DB2 objects and their relationships

Logical data modeling and physical data modeling are two tasks that you need to perform to design a DB2® database.

When you design any database, you need to answer many different questions. The same is true when you design a DB2 database. How will you organize your data? How will you create relationships between tables? How should you define the columns in your tables? What type of table space should you use?

To design a database, you perform two general tasks. The first task is logical data modeling, and the second task is physical data modeling. In logical data modeling, you design a model of the data without paying attention to specific functions and capabilities of the DBMS that stores the data. In fact, you could even build a logical data model without knowing which DBMS you will use. Next comes the task of physical data modeling. This is when you move closer to a physical implementation. The primary purpose of the physical design stage is to optimize performance while ensuring the integrity of the data.

This information begins with an introduction to the task of logical data modeling. The logical data modeling topic focuses on the entity-relationship model and provides an overview of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and IBM® Rational® Data Architect. The information ends with the task of physical database design.

After completing the logical and physical design of your database, you implement the design.