Abstract
It is generally believed that a well-designed Conceptual Schema will remain stable over time. However, current literature rarely addresses how such stability should be observed and measured in the operational business environment with evolving information needs and database structures. This paper sets up a framework for stability of conceptual schemas and proceeds to develop a set of metrics from it. The metrics are based on straightforward measurements of conceptual features. The validity of the set of metrics is argued here from theory, operational validity may be demonstrated by a longitudinal case study into the evolution of conceptual schemas. The main contribution of this paper is the realization that the measurement of conceptual schema stability is an essential step for understanding and improving current theories and best-practices for designing high-quality schemas that will stand the test of time.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amikam A. On the automatic generation of internal schemata, Information Systems vol 10 no 1 [1985] 37–45
Andany J., Léonard M., Palisser C. Management of Schema Evolution in Databases, 17th Int. Conference on VLDB’91 Very Large Data Bases, Barcelona (Spain), Morgan Kaufmann, San Francisco [1991 09] 161–170
ANSI/X3/SPARC Study Group on Data Base Management Systems Interim Report, ACM SIGMOD Newsletter vol 7 no 2 [1975 02 08]
Basili V.R., Briand L., Melo W.L. A Validation of Object-Oriented Metrics as Quality Indicators, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering vol 22 no 10 [1996 10] 751–761
Batini C.W., Ceri S., Navathe S.B. Conceptual Database Design: An Entity-Relationship Approach, Benjamin/Cummings Publ. CA [1992]
Batini C.W., Di Battista G., Santucci G. Structuring primitives for a Dictionary of ER Data Schemas, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering vol 19 no 4 [1993] 344–365
Batra D., Antony S.R. Novice errors in Conceptual Database Design, European Journal of Information Systems vol 3 no 1 [1994] 57–69
Batra D., Davis J.G. Conceptual data modelling in database design: similarities and differences between expert and novice designers, Int. Journal of Man-Machine Studies vol 37 [1992] 83–101
Belady L.A., Lehman M.M. A model of large program development, IBM Systems Journal vol 15 no 3 [1976] 225–252
Castano S., de Antonellis V., Zonta B. Classifying and Reusing Conceptual Schemas, ER’92 Entity-Relationship Approach, editors Pernul G., Tjoa A.M., Springer Verlag series LNCS 645 [1992 10] 121–138
Chen P.-P., Ming-rui Li The lattice structure of entity sets, ER’86 Entity-Relationship Approach, editor Spaccapietra S. Elsevier Science Publ. North-Holland [1986] 217–229
Chidamber S.R., Kemerer C.F. A metrics suite for Object-Oriented Design, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering vol 20 no 6 [1994 06] 476–493
Claypool K.T., Rundensteiner E.A., Heineman G.T. Evolving the software of a Schema Evolution System, Database schema Evolution and Meta-Modeling — 9th Int.Workshop on Foundations and Models of Data and Objects (FOM-LADO/DEMM’00), editors Balsters H., de Brock B., Conrad S., Springer Verlag series LNCS 2065 [2001] 68–84
Date C.J. An introduction to Database Systems, volume I, fourth edition, Addison-Wesley Publ. [1986]
Delen G.P.A.J., Looijen M. Beheer van Informatievoorziening, Cap Gemini Publishing Netherlands (isbn 90-7199650-6) [1992] (in Dutch)
de Troyer O. On Data Schema transformations, PhD thesis Tilburg University [1993 03]
Dittrich K.R., Gotthard W., Lockemann P.C. Complex entities for Engineering Applications, ER’86 Entity-Relationship Approach 1986 editor Spaccapietra S., Elsevier Science Publ. North-Holland [1986] 421–440
Dvorak J. Conceptual Entropy and its Effect on Class Hierarchies, Computer [1994] 59–63
Ebels E.J., Stegwee R.A. A Multiple Methodology Approach towards Information Architecture Specification, Proceedings of the’ 92 IRMA Int.Conference, Charleston SC, editor Khosrowpour [1992 05] 186–193
Etzkorn L., Davis C., Li W. A Practical look at the lack of cohesion in methods metric, JOOP Journal of OO Programming vol 11 no 5 [1998 09] 27–34
Ewald C.A., Orlowska M.E. A Procedural Approach to Schema Evolution, CAiSE’ 93 Advanced Information Systems Engineering, 5th Int.Conference Paris France, Springer Verlag series LNCS 685 [1993 06] 22–38
Feldman P., Miller D. Entity Model clustering: structuring a data model by abstraction, The Computer Journal vol 29 no 4 [1986] 348–360
Ferrandina F., Meyer T., Zicari R., Ferran G., Madec J. Schema and database evolution in the O2 object database system, Proceedings of the 21st VLDB’95 Very Large Data Bases conference, Zurich, editors Dayal U., Gray P.M.D., Nishio S. [1995 09] 170–181
Gill G.K., Kemerer C.F. Cyclomatic complexity density and software maintenance productivity, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering vol 17 no 12 [1991] 1284–1288
Hainaut J.-L., Engelbert V. DBMAIN: a next-generation meta-CASE, Information Systems vol 24 no 2 [1999 04] 99–112
Jensen O.G., Bohlen M.H. Evolving Relations, Database schema Evolution and Meta-Modeling — 9th Int.Workshop on Foundations and Models of Data and Objects (FOMLADO/DEMM’00), editors Balsters H., de Brock B., Conrad S., Springer Verlag series LNCS 2065 [2001] 115–131
Jianhua Zhu, Nassif R., Pankaj G., Drew P., Askelid B. Incorporating a model hierarchy into the ER paradigm, ER’91 Entity-Relationship Approach [1991] 75–88
Jones C. Software Metrics: good, bad, and missing, Computer vol 27 no 9 [1994 09] 98–100
Jones M.C., Rundensteiner E.A. An Object Model and Algebra for the Implicit Unfolding of Hierarchical Structures [1999] (internet, downloaded on 2000-01-31)
Kesh S. Evaluating the quality of Entity Relationship models, Information & Software Technology vol 37 [1995] 681–689
Lautemann S.-E. A propagation mechanism for populated schema versions, Proceedings of the IEEE Int. Conference on Data Engineering [1997 04] 67–78
Lederer A., Salmela H. Towards a theory of strategic information systems planning, J. of Strategic Information Systems vol 5 no 3 [1996 09] 237–253
Lerner B.S., Habermann A.N. Beyond schema evolution to database reorganization, Proceedings of the ECOOP/OOPSLA’90 conference, SIGPLAN Notices vol 25 no 10 [1990 10] 67–76
Lerner B.S. A Model for Compound Type Changes encountered in Schema Evolution, Technical Report 96-044 Univ Massachusetts [1996 06] (internet, downloaded on 2000.02.29)
Levitin A.V., Redman T.C. Quality dimensions of a conceptual view, Information Processing & Management vol 31 no 1 [1995] 81–88
Lindland O.I., Sindre G., Sølvberg A. Understanding Quality in Conceptual Modeling, IEEE Software [1994 03] 42–49
Marche S. Measuring the stability of data models, European J.of Information Systems, a publication of the Operational Research Society, vol 2 no 1 [1993] 37–47
Mistelbauer H. Datenmodellverdichtung: Vom Projektdatenmodell zur Unternehmens-Datenarchitektur, Wirtschaftsinformatik vol 33 no 4 [1991 08] 289–299 (in german)
Pels H.J. Geïntegreerde informatiebanken: modulair ontwerp van het conceptuele schema, Stenfert Kroese Leiden NL [1988] (in dutch)
Peters R.J., Tamer Ozsu M. Reflection in a Uniform Behaviour Object Model, ER’93 Entity-Relationship Approach 1993, 12th Int.Conference Arlington (Texas), editors Elmasri, Kouramajian, Thalheim, Springer Verlag series LNCS 823 [1993 12] 34–45
Peters R.J., Tamer Ozsu M. An axiomatic model of dynamic schema evolution in objectbase systems, ACM transactions on Database Systems vol 22 no 1 [1997 03] 75–114
Proper H.A., van der Weide T.P. Towards a general theory for the evolution of application domains, Proc. Australasian Database Conference’93, editors Orlowska, Papazoglou, World Scientific [1993 02] 346–362
Roddick J.F, Craske N.G., Richards T.J. A Taxonomy for Schema Versioning Based on the Relational and Entity Relationship Models, ER’93 Entity-Relationship Approach, 12th Int.Conference Arlington (Texas), editors Elmasri, Kouramajian, Thalheim, Springer Verlag series LNCS 823 [1993 12] 137–148
Sauter C. Ein Ansatz fur das Reverse Engineering relationaler Datenbanken, Wirtschaftsinformatik vol 37 no 3 [1995] 242–250 (in German)
Schneidewind N.F. Methodology for Validating Software Metrics, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering vol 18 no 5 [1992 05] 410–422
Shanks G., Darke P. Understanding corporate data models, Information & Management vol 35 no 1 [1999] 19–30
Sheth A., Kashyap V., So Far (schematically) Yet So Near (semantically), Proceedings of the IFIP WG2.6 DS-5 Conference, Lorne Australia [1992 11 16] 272–301
Sjøberg D. Quantifying Schema Evolution, Information & Software Technology vol 35 no 1 [1993 01] 35–44
Storey V.C., Ullrich H., Sundaresan S. An Ontology for Database Design Automation, ER’97 Entity-Relationship Approach 1997, editors Embley, Goldstein, Springer Verlag series LNCS 1331 [1997] 2–15
Teorey T.J. Database Modeling & Design: The fundamental Principles, 2nd edition Morgan Kaufmann Publ. [1994]
Terrasse M.-N. A Modeling Approach to Meta-Evolution, Database schema Evolution and Meta-Modeling — 9th Int.Workshop on Foundations and Models of Data and Objects (FOMLADO/DEMM’00), editors Balsters H., de Brock B., Conrad S., Springer Verlag series LNCS 2065 [2001] 201–218
Urtado C., Oussalah C. Complex entity versioning at two granularity levels, Information Systems vol 23 no 3/4 [1998] 197–216
Veldwijk R. Hoe rekbaar is flexibel, Database Magazine [1996] 38–43 (in dutch)
Wand Y., Monarchi D.E., Parsons J., Woo C.C. Theoretical foundations for conceptual modelling in information systems development, Decision Support Systems vol 15 [1995] 285–304
Wedemeijer L. Semantic Change Patterns in the Conceptual Schema, ECDM’99 Advances in Conceptual Modeling, editors Chen, Embley, Kouloumdjian, Liddle, Roddick, Springer Verlag series LNCS 1727 [1999 11] 122–133
Wedemeijer L. A Method to Ease Schema Evolution, IRMA’00 International Conference, Anchorage AK, [2000 05] 423–425
Wilmot R.B. Foreign keys decrease adaptability of database designs, Communications of the ACM vol 27 no 12 [1984 12] 1237–1243
Zuse H. A Framework of Software Measurement, Walter de Gruyter Berlin, NewYork [1998]
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2001 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Wedemeijer, L. (2001). Defining Metrics for Conceptual Schema Evolution. In: Balsters, H., de Brock, B., Conrad, S. (eds) Database Schema Evolution and Meta-Modeling. DEMM FoMLaDO 2000 2000. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 2065. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-48196-6_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-48196-6_13
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-42272-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-48196-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive