# Step 1. Identify the use cases and logical data model
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## Objectives
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+ Gather the business needs and use cases that require a NoSQL database.
+ Define the logical data model by using an entity-relationship (ER) diagram.

## Process
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+ Business analysts interview business users to identify the use cases and the expected outcomes.
+ Database engineer creates the conceptual data model.
+ Database engineer creates the logical data model.
+ Database engineer gathers information about item size, data volume, and expected read and write throughput.

## Tools and resources
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+ Business requirements assessment (see [template](template-business-req.md))
+ Access patterns matrix (see [template](template-access-patterns.md))
+ Your preferred tool for creating diagrams 

## RACI
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****  

| Business user | Business analyst | Solutions architect | Database engineer | Application developer | DevOps engineer | 
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 
| C | R/A | I | R |  |  | 

## Outputs
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+ Documented use cases and business requirements
+ Logical data model (ER diagram)