Design for the Future
The Future of Data
For the DBA
Reducing empty space and increasing flexibility by clustering around entity types and attribute groups
Real world entities have many possible simple relationships.
Simple General-Purpose Relationship Table
Multiple entity tables. N2 possible relationships.
Putting everything with options into the same entity table leads to lots of unused space.
Old Entity Table
Attributes are equivalent to relations.
Relationship Types are also entities.
Change the Entities to Phrases.
Change the Relations to Semantic Triplet Sentences.
Triplet Sentence Table Phrase Table
Phrase Table Allows any data type
in any “cell”.
Common value types are pooled and indexed.
ValueFloatTable
Phrase Table
Used for Project management, Security filtering
Used for metadata in the style of “(S1) was captured by (Device19)”.
This table requires either more phrases in a sentence or more sentences.
Complex Relationship Table Example
Allows more phrases per sentence, more phrases per syntax position, and more syntax positions (metadata).
Now you can select “tables” and “columns” the same way as rows.
Value Sentence Table
The sentence table can now hold any complex relationship.
The old design pattern - meaning is dependent on the row and column positions in each table.
The new design pattern - pieces of Equal Format Data.
This Old Table
Tables of Equal Format Data
Atomic data can be modified non-destructively more efficiently with less locking.
Nondestructive storage can maintain a running snapshot
Common container types reduce N2 complexity in coding, point-to-point conversions and messaging.
Development is de-linked from structural dependency.
Reusable structures encourage reusable code and common dictionaries.
Atomic data enables multiple inheritance
There are many ways to say it – keep it simple.
Try to be less ambiguous and use stricter and simpler syntax.
It’s easier to change the vocabulary than change the structure.
More wordiness uses space but adds meaning.
Compared to traditional design, it uses more space per cell when nonempty, but no space per cell when empty.
Repeat the container as multiple “subsystems” to tune the structure
Master Data Storage
Messaging Systems
Data Warehousing, Data Marts, and Data Mining
Security, Auditing, Quality Control
Merging Legacy Information
Facility Data and PLM Data
Engineering Project Management
Product Catalog Data
Development Infrastructure
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