LAURA: A Formal Data Model and her Logical Design Methodology.

@inproceedings{DBLP:conf/vldb/BrownP83,
  author    = {Robert Brown and
               Douglas Stott Parker Jr.},
  editor    = {Mario Schkolnick and
               Costantino Thanos},
  title     = {LAURA: A Formal Data Model and her Logical Design Methodology},
  booktitle = {9th International Conference on Very Large Data Bases, October
               31 - November 2, 1983, Florence, Italy, Proceedings},
  publisher = {Morgan Kaufmann},
  year      = {1983},
  isbn      = {0-934613-15-X},
  pages     = {206-218},
  ee        = {db/conf/vldb/BrownP83.html},
  crossref  = {DBLP:conf/vldb/83},
  bibsource = {DBLP, http://dblp.uni-trier.de}
}

Abstract

This paper describes the LAURA data model and its use in the logical design methodology of the Database Design Group. LAURA provides simple formal constructs for the design of large databases, including generalization, abstraction, and categorization primitives, while avoiding limitations of existing formal models.

LAURA is based on functional connections between data, and has features of functional and binary data models, and semantic networks. A consequence of choosing a relatively abstract level for modeling is that important semantic information is available for use in 'normalization' which can be lost, for example, when schemas are translated to relational representations. In particular, use of the relational model inhibits proper modeling of different types of functions and abstractional concepts, and clouds the fact that eliminating inherited propertis from a schema is a main concern of normalization (which is not at all evident when expressed in the language of functional dependencies).

This paper concentrates first on introducing LAURA, and second on describing the normalizing transforms used with the model. The approach developed here has been automated, and is being used successfully in the interactive design of large database systems.

Copyright © 1983 by the VLDB Endowment. Permission to copy without fee all or part of this material is granted provided that the copies are not made or distributed for direct commercial advantage, the VLDB copyright notice and the title of the publication and its date appear, and notice is given that copying is by the permission of the Very Large Data Base Endowment. To copy otherwise, or to republish, requires a fee and/or special permission from the Endowment.

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Referenced by

1. David W. Embley, Tok Wang Ling: Synergistic Database Design with an Extended Entity-Relationship Model. ER 1989: 111-128
2. Serge Abiteboul, Richard Hull: IFO: A Formal Semantic Database Model. ACM Trans. Database Syst. 12(4): 525-565(1987)
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