The Data Model Resource Book, Volume 3: Universal Patterns for Data Modeling

Silverston c08.tex V2 - 11/21/2008 3:12am Page 462

462 Chapter 8 ■ Business Rules: How Things Should Work

that most business rules maintain the same basic types of data. For example,

all BUSINESS RULE subtypes have:

Subject(s) of the business rule

Common business rule attributes such as rules name and rules

statement

Specific and generalized factors

Specific and generalized outcomes

Business rule classifications

In this pattern, by creating a BUSINESS RULE supertype, we show the

Level 3 B usiness Rules Pattern that models common business rule d ata in

the same data model structure, and also accommodates the specific aspects of

each business rule subtype. This can help in the development of a metadata

repository or business rules engine in many ways. First, the pattern can help

show the scope of the different rules that need to be captured and provide

insight into common factors and outcomes for various types of business rules.

Second, it can catalog all of the rules, factors, and outcomes that need to

be examined. Finally, it can be a good basis for the design to develop an

implementation for business rules. This is a complex and generalized pattern

that can be used by data professionals who are addressing the problem of

integrating various types of business rules, for example, integrating business

rules within a subject area or across the enterprise as a whole. It provides the

great advantage of a very ...