| Design consideration and goals | | | | middleware component that supports scalable |
| Few aspects need to be considered in order to | | | | data synchronization and centralized management |
| achieve the goals of designing the Mobile Database | | | | of mobile resources |
| System or MDS. Performance need to be | | | | 3. Central Database |
| stabilized due to the mobility usage. The design of | | | | The selection of central database is parallel with |
| the MDS should be unobtrusive interface. The | | | | mobile database selection, because the database |
| MDS is reliable to fulfill the high expectation of | | | | needs to coexist in a single system while sharing |
| mobile users. Lastly the scalability of the MDS, | | | | the data. For example, if the SQL Server for |
| these includes, everyone will synchronize at the | | | | Windows Mobile is used as a mobile database, |
| same time. Merge replication, let database engines | | | | SQL Server can be used as a central database to |
| synchronize the local database that resides on the | | | | ensure interoperability, because both database |
| mobile device with a central database running on a | | | | management systems from the same vendor. |
| server. Determine how the data will be imported | | | | 4. Transaction Model |
| or exported to the driving database on the | | | | An appropriate transaction model should be |
| server as part of the database strategy. Plan the | | | | chosen depending on the model characteristics |
| synchronization strategy as part of the database | | | | and user preferences. Names among transaction |
| design phase | | | | models are available in mobile environment |
| Mobile Database Design | | | | Kangaroo, PRO-MOTION, Moflex, Cluster and |
| Mobile database design is base on eight steps. The | | | | Multi-Database. |
| particular steps will help the design goal of MDS will | | | | 5. Optimization Techniques |
| succeed. The Figure 1 below will show the flow of | | | | The compression technique provides the capability |
| the eight mobile database design steps. | | | | to move large amount of data between the |
| 1. Mobile Platform | | | | mobile device and the central database server. |
| Factors that may be considered when choosing a | | | | The compression technique will make the best |
| platform include, ease of use, ease of | | | | use of available bandwidth, the data transferred |
| development, ease of communication, ease of | | | | between mobile devices and the central database. |
| deployment, product price, system reliability, | | | | This will not only improve the performance, but |
| product maintainability, communication bandwidth, | | | | will also make the bandwidth available to the other |
| technical support, and product popularity. It is also | | | | users. Mobile devices have limited storage issues, |
| necessary to give considerations which kind of | | | | the most frequent used data should be stored to |
| wireless communication techniques and network | | | | make the best use of available space. |
| facilities are available to use with mobile | | | | 6. Database Entities |
| applications. For example, which mobile operating | | | | Identifying the database entities and the data is |
| system is the best for proper deployment of | | | | crucial. After the infrastructure related decisions |
| MDS? Current available mobile and laptop | | | | have been made, decisions pertaining to storing |
| operating system include, Windows 2003/XP/Vista | | | | the data need to be made. |
| 7, Windows Mobile and PocketPC, Symbian OS 7.x | | | | 7. Entity Attributes |
| 8.x/9.x, Linux, and Embedded Linux. | | | | While database entities are being identified, |
| 2. Mobile Database | | | | attributes contained in each of those entities will |
| Once the platform has been chosen, an | | | | need to be considered. For each of those |
| appropriate mobile database management system | | | | attributes, the data type and data size also need |
| will need to be selected. At this point, if it is | | | | to be determined. |
| determined that the mobile databases supported | | | | 8. Entity Relationship Diagram |
| on the mobile platform selected earlier do not | | | | When the detail database entities and their |
| meet the requirements, and then it may be | | | | attributes are finalized, an entity relationship |
| necessary to select another mobile database or | | | | diagram needs to be developed. This diagram will |
| to change to another mobile platform. For | | | | provide the relationships between different |
| example IBM DB2 Everyplace and Oracle9i Lite. | | | | entities. |
| Oracle Database Lite provides a small footprint, | | | | Database design process is the most critical part. |
| SQL-enabled client database for local access to | | | | This step involves making a number of important |
| enterprise data by applications on the mobile | | | | decisions and the above mention steps earlier |
| device. In addition, it features the Mobile Server | | | | plays vital roles in developing successful MDS. |