Incorporating Goal Analysis in Database Design: A Case Study from Biological Data Management

We present a case study of a real-world industrial application which produced several versions of conceptual schema design for a biological database during its evolution. We apply the techniques of early requirements analysis to produce a goal model of the problem domain. We then show that by incorporating goal analysis in the design process we can account for the original schemas by tracing them back to stakeholder goals. Moreover, the goal-oriented analysis supports the systematic examination of the space of design alternatives, and better explains what the output of the design process (a conceptual schema) really means. Our results advocate the need for an extended design methodology for databases driven by stakeholder goals