Please note : This help page is not for the latest version of Enterprise Architect. The latest help can be found here.
Conceptual Data Model
A Conceptual data model is the most abstract form of data model. It is helpful for communicating ideas to a wide range of stakeholders because of its simplicity. Therefore platform-specific information, such as data types, is omitted from a Conceptual data model. Other implementation details, such as procedures and interface definitions, are also excluded. Below is an example of a Conceptual data model that is rendered using two of the notations supported by Enterprise Architect.
Topics
Topic |
Detail |
See also |
---|---|---|
Example |
Using Entity-Relationship (ER) notation, we represent the data concepts Sales Person and Customer as Entities with a 1-to-many relationship between them. ![]() A Conceptual data model that uses Entity-Relationship notation
We can represent the exactly the same semantic information using UML Classes and Associations. ![]() An equivalent model using UML Class notation
Whether you use UML or ER notation to represent data concepts in your project depends on the experience and preferences of the stakeholders involved. The detailed structure of the data concepts illustrated above is defined later by the Logical data model.
|
Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERDs)
|
Learn more