This thesis examined data management from an object relational database perspective. The database used was a product from Cornell University called PREDATOR. The context of the evaluation is the life-cycle of a manufactured product. The manufacturing life-cycle was chosen to correspond to an environmental life-cycle being done at NJIT. However, the goal was to use a generic model that could be applied to many situations.

The first phase developed the conceptual life-cycle model. At a high level, the model was not designed with a programming language in mind. Several questions needed to be answered and the a [sic] model answers the questions regardless of implementation.

Once the conceptual model was completed, the implementation phase began. Knowledge and past experience affected implementation of the life-cycle model. A totally object oriented approach was the first step. Class diagrams were first developed. Then a JAVA application was built against the class diagram.

Once the object oriented approach proved successful, the move to an object relational implementation began. As this morphing occurred, it became clear that, for this life-cycle model, the object relational approach is not appropriate. This is shown by demonstrating that the object model becomes a purely relational model.