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

Silverston c01.tex V2 - 11/21/2008 2:57am Page 6

6 Chapter 1 ■ Introduction

What Is the Significance of Patterns?

The Universal Patterns for Data Modeling are analogous to the blueprints

engineers use for building bridges. An engineer has a basic blueprint for

building any type of suspension bridge. Every time an engineer has to build

a particular suspension bridge, that engineer doesn’t try to come up with a

new solution; he or she uses the existing design pattern. The facing on the

bridge may be different, but many of the underlying structures are the same.

For example, Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Tokyo and the Brooklyn Bridge in New

York are both suspension bridges, and the same basic design patterns were

used for both.

The Universal Patterns for Data Modeling represent effective practices and

alternatives for modeling very common types of data models. The underlying

data model showing how a PARTY is related to an INVOICE is very similar to

how PARTY(s) are related to SHIPMENT(s), which is also very similar to how

PARTY(s) are related to PAYMENT(s), AGREEMENT(s), or other entities. For

example, parties (people or organizations) may have certain roles within the

context of a particular transaction or with regards to another entity, and there

are very common ways to model this type of data requirement. We call this

particular example the Contextual Role Pattern. Another example is that the

status of