Conceptual schema
A conceptual schema or conceptual data model is a high-level description of informational needs
underlying the design of a database.[1][2] It typically includes only the core concepts and the main
relationships among them. This is a high-level model with insufficient detail to build a complete,
functional database.[3] It describes the structure of the whole database for a group of users. The
conceptual model is also known as the data model that can be used to describe the conceptual schema
when a database system is implemented. It hides the internal details of physical storage and targets the
description of entities, datatypes, relationships and constraints.
Overview
A conceptual schema is a map of concepts and their relationships used for databases. This describes the
semantics of an organization and represents a series of assertions about its nature. Specifically, it
describes the things of significance to an organization (entity classes), about which it is inclined to collect
information, and their characteristics (attributes) and the associations between pairs of those things of
significance (relationships).
Because a conceptual schema represents the semantics of an organization, and not a database design, it
may exist on various levels of abstraction. The original ANSI four-schema architecture began with the set
of external schemata that each represents one person's view of the world around him or her. These are
consolidated into a single conceptual schema that is the superset of all of those external views. A data
model can be as concrete as each person's perspective, but this tends to make it inflexible. If that person's
world changes, the model must change. Conceptual data models take a more abstract perspective,
identifying the fundamental things, of which the things an individual deals with are just examples.
The model does allow for what is called inheritance in object oriented terms. The set of instances of an
entity class may be subdivided into entity classes in their own right. Thus, each instance of a sub-type
entity class is also an instance of the entity class's super-type. Each instance of the super-type entity class,
then is also an instance of one of the sub-type entity classes.
Super-type/sub-type relationships may be exclusive or not. A methodology may require that each instance
of a super-type may only be an instance of one sub-type. Similarly, a super-type/sub-type relationship
may be exhaustive or not. It is exhaustive if the methodology requires that each instance of a super-type
must be an instance of a sub-type. A sub-type named "Other" is often necessary.
Example relationships
Each PERSON may be the vendor in one or more ORDERS.
Each ORDER must be from one and only one PERSON.
PERSON is a sub-type of PARTY. (Meaning that every instance of PERSON is also an
instance of PARTY.)
Each EMPLOYEE may have a supervisor who is also an EMPLOYEE.
Data structure diagram
A data structure diagram (DSD) is a data model or diagram
used to describe conceptual data models by providing
graphical notations which document entities and their
relationships, and the constraints that bind them.
See also
Data structure diagram and a data
Concept mapping – Diagram showing relationships dictionary
among concepts
Conceptual framework – Method of organizing
information
Conceptual graphs – Formalism for knowledge
representation
Conceptual model (computer science) – Model in
software engineering
Data modeling – Creating a model of the data in a
system
Entity-relationship model – Model or diagram
describing interrelated things
Object-relationship modelling – Programming
technique
Object-role modeling – Programming technique
Knowledge representation – Field of artificial
intelligence
Logical data model
Mindmap – Diagram to visually organize information
Ontology – Specification of a conceptualization
Physical data model – Representation of a data
design
Semantic Web – Extension of the Web to facilitate
data exchange
Three schema approach – Approach to building
information systems
References
1. Osis, Janis; Donins, Uldis (20 June 2017). Topological UML Modeling: An Improved
Approach for Domain Modeling and Software Development. Elsevier Science. ISBN 978-0-
12-805476-5.
2. Sherman, Rick (21 November 2014). Business Intelligence Guidebook: From Data
Integration to Analytics. Elsevier Science. ISBN 978-0-12-411461-6.
3. Tupper, Charles (2011). Data Architecture: From Zen to Reality. Morgan Kaufmann.
ISBN 978-0-12-385126-0.
Further reading
Perez, Sandra K., & Anthony K. Sarris, eds. (1995) Technical Report for IRDS Conceptual
Schema, Part 1: Conceptual Schema for IRDS, Part 2: Modeling Language Analysis, X3/TR-
14:1995, American National Standards Institute, New York, NY.
Halpin T, Morgan T (2008) Information Modeling and Relational Databases, 2nd edn., San
Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufmann.
External links
A different point of view (http://www.agiledata.org/essays/dataModeling101.html), as
described by the agile community
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