Databases form the basis for computer-based applications by providing the structure on which to maintain and manipulate data. The effectiveness of the application is dependent, to a large extent, on the design of the database. The innovation addressed in this project is an automated design tool for creating data bases which will reduce the problems caused by poor design and loss of data integrity. This software tool is a knowledge-based automated database design engineering tool (KADDET).Phase I produced a prototype implementation of KADDET, a system that automates the firm's database design methodology. This prototype supports the design methodology through a knowledge base and an automated designer. The knowledge base contains a number of common database designs. The automated designer enforces design rules and merges database objects into a minimum set of entities and relationships.Potential Commercial Application:KADDET represents an important advance in the tools that are necessary to produce valid, logical, database designs for increasingly complex software applications.STATUS: Phase I Only
