A conceptual schema is a design pattern used to visually represent the structure of information in a database or computer system. It outlines entities, attributes, and relationships between them. It allows for higher-level organization and easier implementation of changes. It can also describe specific rules for the system.
A conceptual schema is a design pattern used to plan or visually represent the structure of information contained in a database or other computer system entity. It acts to delineate the specific entities in the system, together with their attributes and the relationships between the various entities. The purpose of a conceptual schema is to provide higher-level order to a computer system. Computer systems in large-scale organizations are so complex that they require this type of macro-management to keep them running smoothly and efficiently.
To visualize a conceptual pattern, imagine a series of squares. Each square represents a table of entities in the system tree, such as Employees, Current Employees, Projects, Payroll Scale, and so on. These entities are arranged from top to bottom and connected with lines based on relationships and associations. For example, the Current Employees table will naturally be a related subset of the Employees table, so the Current Employees table branches vertically from the Employees table. Conversely, the Projects and Payscales table will be related to the Current Employees table, as each current employee will both receive pay and work on one or more projects. Consequently, these tables branch horizontally from the Current Employees table.
In addition to elaborating basic relationships between entities, a conceptual schema can also describe parameters that must be satisfied in the system. These are organization-specific rules implemented to impose order on the system. For example, specifying that each Current Employee must also exist in the Employees table or specifying that each Current Employee must have at least one but no more than three projects. By implementing these rules at the design level, the company ensures that they cannot be violated in the system.
This structure allows system designers to immediately understand the various parts and subsystems of a computer network. The end result is that changes to the system become easier to implement, as it is apparent which related entities will be affected by the change of specific entities in the system. Continuing the previous example, from the dependency relationship between Employees and Current Employees, it becomes obvious that any changes to the Employees entity will naturally also affect the Current Employees entity.
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