Data Modeling Process
data modeling
data strategic
Schema
ELI5
- Data Models define what data is.
- Define how operational and analytical databases are designed.
- Conceptual Model
- Business view.
- No tables.
- No datatype.
- Only concepts.
- Logical Model
- Now we define table schema
- Physical Model
- Now database specific.
Main Concepts
- The Bussiness Model
- Conceptual Data Model
- Logical Data Model
- Physical Data Model
Comparison Table
| Aspect | Semantic Layer / Ontology / Context | Medallion Architecture | Data Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary question | What does the data mean? | How does the data flow and improve? | How is the data structured? |
| Focus | Business meaning and knowledge | Data engineering pipelines | Database design |
| Audience | Business users, BI developers, AI engineers, governance teams | Data engineers | Data architects, DBAs, application developers |
| Operates on | Metadata, business concepts, metrics, relationships | Raw, cleansed, and curated datasets | Entities, attributes, and relationships |
| Output | Business metrics, knowledge graph, standardized definitions | Bronze, Silver, Gold datasets | ERDs, schemas, tables, indexes |
| Solves | Consistent KPIs, semantic search, AI reasoning | Data quality, lineage, reproducibility | Efficient storage and data integrity |
| Typical technologies | Semantic models, knowledge graphs, metadata catalogs, business glossaries | Lakehouse platforms, ETL/ELT frameworks | ER modeling tools, relational databases |
| Example | “Revenue”, “Customer”, “Harvest Productivity” have one agreed definition | Bronze → Silver → Gold pipeline for sensor and ERP data | Customer, Order, Product tables with keys and constraints |