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A. Lab # : BSBA BIS245A-4A

B. Lab 4A of 7: Database design based on data requirements and business rules focusing on interpreting business rules to determine relationships.

C. Lab Overview –Scenario/Summary

TCO(s):

1. Given a business situation in which managers require information from a database, determine, analyze and classify that information so that reports can be designed to meet the requirements.

2. Given a situation containing entities, business rules, and data requirements, create the conceptual model of the database using a database modeling tool.

Scenario:

You have been asked to create a database model using MS Visio Database Model Diagram Template. The purpose of this lab is to provide experience designing, with limited instructions, a simple database based on a list of data requirements and associated business rules.

Upon completing this lab, you will be able to

1. create a new Visio file for database design; and

2. using the data requirements and the business rules provided, develop a conceptual model (ERD), including attribute data types and required field lengths.

D. Deliverables

Section

Deliverable

Points

Step 6

YourNameLab4A.vsd (Visio Diagram)

E. Lab Steps

Preparation

1. Using Citrix for MS Visio and/or MS Access

a. If you are using the Citrix remote lab, follow the login instructions located in the iLab tab in Course Home.

2. Start Visio

a. Open Microsoft Office 2010, Visio application, or

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b. if you are using Citrix, click on Microsoft Office 2010 Applications folder to start Visio.

Lab:

Step 1: Identify and create the entities

a. Open a new blank Database Model Diagram. If you need assitance with this, refer to the Week 1 Lab Instructions. Be sure that all options are set consistent to those used in previous weeks so that you generate your model in Crows Foot notation.

b. Save the file as YourName_Lab4A.vsd.

c. Based on the information provided below, create the necessary entities for the Catering by Caren database. If you need assistance to create the entities, refer to Labs from Weeks 1 and 2.

Catering by Caren

Catering by Caren is an upscale catering company focusing on full, four-course gourmet dinners for groups from two to forty. Owner/chef James Caren is wonderful in the kitchen, but has become overwhelmed with the business side of running his rapidly growing operation. You have been hired as his business manager, and you’ve decided to computerize information on the engagements.

Chef Caren is excited about this project and has provided you with the following information. He doesn’t know databases nearly as well as he knows haute cuisine, so the data requirements are not well-organized, nor is data in its smallest parts. He has noted whether the menu items are appetizers, salads, main courses, or desserts. He has also provided a list of the information he keeps on each customer and each booking.

By talking with Chef Caren, you feel you have enough information on the company’s business rules to understand the relationships between the data. Chef Caren is particularly concerned that you capture the exact requirements for the menu for each engagement. For instance, if 20 people are to be served, he wants to know how many want the vegetarian main course, the Kosher meals, and so forth.

At this point, you are going to use the following information to put together an entity relationship diagram that you will then use with Chef Caren to verify that you have accurately captured the requirements.

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Customers

Name

Phone

Address

E-mail Address

Approved for credit or not

Engagements

Date

Time

Location

Menu

Number of Attendees

Special Diet Plates

Assistant Chef Assigned

Employees Assigned

Payment Method (AmEx, Visa, MasterCard, Check, Cash, Bill)

Deposit Amount

Deposit Paid Date

Total Charges

Balance Paid Date

Menu Items

Item Name

Description

Classification (Appetizer, Salad, Main Course, Dessert)

Special Diet Item (Kosher, Vegetarian)

Employees

Name

Position

NOTE: You may find it helpful to consider the business rules in Step 4 in creating your entities.

Step 2: Identify and create attributes (fields)

NOTE: Because you are creating your diagram in Visio, it will be easier to create the attributes prior to the relationships.

a. Refer to the data requirements from Step 1 of this lab. If you have not already

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created the attributes (fields) in your ERD, add them at this time.

b. Save your file and continue to Step 3.

Step 3: Identify and designate the keys

a. Detemine whether an attribute exists in each table that will satisfy the requirements of a primary key. If no appropriate field exists, create a field for this purpose.

b. Check the Primary Key property for the field(s) in each table using the Visio column properties.

Step 4: Identify the relationships

a. Using the information below on the business rules for Catering by Caren, create the relationships between the entities created in Steps 1 and 2.

b. Notice that, where Many-to-Many relationships exist, you will need to create associative entities. If you are not sure of the process to create relationships in Visio, refer to the Labs for Weeks 1 and 2. You created an associative entity in Week 2.

c. For any associative entities created, enter necessary fields. You may also need to designate or create a primary key. NOTE: If the relationship is mandatory (must have at least one…) you will go to the relationship Miscellaneous property and change it from Zero to Many to One to Many.

BUSINESS RULES

Business rules help determine the relationships between data that should help you design the relationships between your entities.

1. Each customer can book many engagements over time, but each engagement is placed by only one customer.

2. One assistant chef is assigned to each engagement. An assistant chef may work many engagements over time, but each engagement will have only one assistant chef assigned.

3. Each engagement will have many menu items. Each menu item may be served at many engagements. When a menu item is selected, the number of servings required for the event must be recorded. (Hint: Remember that an associative entity may have attributes!)

4. Each engagement must have at least one assistant chef assigned. There may be many other employees assigned to the engagement. Each employee may work many engagements. However, some employees never work engagements.

5. Only one engagement may be scheduled for any particular date and time.

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Step 5: Determine and specify the data types

a. Using the information below select the data type for each attribute (field) in your diagram, and set the type in the attribute properties. (Refer to the Week 2 Lab if you are not sure how to do this. Where allowed, estimate the field length needed.)

As the data types and field lengths are not included in the data requirements, you should make a selection based on your knowledge of the type of data and approximation of length required. The Visio equivalents are shown below

Access

Visio

Number

Integer

Text

Text

Memo

LongText

Date/Time

DateTime

Currency

Currency

Yes/No

Binary

AutoNumber

Long

Hyperlink

No equivalent—use Text

Step 6: Modify the Visio Settings to show the Data type and field size in the diagram.

a. Change your Visio settings so that the data type and field size appear on the actual diagram. If you are unsure of the steps to do this, refer to the Week 3 Lab.

b. Be sure to save the final version of your file.

Lab 4A Final Deliverables

a. YourNameLab4A.vsd (Visio Diagram)–from Lab 4A

Submit this file to the Week 4 iLab Dropbox.

END OF LAB