Database Design and Development

Build a solid foundation for your custom application

CUSTOM SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS

“Any structure must have a strong foundation. The cornerstones anchor the foundation.”

― John Wooden

There is nothing more foundational to a software product than the underlying database where data is stored. Taking the time to properly design and develop a database is the most important part of the custom software solution process. Visualizing your database with data modeling tools helps to define and show the relationships between various data entities.

What do you do with the information in your database? We are in the Information Age which means we want answers. We want to know trends, measures of success, and be able to query and analyze the data ourselves. This is where data warehousing and business intelligence become an important part of a solution. Data warehousing is the process of transforming your data into a structure that is easy to query and analyze. Business Intelligence (BI) refers to the process of analyzing the data that you own to provide valuable information to assist in decision making.

What is database design and development?

The key, the whole key and nothing but the key, so help me Codd.

Edgar F. Codd is considered by many as the “father of the relational database.” He established principles for optimal database design practices that are still used today.

In database design and modeling, the principles that Codd established are exercised as we discuss and define the various entity domains (tables) of your line of business, how the entities are related to each other (keys and constraints), and the attributes associated with each entity (fields). The database design is optimized, or normalized, to reduce redundancy, optimize storage, and improve data integrity. The entities, attributes, keys, and constraints are visually represented with a database diagram, or data model, using tools like ERWin or Microsoft Visio, which serves as a valuable tool for customers and developers alike.

In database development, the data design and model are transformed into a physical database to be used to store and retrieve application data. Database objects such as tables, stored procedures, and views are created using tools such as SQL Server Management Studio or Oracle SQL Developer. Microsoft’s ADO.NET is a key component to the data access layer (DAL) and provides a simple framework for adding, updating, and deleting data in the database. Database security and business rules are incorporated in conjunction into the database.

Artesia Systems provides over 30 years of knowledge and experience in all areas of database design and development including data modeling, data analysis, security analysis, database architecture, administration, design, development and maintenance.