Designing Quality Databases with IDEF1X Information Models

Book excerpt: In the beginning, when computers were the toys of back-room scientists, there were not databases, no systems architects, no information modelers. Computers did not manage business information, so there was no need for information specification techniques. In today's complex world, precise specification methods are a primary requirement for business success and survival. This book describes how to use information models to specify business information models to specify business information requirements, policies, and rules, and how to use these specifications to design and build database applications. Using IDEF1X, a language for describing information structures, this text provides clear and practical instructions that teach the reader to think about complex data and business rules without being concerned about the particular characteristics of the database management system that will be used for implementation. This text is addressed to both those who want to know the why and those who want to know the how of data-driven design.