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I. Enterprise Database Specification Workshops

The enterprise database specification workshops concentrate on the creation of the complete definition of the database objects, and the specification of the rest of the database system to implement database objects. During courses, the fundamentals of the technique are practiced through a class example. Then, during workshops these techniques are applied to the client's database project. The workshops are:


1. Project Estimating Workshop (5 days)

The project estimating workshop concentrates on creating a detailed estimate of the entire project's duration, including the identification and allocation of personnel to each of the project tasks. The product of this workshop is a completed schedule for the entire project, including manpower loading, PERT, GANTT, and CPM charts. In addition to these deliverables, assignments for the preliminary analysis and conceptual specification phases are made. Members of the workshop should be limited to the project manager, and key project personnel.


2. Business Mission, Database Domains and Diagrams Workshop (5 days)

The business missions, database domains and diagrams workshop concentrates on finalizing the business missions that were begun during the conceptual specification course. These are reviewed, and refined until they correctly match the business needs of the project. The business missions are then examined to develop their database domains and the database domain diagrams. The deliverable of this workshop is stored in the metabase, and is used as the policy basis for the remaining workshops. Attendees of this workshop should include the project manager, key business experts, the project reviewers, and other key project personnel.


3. Information and Reports Analysis Workshop (5 days)

The information and reports analysis workshop concentrates on the identification, analysis, and encoding of critical project data. These data are found during interviews with key functional users, through the analysis of existing project deliverables, enabling legislation, corporate policy and the like. The results of this analysis are prioritized and then stored in the metabase.


4. Database Objects Workshops

4.1 Database Object Identification Workshop (5 days)

The database objects workshops determines and then defines the major database objects to be included in enterprise database. Database objects are determined from the database domains and diagrams, and from the information and reports determined during the previous workshops. The product of this workshop are reviewed with business experts, and then stored in the metabase. Participants in this workshop include the project manager, and key business experts.


4.2 Business Data Elements Workshop (5 days)

The business data elements workshop concentrates on the determination of the primitive data elements that must be represented in the database objects. Business data elements are determined through policy analysis, independently from the objects. The attendees to this workshop are members of the project staff. The products of this workshop, an inventory of fully defined business data elements, are reviewed with business experts and are stored in the metabase.


4.3 Data Structures Workshop (5 days)

The data structures workshop concentrates on the determination of the data structure component of the database objects. Data structures are determined by intersecting the objects and business data elements from the prior workshops. Each data structure is reviewed for simplicity, so that each of the segments within a data structure's structure is in third normal form. The products of this workshop are reviewed with the project manager, and are then stored in the metabase. Workshop participants are the project staff.


4.4 Database Process Workshop (5 days)

The database process workshop concentrates on the specification of the data structure field and segment rules that bind the data structures together through business data element value and data structure segment dependencies. The products of this workshop, that is, the data integrity rules, are determined through policy analysis, are reviewed with business experts, and are stored in the metabase. Participants in this workshop include project staff, and key business experts.


4.5 Database Object Information Systems Workshop (5 days)

The database information system workshop concentrates on the specification of the logic necessary to transform the various database objects from one state to another. The products of this workshop, database object information system logic diagrams and pseudo code are determined through policy analysis, are reviewed with business experts, and are stored in the metabase. Participants in this workshop include project staff, and key business experts. Database object information systems should be prototyped to validate their design completeness and validity. Once the database objects prototypes are exercised and finalized the specifications become the requirements for implementation phase activities.


4.6 Database Object State Workshop (5 days)

The database object state workshop concentrates on the specification of the database object states. The database object states are identified through a study of the essential database object life cycles. The database object life cycles are discovered through the Ron Ross resource lifecycle analysis. The product of this workshop are the lifecycles of each database object where each database object lifecycle state is named, and the database object information systems, database processes, and the database object structure transformations are identified. Participants in this workshop include project staff, and key business experts.


5. Business Information System and Reengineering Workshops

5.1 Business Information System Workshop (5 days)

The business information system workshop concentrates on the specification of the business information systems that must be implemented to transform the database objects from one state to another. The product of this workshop is the business information system specification. Business information systems should be prototyped to validate business information system design completeness and validity. Once the prototype is exercised and finalized the specifications become the requirements for implementation phase activities. Participants in this workshop include project staff, and key business experts.


5.2 Business Event Workshop (5 days)

The business event workshop concentrates on the specification of the business events from within the business function analysis and synthesis effort. Each business event is specified in terms of the business information systems that must execute to perform the state changes to the database objects. The products of the business event workshop are the named business events, their contained structures, and the identification of the business information systems that are triggered into execution when the business event occurs. Participants in this workshop include project staff, and key business experts.


5.3 Business Function Workshop (5 days)

The business function workshop concentrates on the specification of the optimum set of business functions that must be accomplished by business persons charged with carrying out the overall enterprise mission. While business functions may be differently styled, the business events they trigger are standardized. This enables different organizations to be styled according to their needs without compromising enterprise database. The products of this workshop are the optimized business function procedures appropriate for the organizations that operate them. Participants in this workshop include project staff, and key business experts.

5.4 Business Organization Workshop (5 days)

The business organization workshop concentrates on the specification of the business organization structure required to carry out business missions. Different organizations may have different structures depending on business unit sizes and management styles. The products of this workshop are efficient and effective business organization charts, the staffing requirements, and the identification of the business functions that are the responsibility of each business unit. Participants in this workshop include project staff, and key business experts.

 
6. Physical Database Workshop (15 days)

The physical database workshop concentrates on the preliminary designs of the various database object loading and update subsystems, database size estimates, and finally database backup requirements.

Additionally, the workshop determines the adequacy of the database design to perform these physical database functions (load, update, and backup/restore). If a class of functions consumes too many resources, database design changes (logical) are performed. The products of this workshop include designs of database object update, load, and backup/restore subsystems, resource consumption estimates by individual subsystem and by time periods.

The products of this workshop are reviewed with business experts to ensure that all database objects are adequately handled by the database system. The participants in this workshop are project staff, key business experts, and staff knowledgeable in the computing environment, and the DBMS (if known).


7. Interrogation Workshop (5 days)

The interrogation workshop concentrates on the definition of critical interrogation subsystems that must be supported by the database system. Additionally, the workshop determines the adequacy of the database design to perform these interrogations. If a class of interrogation consumes too much resources, database design changes (logical and physical) are performed. The products of this workshop include designs of interrogation subsystems, resource consumption estimates by individual interrogation and by time periods. Participants in this workshop include project staff, key functional personnel, and those knowledgeable in the computing environment and the DBMS (if known).


8. System Control Workshop (5 days)

The system control workshop concentrates on determining the requirements for critical system control functions, such as audit trails, backup and recovery, concurrency, and the like. These requirements result in logical and physical database design changes. Further, the resource requirements for operating these system control functions are estimated. The products of this workshop include designs of system control subsystems, resource consumption estimates by individual interrogation and by time periods. Participants in this workshop include project staff, key functional personnel, and those knowledgeable in the computing environment and the various DBMSs.


9. Prototyping--Logical & Physical Workshop (10 days)

The prototyping workshop concentrates on two aspects: logical (database object) and physical. DBMS is used to create the complete specification of the database, load with test data, and demonstrate it to business experts to validate logical design correctness.

Once the logical database system design is determined, and if the DBMS is known, a full size (if possible) database prototype is created with dummy (but statistically valid) data. This is then rigorously tested (load, update, interrogation, and system control functions) to determine actual responsiveness on the computing environment. If acceptable, then the project's implementation is scheduled. If not acceptable, the logical and physical design of the database is modified to remove performance deficiencies. Then the project's implementation is scheduled.

The product of this workshop is an acceptable design for the database system. Participants include key project staff members, and personnel knowledgeable in the computing environment and the DBMS (if known).
 

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