Unlocking the Power of Modeling

The word modeling has come to mean very different things in the half a century that it has been practiced in database systems. This opening chapter prefaces the book’s overall aim to demystify modeling, along with its applications, methodologies, and benefits. Throughout this journey, the concept of modeling will unfold into a set of methods and terms that help organizations design and manage data and, more importantly, help them understand themselves.

In its broadest interpretation, modeling is a selective simplification that aids in navigating or designing something more complex. Any system can be broken down into smaller, more manageable pieces. Manipulating any piece individually may be straightforward, but doing so without regard to an overall strategy is a tenuous proposal that is sure to encumber scalability and maintenance down the line.

While modeling is generally considered database-agnostic, modern cloud data platforms, such...