Comparison of Database Models: Hierarchical, Network, Relational

This report delves into the comparative analysis of three primary database models: hierarchical, network, and relational. The hierarchical model is examined for its tree-like structure, one-to-many relationships, data integrity constraints, and its advantages such as data security and ease of data handling, along with its disadvantages, including implementation complexity. The network model is explored for its many-to-many relationships and its ability to support multiple parent nodes, discussing its advantages in data accessibility and data independence, as well as its limitations in structural independence. Finally, the relational model is analyzed for its table-based structure, support for various relationship types, and its ability to link information across databases, alongside its inflexibility once the database is established. The report offers a comprehensive overview of each model's characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses, providing a clear understanding of their applications and implications in database design and management.

In hierarchical data model the data is stored in the form of tree in the database in
which there is root and all other nodes are the branches of the tree. The structure
of the same consist of one to many and one to one relationship, also it does not
provide data integrity because child node always depends on parent node for any
manipulation.
Advantage of this model is its simple structure, data security, the data stored in
this is integrated and efficient, data is easy to add and delete. Disadvantage of this
model is implementation complexity, managing database is a problem, lack of
structural independence,programming complexity, limitation in implementing.
In network model the data is stored in the form of multiple branches are
associated from the node and it seems to be multiple tree are there. It does
support many to many relation and the node can have multiple parent node as
well as multiple child node.
The advantage of network model is easy to access its data, it can handle more
relationship type, data independence, data integrity. The disadvantage of this
model is its system complexity, lack of structural independence and its procedural
access language.
Relation model consist of relation between the table and their nodes. It does
support all relation like one to many, many to many and one to one and it free
from any anomalies like update or delete of node and if we delete a node it does
not affect on other.
The advantage of relation model is its ability to link information about a particular
person who is in several database together by simple links. The disadvantage of
this model is that once the database is created it is not change easily so any
database forming as part of relation database must be very careful planned.