Multimedia databases: an approach to design

摘要

In this paper we describe a methodology and diagramming notation for designing a multimedia database. Multimedia databases have novel requirements compared with conventional text and numeric databases, in particular the need to consider the most appropriate physical formats of the digital artefacts and the possibility of reuse of artefacts for different semantic purposes. However the need to be able to model a problem at a high level of abstraction, and to proceed from a conceptual to physical solution, remain essential. The approach presented here ensures a parallel focus on representing both the meaning of the media artefact, and its appropriate technical specification. We present several new concepts - the media entity, the media relationship and the ERD+ diagram - that allow us to incorporate media artefacts into a conventional data modelling technique. The database design and documentation produced allow considerations of specific implementation to be deferred as long as possible.