources-Events-Agents Diagram
Developed for designing AIS
Categorizing entities into:

Resources
Things that have economic value

Events
Business activities
Management wants to manage and control

Agents
People and organizations that participate in events

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REA Diagram Rules

1. Each event is linked to at least one resource that it affects.
2. Each event is linked to at least one other event.
Types of links (relationships):
Get events Give events

Participation events

3. Each event is linked to at least two participating agents.

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Business Cycle GiveGet Relationships

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Revenue Cycle REA Diagram

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Developing an REA Diagram

1. Identify the events about which management wants to collect information.

2. Identify the resources affected by each event and the agents who participate in those events.
What economic resource is reduced by the Give event? What economic resource is acquired by the Get event? What economic resource is affected by a commitment event?

3. Determine the cardinalities of each relationship.

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Cardinalities
Describe the nature of relationships between entities
How many instances of one entity can be linked to each specific instance of another entity Minimum can be: 0 or 1 Maximum can be: 1 or Many

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Cardinalities

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Three Types of Relationships

Relationship type is based on maximum cardinality:
One-to-One:

One-to-Many:

Many-to-Many:

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