DATABASE

A solid, well-designed database is the foundation of a robust workflow application. Dexter believes there is a direct relationship between the quality of the database and the ultimate system performance and reliability. Based on over a hundred custom applications, we start a project with by building a database according to the following design rules:

1. The tables should accurately reflect the real world data relationships
2. Use normalized tables
3. Develop comprehensive exception handling and error logging
4. Make judicious use of stored procedures, triggers, and views
5. Utilize consistent naming conventions, because the database should be ‘self documenting’ and ‘easy to reverse engineer’
6. Develop automated optimization and maintenance plans

Dexter has expertise in both Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle. The choice is based largely on customer requirements. As applications get more complicated, expertise in database technology is essential. With tables containing tens of millions of records, and processes running hundreds or thousands of transactions per minute, issues such as data integrity, throughput, and blocking, become exponentially more difficult. Dexter trains its people with in-house seminars on the best industry practices.