Creating a Physical Model

Logical Model

Physical Model

Entity

Table

Dependent entity

FK is part of child table’s PK

Independent entity

Parent table or, if child table, FK is

NOT part of child table’s PK

Attribute

Column

Logical datatype (text, number,

Physical datatype (valid example varies

datetime, blob)

depending on the target server

selected)

Domain (logical)

Domain (physical)

Primary key

Primary key, PK Index

Foreign key

Foreign key, FK Index

Alternate key (AK)

AK Index—a unique, non-primary

index

Inversion entry (IE)

IE Index—a non-unique index created

to search table information by a non-

unique value, such as customer last

name.

Key group

Index

Business rule

Trigger or stored procedure

Validation rule

Constraint

Relationship

Relationship implemented using FKs

Identifying

FK is part of child table’s PK (above the

line)

Non-Identifying

FK is NOT part of child table’s PK

(below the line)

Subtype

Denormalized tables

Many-to-many

Associative table