Fundamentals of Database Systems

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Database System Concepts and Architecture

Module 3 Data Modeling using ER-Model

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand the basic concepts of Entity Relationship Diagram
2. Categorize differences between the three levels of database design
3. Learn how to draw a simple ERD

Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)

There are three (3) levels of Database Design.
• Conceptual Design – creating an ERD to represent the reality of the data and to get
the required data of the business.
• Logical Design – transforming the ERD into relational model (tables, keys, etc.).
• Physical Design – creating the database.

Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) was proposed by Dr. Peter Chen in 1970’s. It is the 1st
level of database design or what we called Conceptual design. The major elements of ERD
are Entity, Attributes, Identifier and Relationship.

Entity and Attribute

Entity
• Entity Class – a thing that shares a common attribute.
• Entity Instance – is an instance of a particular entity.

Figure 3.1 Customer Entity Sample

Course Module
Attribute
• Describes an entity class.
• All the instances of a given entity class have the same attributes but vary in
the values of those attributes.

Figure 3.1 Attributes of a Customer Entity

Identifier
• Identifies an entity instance.
• For each entity instance the value of the identifier attribute is Unique.

Figure 3.2 Unique instances of a two (2) Customers

 Fundamentals of Database Systems
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Database System Concepts and Architecture

Entity Notations in ERD

STUDENT – Entity Class

Student_ID – Attribute at the same time the Identifier.
Student_name – Attribute

Figure 3.3 Student Entity with Attributes and Identifier.

Figure 3.4 Employee Entity Sample

Course Module
Other Attribute Types

Composite Attribute
• An attribute that can be divided into more attributes.
• Example: Name (Firstname, Middlename and Lastname)

Multi-Value Attribute
• An attribute that has a multiple value.
• Example: Hobby (singing, dancing and painting)

Derived Attribute
• Attribute that can be calculated from other attributes.
• Example: Age (You can get the age through birthdate)

Relationship
It describes how entities are related to each other.

Figure 3.5 Entity Relationship Model

Example no. 1

A book is published by Publishers

A Publisher can publish books
 Fundamentals of Database Systems
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Database System Concepts and Architecture

Example no. 2

Teacher Supervise Students

Teacher supervises students

Students supervised by a teacher

Example no. 3

Actor Act in/has

Movie

Actor act in movie

Movie has an actor

Course Module
References and Supplementary Materials
Books and Journals
1. Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe; 2016; Fundamentals of Database Systems;
USA; Pearson
2. Dr. Kashif Qureshi; 2018; Advanced concepts of information technology; educreation
publishing; India.

Online Supplementary Reading Materials

1. RelationalDBDesing; https://www.relationaldbdesign.com/basic-sql/module3/intro-
relational-databases.php; March 31, 2020
2. Advantages of Database Management System;
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/Advantages-of-Database-Management-System;
March 31, 2020
3. DesigningandManagingData;
https://www.academia.edu/36712448/Entity_Relationship_Diagram_ERD_Basics_CIS
_3730_Designing_and_Managing_Data; April 01, 2020
4. DesigningandManagingData; http://jackzheng.net/teaching/archive/cis3730-2010-
fall/; April 03,2020
Online Instructional Videos
1. Introduction to Database; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e-
wgQnsFxE&list=PLJ5C_6qdAvBHKccG0ZyOxcf_2YO6r4Q4l; March 21, 2020
2. Three levels of Architecture/DBMS;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6xh8wKfjkY; April 01,2020
3. Entity Relationship Model; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7GsjrXoW28; April
03, 2020