Enterprise Data Modeling — What Is an Enterprise Data Model (EDM)? Select the statement that best describes an enterprise data model used at the organization-wide level.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: a graphical model that shows the high-level entities for an organization.

Explanation:


Introduction:
An enterprise data model (EDM) provides a holistic view of the main business entities and their high-level relationships across an entire organization. It is a roadmap for subsequent logical and physical designs and aligns stakeholders on scope and terminology.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • EDMs are typically graphical and conceptual, not implementation-specific.
  • They emphasize high-level entities and coarse relationships.
  • They are used to communicate across business and technical teams.


Concept / Approach:
EDMs capture the essential nouns of the business (for example, Customer, Product, Order) and depict how they relate at a conceptual level. They are not exhaustive lists of every entity or attribute at design time, nor do they specify physical database details like indexes or storage options. The goal is clarity and organizational alignment, not low-level implementation detail.


Step-by-Step Solution:
1) Distinguish conceptual (high-level) from logical/physical (detailed) models.2) Recognize that the enterprise view focuses on key entities across domains.3) Select the option that states “graphical” and “high-level entities.”


Verification / Alternative check:
Methodologies in data architecture position EDMs at the top of the modeling stack, followed by domain or subject-area models, then logical and physical models.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • All entities: Unrealistic at the enterprise conceptual stage; details come later.
  • Non-graphical: EDMs are typically diagrammatic to aid communication.
  • Physical schema details: Belong to physical data models, not EDMs.


Common Pitfalls:
Expecting the EDM to answer every column-level question; it is meant to guide, not substitute, detailed design.


Final Answer:
a graphical model that shows the high-level entities for an organization.

Discussion & Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Join Discussion