Database Design for Mere Mortals™: A Hands-On Guide to Relational Database Design, Second Edition

Summary

We opened this chapter by defining the two types of databases currently used in database management: operational databases and analytical databases.

We then briefly discussed the hierarchical database model and the network database model. Our discussion covered the data structures, relationships, and data-access methods used in both models, as well as their chief disadvantages. You learned that these models were widely used in the early days of database management and led to the eventual development and introduction of the relational database model.

Next, we provided a detailed discussion of the relational database model, its history, and its features. We noted that it is based on specific branches of mathematics and that this mathematical ...