Prior to beginning work on this assignment read Chapters 1, 2, and 9 of your textbook, review the Database LifecycleLinks to an external site. and (DBLC) Database Life CycleLinks to an external site. online resources, and review any relevant information in this week’s lecture. These sources will be used to support your work in the assignment. It is also recommended that you log in to your virtual lab environment and make sure you can access the Structured Query Language (SQL) server housed there.
Successful database development must appropriately reflect the information system of which the database is a part. In order to ensure that the database captures the needed information for the target information system, database architects must work within a framework known as the Database Development Life Cycle (DBLC). The DBLC includes steps ranging from initial assessment and analysis to operation and maintenance. This assignment will be the first step in the creation of your Week Six Database Design Project.
For this assignment, analyze the user needs laid out in the ISM641 DBLC Scenario Download ISM641 DBLC Scenario in order to facilitate the development of a database life cycle for the project. Within your paper describe the steps of the Database Development Life Cycle as it relates to the ConstructCo needs. Explain the analysis, design, implementation and testing tasks needed to complete each step within the DBLC for ConstructCo. For the conceptual design phase of the development, describe how unstructured data can be converted to structured data. Explain a minimum of two challenges, either business or technical, you might face when implementing the DBLC process and suggest ways in which you would overcome these challenges. Use evidence from your required resources to support your statements.
The final portion of your paper will be a one-page professional memo that will explain the DBLC steps to the ConstructCo executive team. The objective of the memo is to gain buy-in for the database development process in order to ensure successful project implementation
Full Answer Section
Once the user needs have been identified, the next step is to analyze the data that will be stored in the database. This includes identifying the different types of data, as well as the relationships between the different types of data. For ConstructCo, the different types of data will include:
- Customer names, addresses, and contact information
- Project names, start dates, end dates, and budgets
- Employee names, addresses, contact information, and job titles
- Inventory item names, descriptions, quantities, and prices
- Equipment item names, descriptions, and maintenance schedules
The relationships between the different types of data will include:
- A customer can have many projects, but a project can only have one customer.
- An employee can work on many projects, but a project can only be assigned to one employee.
- An inventory item can be used on many projects, but a project can only use one instance of an inventory item.
- An equipment item can be used on many projects, but a project can only use one instance of an equipment item.
Design
The next step in the DBLC is to design the database. This involves creating a logical model of the database, which is a blueprint for the physical database. The logical model should include the different entities in the database, as well as the relationships between the entities.
Once the logical model has been created, the next step is to create a physical model of the database. The physical model is how the data will be stored on the computer. This includes defining the tables, columns, and data types.
Implementation
The next step in the DBLC is to implement the database. This involves creating the database tables and inserting the data into the tables. The data can be inserted manually, or it can be imported from another source.
Testing
The final step in the DBLC is to test the database. This involves running tests to make sure that the database works as expected. The tests should include checking the accuracy of the data, as well as the functionality of the database.
Converting Unstructured Data to Structured Data
Unstructured data is data that does not have a predefined structure. Examples of unstructured data include text documents, images, and videos. Structured data is data that has a predefined structure. Examples of structured data include database tables and spreadsheets.
To convert unstructured data to structured data, the first step is to identify the different types of data in the unstructured data. Once the different types of data have been identified, the next step is to define a structure for the data. This includes defining the different fields in the structure and the data types for each field.
Once the structure has been defined, the next step is to extract the data from the unstructured data and populate the structured data. This can be done manually or using a data extraction tool.
Challenges
Two challenges that you might face when implementing the DBLC process include:
- Business challenges: Business challenges can include things like changing requirements, budget constraints, and tight deadlines.
- Technical challenges: Technical challenges can include things like hardware and software limitations, data quality issues, and performance issues.
Ways to Overcome Challenges
Here are some ways to overcome the challenges listed above:
- Business challenges:
- Communicate regularly with stakeholders to keep them informed of the project's progress and to get their feedback on any changes to the requirements.
- Create a detailed project plan that includes a realistic budget and timeline.
- Be flexible and adaptable to change.
- Technical challenges:
- Use appropriate hardware and software for the project.
- Clean and normalize the data before loading it into the database.
- Test the database thoroughly before deploying it to production.
Memo to ConstructCo Executive Team
Subject: Database Development Life Cycle (DBLC)
Dear ConstructCo Executive Team,
I am writing to you today to discuss the Database Development Life Cycle (DBLC). The DBLC is a process for developing and implementing databases. It is important to follow the DBLC in order to ensure that the database meets the needs of the business and that it is developed and implemented efficiently and effectively.
The DBLC consists of the following steps:
- Analysis: This step involves understanding the business requirements for the database