Cookies on this site

We would like to use cookies to understand how the site is used and to measure our campaigns. Nothing is set until you choose, and you can change your mind at any time from “Cookie settings” at the foot of every page. Privacy policy

Contact UsContact Us

Resources / Blogs

Oracle & databases

How to Create an Awesome Database Design?

If you see the work procedure of an architect, he creates the blueprint before starting the work on the building. Just the same goes to data development.

· · 2 min read

Awesome Database Design

Creating an awesome database design asks for the discipline of following certain rules. Here are some of them for you to get an overall idea of the data modeling and the development process.

  1. Plan before you start development

If you see the work procedure of an architect, he creates the blueprint before starting the work on the building. Just the same goes to data development. Planning before you start the design for your database can change the outcome completely.

Not planning the structure of the database can lead your project drastic destinations. You might start the coding process early, but with the lack of a plan, your developers won’t be able to fix the occurring problems.

  1. Make documents for your selected model

You would not want to explain every aspect of your planned model to a new administrator. Also, it becomes difficult for a new administrator to maintain or change the database according to the requirement if the documents are not there. Hence, use documentation to communicate your design.

  1. Use consistent naming

The naming should be done by keeping the future changes in mind. The future administrator of the database should be able to understand the model without any problems. Hence, naming is important for a good design of the database.

  1. Using the right key

The keys are used for normalization of the table. The idea is to decide a primary key to identify each row and adding the right column to the primary key. Also, the generating the uniqueness is necessary for the whole process.

When it comes to artificial and natural keys, the use depends on the demand of the situation. While artificial keys provide uniqueness, natural keys are used to ensure the integrity of the data.

  1. Ensure the integrity of the data

It is very important to stay cautious with the use of the integrity checks. Don’t overuse or under-use the keys. One other thing is that you should rely totally on the applications for the integrity check, as the central database can be accessed by many applications, which reduce the security of the data.

  1. Adding indexes are beneficial

Indexes are used in the database modeling to tackle the queries that occur time to time. It is an ongoing process and works around the optimization of queries during the modeling process.

  1. Don’t make abstract definitions in tables

The text that you use in the tables should be able to give a clear meaning. Nothing abstract works here. Also, it is wise to use separate tables for different domains. This will help you to generate better relationships between the tables, and you will get proper column types.

  1. Test, test, test

Testing the database should be an integral part of your database plan and should be used to ignite the production environment. Most of the times when the clock starts clicking fast, people avoid or reduce the time of the testing process. To dodge these situations, it is better to test the database at early stages of database design in oracle.

These are the main points to focus on during the process of product design.

← All articles

Case studies

Oracle Consulting in practice

Client names are withheld. We are happy to share details on a call.

All case studies
  • Delivered

    30 TB, zero downtime

    Financial services

    Oracle

    Zero-downtime move of a 30 TB Oracle database for a global retail bank

    The bank's transaction database served thousands of users around the clock. We built the new Oracle 12c RAC platform on IBM AIX alongside the old Solaris system, kept the two in sync with Oracle GoldenGate, tested everything and switched over with no downtime and no data loss.

    • 30 TB moved with zero downtime
    • Zero data loss at cut-over
  • Delivered

    Zero downtime

    Legal technology

    Oracle

    Sybase to Oracle with zero downtime for an e-discovery company

    Sybase was holding back a platform that processes large volumes of legal data. We converted the schema, kept both databases in sync with continuous replication, validated the data and switched over without interrupting the business.

    • Zero downtime at cut-over
    • No disruption to client workflows
  • Delivered

    No service disruption

    Local government

    Oracle

    A city's Oracle database moved off ageing Solaris hardware

    A major California city ran a mission-critical Oracle database on Solaris servers nearing end of life. We mapped the dependencies, confirmed the applications would work unchanged and re-platformed the database to Linux without disrupting public services.

    • No disruption to public services
    • Minimal application changes

Keep reading

All Oracle & databases articles

Planning an Oracle or database migration?

Request a migration plan consult with the DBAs who do this work, and leave with a fixed-scope plan.