DATABASE SYSYTEM DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE

Database is an organized collection of structured information, or data, typically stored

electronically in a system.

Database Management System(DBMS) is a collection of programs that enable its users to access
databases, manipulate data, report, and represent data. It also helps to control access to the
database.

As a database system is a fundamental component of the larger organization wide information

system, the database system development lifecycle is inherently associated with the lifecycle of
the information system.

The following are the stages of the database system development life cycle

1.DATABASE PLANNING

An important first step in database planning is to clearly define the mission statement for the
database system. Its main activity is to plan on how the life cycle can be realized most efficiently
and effectively.

Database planning means that a software is capable of managing and consolidating data
generated and relied upon a business.

2.SYSTEM DEFINITION

This describes the scope and boundaries of the database system and the major user views. In
system definition there is boundaries and users. In terms of boundaries every database system
must have one so as to ensure how it interfaces with other parts of the organization system and in
terms of users, each database can have one or more users in which they are the most important
aspect of developing a database system.

3.REQUIREMENTS COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

This stage involves the collection and analysis of information based on the database. There are
many techniques for gathering this information. This is a preliminary stage that is the amount of
data gathered depends on the nature of the problem. Identifying the functionality for a database
system is a difficult task hence there are some approaches to be taken when managing the
requirements of a database system with multiple user views such as

 centralized approach
 view integration approach
 combination of both approaches.

In terms of centralized approach requirements for each user view are merged into a single set of
requirements for the new database system. A data model is created representing all user views
during the database design stage.

In terms of view integration approach the requirements for each user view remain as separate lists.
Data models representing each user view are created and then merged later during the database
design stage.

4.DATABASE DESIGN

This stage involves the process of creating a design for a database that will support the
enterprise’s mission statement and mission objectives for the required database system.

Main approaches in this stage include

 Top-down
 Bottom-up
 Inside-out
 Mixed

In terms of top-down is more appropriate strategy for the design of complex databases.

The bottom-up approach is appropriate for the design of simple databases with a relatively small
number of attributes. This approach is also related to the inside-out approach but for the inside-
out differs by first identifying a set of major entities and then spreading out to consider other
entities, relationships, and attributes associated with those first identified.

For the mixed approach it is related to both that is it uses the top-down and bottom-up approach
for various parts of the model before finally combining all parts together.
In database design there is also data modelling. Data modelling has two main purpose that is to
assist in understanding the meaning (semantics) of the data and to facilitate communication
about the information requirements. A data model ensures we understand:

 each user’s perspective of the data

 nature of the data itself
 independent of its physical representations
 use of data across user views.

In database design there are three phases:

 Conceptual database design

 Physical database design
 Logical database design

In conceptual database design this is the process of constructing a model of the data used in an
enterprise, independent of physical considerations.

In physical database design, this is the third and final phase of the database design process,
during which the designer decides how the database is to be implemented. This designs main
purpose is to produce a description of the implementation of the database on secondary storage.

In logical database design, this is the second phase of database design that deals with
constructing a model of the data used in an enterprise based on a specific data model, but
independent of a particular DBMS and other physical considerations.

5.DBMS SELECTION

This stage involves selecting a suitable DBMS for the database system. There are main steps
towards selecting the best DBMS, which are:

 Define Terms of Reference of study

The purpose of this step is to describe and identify the objectives and the scope of the study and
the task that need to be undertaken

 Shortlist two or three products

This step involves choosing the DBMS to list some products that matched the main concept that
has been defined in the previous step.

 Evaluate products

The purpose of this step is to conduct a deeper analysis about the DBMS that have been listed as
possible option in the previous step, the deeper the analysis the better the accessibility of the
products, its performance and how the products provides the security.

 Recommend selection and produce report

This is the last step in which a documentation is created when analyzing the right DBMS. This
documentation consists of the process when providing a statement of the findings and
recommendation for the particular DBMS product.

6.APPLICATION DESIGN

This stage involves the design of the user interface and the application programs that use and
process the database. There are two aspects of application design which are transaction design
and user interface design.

Transaction design is carried out by a single user or application program, that accesses or
changes the content of the database. Its main purpose is to define and document the high-level
characteristics of the transactions required on the database such as data to be used by the
transactions, functions of the user to the transactions, importance to the user and others. There
are three main types of transaction which are retrieval transaction for retrieving data, update
transaction for inserting new records, deleting old records, or modifying the existing records in
the database and lastly the mixed transactions involve both the retrieval and update of data.

7.PROTOTYPING

A prototype is a working model that does not normally have all the required features or provide
all the functionality of the final system.

There are two prototyping strategies which are requirements prototyping that uses a prototype
to determine the requirements of a proposed database system, and once the requirements are
complete, the prototype is discarded and evolutionary prototyping that is used for the same
purposes, the important difference is that the prototype is not discarded, but with further
development becomes the working database system.

8.IMPLEMENTATION

Is the physical realization of the database and application design. This is the phase where the
DBMS is installed on the required hardware, optimizes the database so as to run on the best
hardware and software platform. The following are steps in the implementation phase which are:

 Install the DBMS

 Tune the setup variables according to the hardware, software and usage conditions
 Create the database and tables
 Load the data
 Set up the users and security
 Implement the backup regime

9.DATA CONVERSION AND LOADING

This stage is required only when a new database system is replacing an old system and it
involves the transferring any existing data into the new database and converting any existing
applications to run on the new database.

10.TESTING

The process of running the database system with the intent of finding errors. This is done when
the software is complete and it is deployed in the testing environment hence the functionality of
the entire system is tested so as to verify that the entire application works according to the
customer’s requirement.

11.OPERATIONAL MAINTANANCE

The process of running the database system with the intent of finding errors. Once the system is
deployed and the customers start using it, the following three activities occur:

 Bug fixing
 Monitoring the performance of the system
 Maintaining and upgrading the database system
  Enhancement: adding some new features into the existing software

The main focus of this theme is to ensure that needs continue to be met and the system continues
to perform as per the specification in the first phase.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THE DATABASE SYSTEM
DEVELOPMENT LIFECYCLE.

The following are the advantages:

 Simple to use and understand

 Development stages go one by one
 Easy to classify and prioritize tasks
 Management simplicity thanks to its rigidity

The following are the disadvantages:

 The software is ready only after the last stage is over

 High risks and uncertainty
 The progress of the stage is hard to measure while it is still in the development
 Integration is done at the very end, which does not give the option of identifying the
problem in advance.