A data model is an abstract model that organizes elements of data and standardizes how they relate to one another and to properties of the real world entities. A data model explicitly determines the structure of data. DATAVERSITY brought this interesting topic to our attention in their article, “Detecting Data Models.”
Common types of data models include flat hierarchical, network, relational, object-relational and star schema. Data modeling is the process of documenting a complex software system design as an easily understood diagram, using text and symbols to represent the way data needs to flow. The diagram can be used as a blueprint for the construction of new software or for re-engineering a legacy application.
Traditionally, data models have been built during the analysis and design phases of a project to ensure that the requirements for a new application are fully understood.
Detecting data models is oddly similar to detective work itself and it often involves natural language processing to do the sleuthing.
Melody K. Smith
Sponsored by Access Innovations, the world leader in taxonomies, metadata, and semantic enrichment to make your content findable.
