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What is a Relational Database? - The Essentials of Relational Data Modeling

Bitnine Global Marketing team

Sat Jul 06 2024

What is a Relational Database? - The Essentials of Relational Data Modeling

As information technology evolves, data management techniques are becoming increasingly crucial. Data modeling is key to maintaining data accuracy and relevance.


This article, the first in a series, introduces you to relational database (RDB) modeling


Understanding Data Modeling

Data modeling involves creating a logical data model based on a given concept. To create an efficient model, it’s essential to understand the database’s essence and tailor it to meet specific customer requirements. This process includes analyzing the subject matter, building an actual database, and using it for development and data management.


Key aspects to consider are:


  • Minimizing Redundancy: Avoid storing duplicate data or attributes

  • Ensuring Flexibility: Design the model to accommodate future changes

  • Maintaining Consistency: Define data relationships clearly to prevent issues when updating related information


Data modeling focuses primarily on the data within a database management system. For example, an RDB represents data relationships in tables, while a graph database (GDB) uses graph structures


Data Modeling with RDB

Data modeling with RDB follows a structured process, illustrated here using a flight reservation system.


Identifying the Needs:

The first step is to determine the form and purpose of the data. For a flight reservation system, this means considering the data related to users, bookings, travel itineraries, flights, and passengers. Understanding these needs is essential for efficient data storage and retrieval.

Designing a Conceptual Data Model (E-R Diagram):

Next, we create an Entity-Relationship (E-R) diagram that visually represents key entities and their relationships. The E-R diagram acts as a guide to understanding the importance of data within the database.

Designing a Logical Data Model:

This phase clearly defines the logical structure and business information rules. It involves normalization to ensure consistency and eliminate redundancy, taking the E-R diagram as input.

Designing a Physical Data Model:

The final step involves translating the logical data model into a format that matches the physical storage on computer hardware. In relational databases, index searches and table joins are used to connect different entities. However, complex queries in RDBs, especially with multiple table joins or extensive data, can lead to performance issues.



At Bitnine Global, we offer the Enterprise relational database, powered by PostgreSQL, with dedicated extension software to enhance query performance. Its unique Oracle compatibility provides an advanced data management infrastructure while significantly reducing costs. It supports enterprise-grade features in both Oracle and PostgreSQL, making it a versatile and cost-effective solution for organizations.


Interested in our hybrid capabilities with graph data modeling?


Stay tuned for the next article: "What is a Graph Database?" to explore the fascinating world of databases!

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