Relational Database Design

Learn to translate business needs into a data model. 

In this foundational course, we begin by teaching you the basics of relational databases and how they work. You will then learn the process of data modeling–translating a set of business needs into a visual “entity relationship diagram” that can be used to create a database. You won’t actually create the database in this course–this is primarily about the data modeling process.

What is most valuable about this course is the way that it will teach you to translate business requirements into data models using hands-on projects! We will work with two imaginary clients who will give us a set of business requirements. We’ll create diagrams to serve their needs and modify the diagrams as their business needs grow and change. In short, you will learn data modeling skills by DOING data modeling.

An outline of the topics includes:

1. An Introduction to Relational Databases:

Components of Relational Databases

Tables

Primary and Foreign Keys

2. Proper Database Design

Data Anomalies and Avoiding Redundant Data

Normalization (First – Third Normal Forms)

Over-Normalization

3. Data Modeling

Entity Relationship Diagrams: Entities and Attributes

Entity Relationships and Cardinality

Resolving Many-to-Many Relationships

4. Data Modeling Project 1: Downtown Floral

Build the Initial Data Model Based on Business Requirements

Update Model Based on Business Changes (Several Rounds)

4. Data Modeling Project 2: Best Tech U

Build the Initial Data Model Based on Business Requirements

Update Model Based on Business Changes (Several Rounds)