Database Systems: Design, Implementation, and Management Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a technical person but have very little DB experience and purchased the book because I had to for a college class. I feel the book was simply OK. Some points were made well others I had to read several times. Over all the explanations were not as concise as I would like but in all fairness DB concepts are hard to explain. The overall layout was good however I think there should have been more attention during the intro to familiarize the reader with DB's and the related concepts before delving in to the details of each phase of DB creation.
My only real gripe is that a new revision is published every year and the previous version of the $100 + dollar book becomes worthless. To save money I bought the previous version and found all the material I needed. However for the final exam the instructor of the online class gave us page numbers to use as reference so I was forced to buy the latest version which was the same book with a few new references...
If you are buying this book for reference or if you are buying this because you are taking a face to face class I recommend that you buy the previous version required by the instructor at a greatly reduced cost. You may be able to do this w/ an online class if the professor (or classmates) are flexible and willing to help reconcile the different page numbers.


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Database Systems: Design, Implementation, and Management, Eighth Edition, a market-leader for database texts, gives readers a solid foundation in practical database design and implementation. The book provides in-depth coverage of database design, demonstrating that the key to successful database implementation is in proper design of databases to fit within a larger strategic view of the data environment. Updates for the eighth edition include additional Unified Modeling Language coverage, expanded coverage of SQL Server functions, all-new business intelligence coverage, and added coverage of data security. With a strong hands-on component that includes real-world examples and exercises, this book will help students develop database design skills that have valuable and meaningful application in the real world.

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Data Modeling for Everyone Review

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(More customer reviews)As I was reviewing this book for a class I was teaching on the subject, I could'nt help but think the author's effort was rushed. This book would be good for someone with a strong data modeling background who wants a new perspective. It is a poor choice for novices to the field. Explanations are lacking in clarity. Book is poorly organized. Check out Inside Relational Databases, Whithorn.

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Data Modeling is about gathering, documenting, and communicating the elements and structure of business information. What begins as a conceptual interplay of logical data units, through the application of relational theory, becomes the basis for creating a physical database design.Data Modeling is a core skill for data professionals, and is a full time job for a small but growing number of IT practitioners. It is a crucial stage prior to good quality relational database design.Data Modeling for Everyone is for those who:Have no previous data modeling experienceWant to understand the role of the data modeler in database designNeed to know how to capture the essence of a system but don't know where to startWant more than just the theory and learn best from real world experienceRequire a book before other data design books – helping you develop a logical model rather than assuming one exists that needs to be implemented in a databaseData Modeling for Everyone provides a solid foundation in the following tools & techniques:The different types of data modeling – enterprise, transactional, and dimensionalThe stages of analysis – developing conceptual, logical, and physical modelsWhat to do if you need to work with existing systems – reverse engineering and forensic analysisGeneral principles for converting logical models to physical onesModeling scope – focusing on what's important but allowing for future development of your modelDefining detail – entity relationship (E/R), key based, and fully attributed modelsDocumenting your understanding of the business in the modelGraphical data modeling, focusing on the IDEF1X notation--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Data Modeling and Database Design Review

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(More customer reviews)I had the chance to take a class taught by N. Umanath, one of the authors, with this as the text.
This was not the case of the textbook being the chosen text because the author wanted sales. It was an amazing opportunity to learn the subject as the author intend(s/ed) it to be taught. My view of the book may be skewed because it was taught by the author (so he could have made up for deficiencies in the book, it's hard to say). But overall I learned a ton of stuff in a very short period of time, and felt several times more knowledgeable and capable on the subject.
Very understandable and readable. A few things are somewhat non-traditional, but they make very good arguments for where they diverge from tradition, and I personally believe that many of those divergences should be adopted at an enterprise level. Specifically their model for logical schemas.


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Data Modeling and Database Design presents a conceptually complete coverage of indispensable topics that each MIS student should learn if that student takes only one database course. Database design and data modeling encompass the minimal set of topics addressing the core competency of knowledge students should acquire in the database area. The text, rich examples, and figures work together to cover material with a depth and precision that is not available in more introductory database books.

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The Data Modeling Handbook : A Best-Practice Approach to Building Quality Data Models Review

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(More customer reviews)I have many books on data modeling but this one is probably the most understandable. The examples are well-formed and many diagrams are provided along with written explanations. They do an excellent job of going through 5th normal form and show how to resolve many different issues such as special cases in generalization hierarchies. I have found this book very useful in practice and it has served me well.

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A Straightforward, No-Nonsense Guide to Building the Most Accurate, Complete, and Useful Data Models Possible. How do I know if my data model is accurate? When is a model really complete? Is it possible for a model to be both technically perfect and of no use to an organization, and what can I do to avoid that problem? This book provides answers to these and other crucial data modeling questions. While there are plenty of books that describe the characteristics of finished high-quality data models, only The Data Modeling Handbook gets down to the nitty-gritty of actually building one. Packed with real-world examples, annotated diagrams, and a wealth of rules and best practices, this field-tested guide provides experienced data modelers, architects, and engineers with hands-on guidance from two noted data management experts.* The only book offering clear, straightforward rules and guidelines for judging model accuracy and completeness* Presents all rules in several notations, including IDEF1X, Martin, Chen, and Finkelstein* Compares and contrasts the most popular modeling styles and demonstrates how great models can be built using any type of notation* Explains how to use an organization's plans, policies, objectives, and strategies to build accurate, complete, and useful models* Offers detailed guidance to establishing a continuous quality evaluation program that's easy to implement and follow* Packed with real-world examples and annotated diagrams illustrating each point covered* Describes how to use Case tools most effectively to build high-quality models

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Database Modeling and Design, Fifth Edition: Logical Design (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have to underscore a statement in the preface with which I am in total agreement: "This book can . . . be used by the advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate student to supplement a course textbook in introductory database management . . ." In fact, the authors point out that the fifth edition of this book has been split into a second work, PHYSICAL DATABASE DESIGN: THE DATABASE PROFESSIONAL'S GUIDE, 1st edition (a title that is not in print at the time of this review). As a book about "Logical Design," explaining WHY (not HOW) is the strength of the work. This is not a book one would primarily rely upon for developing an application. But it is an excellent work for giving solid background in the underpinnings of database design. The HOW (as the author's stated) is spawned off in another work, in this case.
I'm a non-professional IT person who has designed and implemented dozens of LAMP (Linux-Apache-MySQL-php) applications, and database design activities dating back to the 1980's, primarily in the honorable environment of the various MS-DOS flavors of the day. All of this with zero formal training (which isn't the same as NO training). With that background in mind, after going through this book I confirmed that I had picked up a lot of bad habits and developed a lot of good practices. My worst habit? A preference for flat databases over relational ones (see Chapter 8 - Object-Relational Design). My hardest earned (and confirmed by this book) good practice? The absolute importance of "requirements analysis," or, rigorous interviewing of the end user population to "determine exactly what the database is to be used for . . ." (see Chapter 4 - Requirements Analysis and Conceptual Data Modeling). In both of these cases this book was excellent in explaining WHY.
Since I work almost exclusively with web based databases now, I found Chapter 9 (XML and Web Databases) to contain one of the most concise and elegant explanations of XML I've ever read.
One annoying, but not fatal, flaw of this work: the quite serviceable index appears before the appendices, instead of the almost universal location of the last section of the book. I.e., when I turned to the back of the book to use the index, it wasn't where I expected. After a little fumbling, I did find it, but this is, in my opinion, a logical design flaw of the book.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book as a purchase to an undergraduate MIS student even if it isn't a class requirement. This is a good book to develop a solid conceptual foundation. Also, since this book is primarily conceptual in its focus, it should have a shelf life much longer than works which focus on specific hardware and software which evolve continuously. Most of the concepts described in this book would have been relevant to me in my MS-DOS database days.

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Database systems and database design technology have undergone significant evolution in recent years. The relational data model and relational database systems dominate business applications; in turn, they are extended by other technologies like data warehousing, OLAP, and data mining. How do you model and design your database application in consideration of new technology or new business needs? In the extensively revised fifth edition, you'll get clear explanations, lots of terrific examples and an illustrative case, and the really practical advice you have come to count on--with design rules that are applicable to any SQL-based system. But you'll also get plenty to help you grow from a new database designer to an experienced designer developing industrial-sized systems.
In-depth detail and plenty of real-world, practical examples throughout

Loaded with design rules and illustrative case studies that are applicable to any SQL, UML, or XML-based system



Immediately useful to anyone tasked with the creation of data models for the integration of large-scale enterprise data.

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