Computer Aided Database Design

For all DBMS-based software systems, a good database design is the key to perfonnance. Nevertheless the necessity to support this important task by adequate methods and comfortable tools has been neglected up to now. As a consequence at least one generation of computer progranuners fought the battle for necessary perf0J111anCe which was already lost in the beginning, lost by design. Facing this situation, GEMAP first developed a database design methodology called Inf01111ation Analysis. As database applications become more and more conunon and as they show increasing complexity today, GEMAP started the development of INFODlC, the GEMAP INFOnnation DICtionary, a tool for automatic database design based on Infonnation Analysis. This paper will present to you an overview of this development. The fust section outlines the basic concepts of our methodology, Information Analysis. The second section shows how the interactive components oflNFODlC support the infonnation analyst in entering and maintaining the infonllation structure. The third section covers the topic of consistency checks during all phases of Infonnation Analysis. The fourth section gives you an impression of the resulting table 1U1d index structures for a relational database. The final one contains an outlook on our plans, coming enhancements and futllre work.