Data schema: the organisation of data as a blueprint of how a database is constructed.
Hierarchical database: Uses a tree structure to link a number of disparate elements to one 'parent' primary record.
Entity: any object in the system that we want to model and store information about. It can be classified and have stated relationships to other entities. The attributes of entities are stored as records.
Attribute: is a characteristic of an entity object.
Table: array located on the database where the attributes are stored. Each schema includes several tables.
Type: list of pre-defined entries for a specific attribute.
Relationships: relationships allow relational databases to split and store data in different tables, while linking disparate data items.
Entity-relationship (ER) diagram: A graphical representation of entities and their relationships to each other. A hollow diamond shape indicates a "many" cardinality, a solid dot indicates a "one" cardinality. For example, each asset is part of exactly one exposure model while an exposure model has many assets.
API: Application Programming Interface allowing multiple applications to interact and obtain data from one another. APIs operate on an agreement of inputs and outputs.