Database Design
Designing flexible databases, not fixable
Whether contracted for separately or as part of a general project, our database design skills are sought after by some of the largest companies in the world. Data Futures has a unique spin on database design that encompasses application control, audit trails, security, flexibility and scalability. While your company's project might not require all of these aspects, isn't it good to know that these important aspects of database design are foremost in our minds as we work with you to design the best database possible.
Application Control
One of our most popular features in our database and application design.
By joining the application to the database, not only to store application data, but to store data that controls the application, simple interfaces can be created that allow you to securely enable/disable application functions, change features, prices, and any other aspect of your application that can modularly be altered. A powerful way to manage your business and website/appliction.
Audit Trails
Know who did what when... it may be required by law.
At a minimum, all of our database designs come with our Mini-Audit Trail built into each and every table. This allows you to know who inserted the record and when as well as who last updated the record and when. Sometimes this is enough to satisfy all your needs, both business-wise and legally. Other situations may call for fully reportable audit trails that detail who changed what from what to what and when. This type of full audit trail and reporting can be quite daunting, but Data Futures implements this type of security every day.
Security
Everyone sharing one password? Using operating system authentication and wasting license fees?.
Data Futures has many different strategies that can enforce many different forms of security. Prevent multiple logins from the same user, from the same computer or from a different browser... all in order to enforce single sourced sessions in today's tabbed browser environments. Apply business rules for security using application / database coordination so that you can limit access on a physical level (IP or machine), time of day (prevent off-hours access) and, most importantly, limit functional access.
Flexibility
"Building FLEXABILE databases, not FIXABLE" is one of our foremost ideals.
Knowing that your business will change over time, Data Futures strives to build flexability into your database so that applications / databases don't have to be rewritten to accommodate change. Strategic utilization of reference tables with application-based administration of said tables is key to this strategy. Intelligent business modeling with planning for the future to ensure the usefulness of your application/database through time.
Scalability
What good is a database if it only works when you launch and not when everyone is using it?
A very straightforward design is easy to implement, understand and report off of and that's fine to start a project. Once your project is launched and successful, data cache mismanagement and non-optimized objects/design may lead to system failure. Data Futures builds scalability, reporting and heavy transaction usage into all of our models to ensure that your project is successful.