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Livelink ECM - Collections Server
(Formerly BASIS)
Database Administration
Planning and Design
Spring 2017
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Contents
Preface ................................................................................................................. 7
BASIS Basics ...................................................................................................... 9
Understanding Databases ............................................................................... 11
What is a Database? ........................................................................................................................11
Some Basic Terminology ..................................................................................................12
Computer Databases..........................................................................................................13
Document Management System ........................................................................................13
Principal Features of BASIS ...........................................................................................................14
Other Important Features ..................................................................................................15
Controlled Redundancy .....................................................................................................15
Database Growth ...............................................................................................................16
Data Independence ............................................................................................................16
Multiple User Views .........................................................................................................16
Concurrent Access ............................................................................................................17
Records ............................................................................................................................................17
Record Styles ....................................................................................................................18
View Definitions ...............................................................................................................19
User Data Model ...............................................................................................................20
Formatted Screens .............................................................................................................20
Fields ...............................................................................................................................................20
Data Types ........................................................................................................................21
Simple and Compound Fields ...........................................................................................21
Complex Fields Are Not Recommended ...........................................................................22
Text Field ..........................................................................................................................23
Text Image ........................................................................................................................23
Keys.................................................................................................................................................24
Primary Key ......................................................................................................................24
Foreign Key.......................................................................................................................25
Indexes ............................................................................................................................................25
Types of Indexes ...............................................................................................................26
BASIS Databases ............................................................................................................................26
Authority Database ............................................................................................................27
Definition Database ...........................................................................................................28
Contents  3
Record Database ............................................................................................................... 29
Other Databases and Files ................................................................................................. 30
Designing a Database ....................................................................................... 33
Getting Started ................................................................................................................................ 33
Gather Information from Users ......................................................................................... 33
Define Information Requirements ..................................................................................... 34
Develop an Implementation Strategy ................................................................................ 35
Understanding Relationships in a Database .................................................................................... 35
Mappings .......................................................................................................................... 36
Understanding Database Structures................................................................................................. 39
Simple Structure ............................................................................................................... 40
Tree Structure ................................................................................................................... 40
Plex Structure.................................................................................................................... 41
Understanding Relational Databases ............................................................................................... 42
Projection .......................................................................................................................... 44
Join ................................................................................................................................... 45
Normalization ................................................................................................................... 47
First Normal Form ............................................................................................................ 50
Second Normal Form ........................................................................................................ 52
Third Normal Form........................................................................................................... 52
Summary ........................................................................................................................... 53
Diagramming Record Relationships ................................................................................................ 54
Planning Inter-Record Relationships ............................................................................................... 55
Joining Records ................................................................................................................ 55
Concept Mining and Clustering....................................................................................................... 56
Concept Mining ................................................................................................................ 56
Clustering .......................................................................................................................... 57
Evaluating the Database Design ...................................................................................................... 58
Sharing the Design with the Users .................................................................................................. 60
Data Dictionary ................................................................................................................. 60
Tutorial for Creating a Simple BASIS Database ............................................. 61
Design the Database ........................................................................................................................ 64
Purpose ............................................................................................................................. 64
Key Point .......................................................................................................................... 64
Step ................................................................................................................................... 64
Write ADM Statements in a File ..................................................................................................... 65
Purpose ............................................................................................................................. 65
Key Points ......................................................................................................................... 65
Steps.................................................................................................................................. 65
Name the Database and Journals ..................................................................................................... 66
Purpose ............................................................................................................................. 66
Key Points ......................................................................................................................... 66
4  Contents
Steps ..................................................................................................................................68
Load the Definition..........................................................................................................................70
Purpose..............................................................................................................................70
Key Points .........................................................................................................................70
Steps ..................................................................................................................................71
Generate UDM and SDM in Screen Mode ......................................................................................74
Purpose..............................................................................................................................74
Key Points .........................................................................................................................74
Steps ..................................................................................................................................75
Apply the Definition ........................................................................................................................79
Purpose..............................................................................................................................79
Key Points .........................................................................................................................79
Steps ..................................................................................................................................79
Initialize the Record Database File ..................................................................................................82
Purpose..............................................................................................................................82
Key Point ..........................................................................................................................82
Steps ..................................................................................................................................83
Authorize Users and Programmers ..................................................................................................84
Purpose..............................................................................................................................84
Key Points .........................................................................................................................84
Steps ..................................................................................................................................86
Load the Data ..................................................................................................................................88
Purpose..............................................................................................................................88
Key Points .........................................................................................................................88
Steps ..................................................................................................................................89
Index .................................................................................................................. 93
Contents  5
Preface
Written for database administrators (DBAs) responsible for designing and creating
automated databases, this booklet provides an introduction to database planning and
design. It defines some basic terminology and provides guidance for designing a
relational database. A tutorial helps you create a simple BASIS database.
A typical corporate database contains different types of records and is used by different
groups of people in the organization. Such databases often require data validation
criteria, security schemes, and other sophisticated features.
We assume that as a DBA you are familiar with using your host computer system. You
should know how to run programs and create files. We also assume that you have used a
BASIS database and are familiar with retrieval and data entry.
BASIS manuals essential for database administrators include:
Database Definition and Development, which provides information for creating your
database definition, and
Database Loading and Maintenance, which describes various methods for adding
data to your database, techniques for importing and exporting records, and various
utilities for helping you maintain your database.
Related documentation will help you take advantage of additional BASIS features as
available to your operating system. For information about which features are available to
your system, see Database Loading and Maintenance, “Preface.” Following is a list of
related documentation:
Command Procedures explains how to automate many database activities using
command procedures.
Programming with DHI describes how to write database application programs with
the Document Handler Interface (DHI).
Preface  7
Programming with OpenAPI describes an application programming interface (API)
to BASIS that runs on MS Windows and Macintosh clients.
Thesaurus explains how to control database vocabulary using the Thesaurus Manager
(TM) module.
Markup and Style Guide describes the resources for importing documents produced
on document processing systems into a database.
BASIS Desktop Developer’s Guide and BASIS Desktop User’s Guide describe an MS
Windows-based graphical user interface (GUI) to BASIS.
The following books provide comprehensive information about planning and designing
relational databases. Especially for topics like relational database theory and
normalization, they cover more than can be suggested within the scope of this manual.
Date, C.J. An Introduction to Database Systems. 6th ed. Reading, Mass.: AddisonWesley, 1995.
Gane, Chris and Trish Sarson. Structured Systems Analysis: Tools and Techniques.
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1979.
Martin, James. Computer Database Organization. 2d ed. Englewood Cliffs, New
Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1977.
Martin, James. Design and Strategy for Distributed Data Processing. Englewood
Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1981.
Martin, James. Managing the Database Environment. Englewood Cliffs, New
Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1983.
Martin, James. Principles of Database Management. Englewood Cliffs, New
Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1976.
McFadden, Fred R. and Jeffrey A. Holler. Database Management. 3rd ed.
Redwood City, Calif.: Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, 1991.
Ullman, Jeffrey D. Principles of Database Systems. 2nd ed. Rockville, Md.:
Computer Science Press, 1983.
Wiederhold, Gio. Database Design. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1983.
8  Preface
Yourdon, Edward and Larry L. Constantine. Structured Design: Fundamentals of a
Discipline of Computer Program and Systems Design. Englewood Cliffs, New
Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1979.
Yourdon, Edward. Structured Walkthroughs. 4th ed. Englewood Cliffs, New
Jersey: Yourdon Press, 1989.
BASIS Basics
For information about documentation conventions, syntax notation, the TOUR
demonstration database, accessing online help, and reporting problems, see BASIS
Reference, “Basics.”
Preface  9
10  Preface