11.3. Relational Mapping Procedure

The previous section introduced a generic notation for setting out a relational schema, and discussed simple examples of mapping from a conceptual to a relational schema. We now discuss the main steps of a general procedure for performing such a mapping. Advanced aspects of this procedure are considered in Section 11.4.

For a given conceptual schema, several different relational designs might be chosen. Ideally the relational schema chosen should be correct, efficient, and clear. Correctness requires the relational schema to be equivalent to the conceptual schema (within the completeness allowed by relational structures). Efficiency means good response times to updates and queries, with reasonable demands on ...

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