Threaded through the topics below will be the development of the data schema needed to solve a real-world problem—one that includes challenges frequently faced in database design. We will be helping in the design of a global Access database for the Mercy Corps.

Introduction to Data Modeling
Presentation
Basic discussion of entities and relationships
Exercise

Entities (basic)
Presentation
What an entity is (definition)
Basic descriptors & their best practices
Discussion of basic entity types
Exercise

Attributes (basic)
Presentation
Discussion of attributing
Basic attribute descriptors & their best practices
Exercise

Relationships (basic)
Presentation
Discussion of relationships
Basic relationship descriptors & their best practices
Exercise

Conceptual Data Modeling
Presentation
Concepts around conceptual data modeling

Logical Data Modeling
Presentation
Resolving the logical data model
Data normalization
Exercise

Entities (advanced)
Presentation
Types of data entities
Advanced descriptors for entities & their best practices
Exercise

Attributes (advanced)
Presentation
Types of attributes
Presentation on keys (logical)
Advanced descriptors for attributes & their best practices
Exercise

Relationships (advanced)
Presentation
Types of relationships (supertypes / subtypes)
Advanced descriptors for relationships & their best practices
Exercise

State/Transition Diagrams
Presentation
State types
State Variations
Exercise

Physical Data Modeling
Presentation
Presentation on keys (physical, surrogate)
Creating the physical model
Understanding anomalies created when denormalizing
Exercise

Data Warehousing
Presentation
Differentiating between On-Line Transaction Processing (OLTP) and On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP)
Why we don’t normalize OLAP databases

Subqueries Demystified
Do you find subqueries a bit...mysterious? There are times when subqueries come in very handy. Armen will show you how subqueries work and when they are useful. Armen will also provide an example Access application that uses a subquery.

Access-SQL Server Optimization (75 - 90 min)
Are you ready to make the move to SQL Server? Armen will discuss some
guidelines to help you decide when to use SQL Server instead of Access
for your back-end database, and will show techniques to use an Access
MDB as a client-server front-end application.

Managing Database Consulting Projects
There's a saying that the database consultant must tell the customer: "I don't know exactly what we are going to do, or how long it will take, or how much it will cost. So let's get started!" While there is some truth to this, Armen will present some techniques to help you manage your database projects so that your business stays healthy and your customers stay happy.

SQL Server 2005
Informal "Coffee Talk" in the dining area at 7am Sunday!

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Duane Moore Presentation:
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The Access Curmudgeon
Duane Moore
Software Engineer and Access Application Developer

I am the Access Curmudgeon. I expect more from the Access development environment than I receive. The stupidest person you are bound to meet doesn't let you correct him again and again without finally learning. Access makes you correct its assumptions day after day, year after year. I will present a list of idiotic settings and missing features and show how I work around them. Hopefully this will stimulate a discussion of how others work around these annoyances and we can learn from each other.

If time allows, I can do some follow-ups on what I've talked about in the past two years covering what's worked well, and identify any problems I've encountered.