Articulated Entity Relationship (Aer) Diagram for Complete Automation of Relational Database Normalization

Abstract

In this paper an Articulated Entity Relationship (AER) diagram is proposed, which is an extension of Entity Relationship (ER) diagram to accommodate the Functional Dependency (FD) information as its integral part for complete automation of normalization. In current relational databases (RDBMS) automation of normalization by top down approach is possible using ER diagram as an input, provided the FD information is available independently, meanwhile, through user interaction. Such automation we call partial and conditional automation. To avoid this user interaction, there is a strong need to accommodate FD information as an element of ER diagram itself. Moreover, ER diagrams are not designed by taking into account the requirements of normalization. However, for better automation of normalization it must be an integral part of conceptual design (ER Diagram). The prime motivation behind this paper to design a system that need only proposed AER diagram as a sole input and normalize the database up to a given normal form in one go. This would allow more amount of automation than the current approach. Such automation we call as total and unconditional automation, which is better and complete in true sense. As the proposed AER diagram is designed by taking in to account the normalization process, normalization up to Boyce Codd Normal Form (BCNF) becomes an integral part of conceptual design. Additional advantage of AER diagram is that any modifications (addition, deletion or updation of attributes) made to the AER diagram will automatically be reflected in its FD information. Thus description of schema and FD information isguaranteed to be consistent. This cannot be assured in current approach using ER diagrams, as schema and FD information are provided to the system at two different times, separately.

The selection of cloud services for ER-diagrams construction in IT specialists databases teaching

“…Another group of authors (P. S. Dhabe, M. S. Patwardhan, Asavari A. Deshpande, M. L. Dhore, B.V. Barbadekar and H. K. Abhyankar) considered the Articulated Entity-Relationship, which was considered an extension of the Entity-Relationship diagram. The researchers considered these types of diagrams as an integral part to fully automate normalization in the case of placing information about functional dependence [3].…”