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Databases
Topic 4:
Entity Relationship Modelling 2
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Entity Relationship Modelling 2 Topic 4 - 4.0
Scope and Coverage

This topic will cover:
• Constructing ER models
• Primary and Foreign keys
• Strong and weak entities
• Identifying problems in ER models
• Problem solving in ER models

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this topic, students will be able to:
• Construct an ER model from a scenario
• Understand the purpose of a primary key
• Understand the role of foreign keys
• Recognise strong and weak entities
• Identify and solve problems in ER models

Activity - Draw the ER - 1

A GARDENING COMPANY
The company hires out workers as they need to.
Workers in the town stay in lodgings. A lodging
may have many workers in it. We are only
concerned with the workers’ current lodging.
Workers possess certain skills such as ‘Tree
Surgery’ and ‘Garden Design’. They may have
more than one skill.


A GARDENING COMPANY
Workers in the town stay in lodgings. A lodging
Workers possess certain skills, such as ‘Tree
Surgery’, and ‘Garden Design’. They may have


A GARDENING COMPANY
Workers in the town stay in Lodgings. A lodging
Workers possess certain Skills such as ‘Tree
Surgery’, and ‘Garden Design’. They may have
‘Town’ is really an attribute of the Lodging.
We also put uppercase letters at start to conform to UML


A GARDENING COMPANY
Workers in the town stay in Lodgings. A lodging
Workers possess certain Skills, such as ‘Tree
Surgery’and ‘Garden Design’. They may have
NOW TRY AND DRAW...

Solution
Worker Worker skill
skill Skill
1 0...* 0...* 1
0...*
Where did the ‘Worker skill’

entity come from?
1
Lodging
lodging

Attributes - 1
Client
Primary Key ------------
clientNo(PK)
name
Uniquely identifies each fname
lname
occurrence of an entity telNo

Attributes - 2
Client
Foreign Key ------------
Preference
clientNo(PK)
-------------
name
prefType
Links entities fname
maxRent
lname
clientNo(FK)
into relationships telNo

Entity Types and Attributes:

Module
Attributes - 1 Module Code(PK)
Module Name
0...*
Taken by
V
Attributes:
0...*
Student
Student No(PK)
Student Name

Entity Types and Attributes:

Module
Attributes - 2 Module Code(PK)
Module Name
1
0...*
Student Attributes:
on
Module Code (FK)
Module
Student No (FK)
0...*
1 Attributes:
Student No(PK)
Student
Student Name

Entity Types and Attributes - 3

Attributes: Module Module Name
Module Module Code(PK) Code
Module Name QB210 Business Database
1 Applications
0...N QB251 User Centred Systems
Attributes Analysis
Student
on Module Code (FK) QB313 Advanced Business Database
Module Applications
Student No (FK)
0...N
1
Attributes:
Student Student No(PK)
Student Name


Module Module Name
Attributes: Code
Module Module Code(PK) QB210 Business Database Applications
Module Name QB251 User Centred Systems Analysis

1 QB313 Advanced Business Database
0...* Applications
Attributes
Student Module Code Student ID
on Module Code (FK) QB210 M00002
Module Student No (FK) QB210 M00003
0...* QB251 M00002
1
Attributes:
Student Name


Module Module Name
Attributes: Code
Module Module Code(PK) QB210 Business Database
Applications
Module Name QB251 User Centred Systems
1
Analysis
0...* QB313 Advanced Business
Attributes
Student Module Database Applications
Code Student ID
on Module Code (FK) QB210 M00002
Module Student No (FK) QB210 M00003
0...* QB251 M00002
1
Attributes:
Student Name

Strong and Weak Entity Types - 1

• Strong entity type: An entity type that DOES NOT
depend upon another entity type for its existence,
e.g. Student or Employee
• Weak entity type: An entity type that DOES depend

upon another entity type for its existence, e.g.
Grades or Bonuses
– Connolly and Begg


States>
Client Preference
• Without the client, the preference would not exist!

• Strong entity types are also known as parent, owner
or dominant entity types.
• Weak entity types are also known as child,
dependent, or subordinate entities.


• Note that the primary key of a weak entity type
would have to include the primary key of the strong
entity type.

Fan Traps – The Problem
0...* 1 1 1...* Department

Staff Campus

Fan Traps Campus ID Campus Name
-1 C1 London Campus
C2 Lagos
C3 Cairo
In which Department does Eric work?
Staff ID Name Campus ID (FK) Department ID Name Campus ID (FK)

S1 Eric C2
Hudson D1 Humanities C1
S2 Sandra C1
D2 Computing C2
Smith
S3 Malia C1 D3 Maths C2
Shah
Staff Department

Fan Traps – The Solution
1...* 1 1...* 1
Staff Department Campus

Fan Traps Campus

ID
Campus Name
-2 C1
C2
London
Lagos
Campus
C3 Cairo
We now know in which department Eric works
Staff ID Name Department ID (FK)

Department ID Name Campus ID (FK)
S1 Eric D3
Hudson D1 Humanities C1
S2 Sandra D1 D2 Computing C2
Smith
D3 Maths C2
S3 Malia D1
Shah
Department
Staff

Chasm Trap – The Problem
1 1...* 0...1 0...*

Branch Staff Property
• A branch has many staff members who manage

properties, but not all properties are managed by a
member of staff, and not all staff manage
properties.

Chasm Trap - 1
Branch Branch
ID Name Branch Which Branch manages
1 Ilford
‘Hill House’?
2 Redbridge
Staff ID Name Branch ID

(FK) Property
S1 Davinda 1
Staff Property ID Property Staff ID
S2 Roberta 1 Name (FK)
S3 Eddie 2 P1 Yap S1
Mansions
P2 Hill House
P2 Usher S2
House

Chasm Trap – The Solution
Staff 0...1 0...*

1 1...* Property
Branch
1 0...*

Chasm Trap - 2
Branch Branch We now know which
ID Name Branch Branch manages ‘Hill
1 Ilford
House’
2 Redbridge
Staff ID Name Branch Property

ID (FK)
S1 Davinda 1 Proper Property Staff ID Branch
Staff ty ID Name (FK) ID (FK)
S2 Roberta 1
P1 Yap S1 1
S3 Eddie 2
Mansions
P2 Hill 2
House
P2 Usher S2 2
House

Activity – Draw the ER - 1

Beavis is a car hire company.
• They have a number of models of car available for
hire.
• Customers hire cars and this is recorded against a
particular car rather than a model, as Beavis might
have several cars of the same model.
• When a customer wants to reserve a particular
model they can do so; this is recorded against a
model rather than the car.

Activity – Draw the ER - 2

• When a car of that model becomes available, it will
be held for the customer.
• When they come in for it, a record is made on the
reservation to say which car satisfied the
reservation.

Beavis Car Hire Company
CAR 1 0...* 0...* 1

HIRE
0...* 1
CUSTOMER
1
0...*
0...* 1
MODEL RESERVATION
1 0...*

Learning Outcomes – Have We

Met Them?
By the end of this topic, students will be able to:
• Construct an ER model from a scenario
• Understand the purpose of a primary key
• Understand the role of foreign keys
• Recognise strong and weak entities
• Identify and solve problems in ER models

References
• Connolly, T. & Begg, C. (2004). Database Systems:
A Practical Approach to Design, Implementation,
and Management, 4th Edition. Addison Wesley.
Chapter 11.

Topic 4 – Entity Relationship Modelling 2
Any Questions?

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Databases

V1.0 © NCC Education Limited

Scope and Coverage

V1.0 © NCC Education Limited

V1.0 © NCC Education Limited

Activity - Draw the ER - 1

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Activity - Draw the ER - 2

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Activity - Draw the ER - 3

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Activity - Draw the ER - 4

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Where did the ‘Worker skill’

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Entity Types and Attributes:

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Entity Types and Attributes:

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Entity Types and Attributes - 3

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Entity Types and Attributes - 4

Module Name QB251 User Centred Systems Analysis

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Entity Types and Attributes - 5

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Strong and Weak Entity Types - 1

• Weak entity type: An entity type that DOES depend

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Strong and Weak Entity Types - 2

• Without the client, the preference would not exist!

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Strong and Weak Entity Types - 3

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Fan Traps – The Problem

0...* 1 1 1...* Department

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Fan Traps Campus ID Campus Name

In which Department does Eric work?

Staff ID Name Campus ID (FK) Department ID Name Campus ID (FK)

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Fan Traps – The Solution

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Fan Traps Campus

We now know in which department Eric works

Staff ID Name Department ID (FK)

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Chasm Trap – The Problem

1 1...* 0...1 0...*

• A branch has many staff members who manage

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Staff ID Name Branch ID

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Chasm Trap – The Solution

Staff 0...1 0...*

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Staff ID Name Branch Property

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Activity – Draw the ER - 1

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Activity – Draw the ER - 2