How Marine Data is Stored

Despite the huge power and potential of PDMS, the database is structured in a very simple and logical form. The database is hierarchical, a tree like structure, as illustrated below.

Note: The hierarchy below illustrates the (simplified) Design database hierarchy, but the SCHEMATIC, ENGINEERING, CATALOGUE, PADD, ISOD, Lexicon and PROPERTIES databases also have a hierarchical structure.

In this hierarchical structure all the database elements are owned by other elements, with the exception of the WORLD. Elements that are owned by another element, for example, a ZONE is owned by a SITE, are said to be members of the owning element, for example, The ZONE is a member of the SITE.