Displaying items by tag: data modeling

At the TutorialsPoint online training platform there are now three training courses available. These courses consist of the following subjects:

• Introduction to Sparx Enterprise Architect an introduction of the basic functionalities in Enterprise Architect. You learn how to use this modeling tool in your daily activities
• Integreated Data Entity Add-In for Enterprise Architect (IDEA). An open source extension for the data modeler and data architect to support data modeling activities in Enterprise Architect.You learn how to install, configure and use this Add-In
• Open source webviewer for Enterprise Architect the Web Publication Platform. You learn how to install and use this webviewer and how to connect it to a repository via a database connection.

To get an overview of the various online courses at TutorialsPoint you can start at the profile page on TutorialsPoint. For all these trainingcourses a number of videos can be previewed to give you an idea of the content of this training. Please notethat there are also anumberof extra classroom trainings available both in Dutch and English at bertdingemans.nl . 

All these course give you the opportunity to get an introduction in the functionalities of Enterprise Architect with these online courses al a very low price from your laptop, desktop or tablet at every moment of the day you want and from every place where you want like couch, chair, bed, bath or gardenseat.

There is a new online training available about Information and Data Modeling on Udemy. In this training we use Sparx Enterprise Architect to create the various data models. Think about Conceptual data modeling in ArchiMate, Logical data modeling in UML and physical datamodels in database engineering and XSD models. On top of that various other techniques are introduced like CRUD and RACI matrix.

When you are interesting in doing this 8 hours online training with multiple example videos on how to model in sparx enterprise architect please visit the training landing page on Udemy via the link: introduction-to-information-and-data-modeling.

Data Models generated by reverse engineering an existing Database in Enterprise Architect can be shared dynamically with Prolaborate web solution. This can be useful to provide access to an existing Physical Data Model or "work in progress" database redesign views, and gather feedback via Prolaborate collaborative features (discussions, reviews, etc.).

Sparx Enterprise Architect (EA) data models support tables and columns, views, stored procedures, functions from all major DBMS (SQL server, MySQL, Postgres, etc.). This is achieved with built-in stereotyped UML classes, attributes and operations.

When such information is shared outside Enterprise Architect tool, it is important to customize or hide unnecessary details for the target users.

Prolaborate Modeling Language feature is ideal to achieve this via custom profiles and a form designer. Built-in Prolaborate languages are available for UML, BPMN, or Archimate elements (SysML is available on request). If you use your own stereotypes, the MDG XML file used for Enterprise Architect can also be imported in Prolaborate. When it comes to Data Modelling, I found that Prolaborate doesn't currently support this definition. Since data models are built in EA, there isn't any MDG XML file available to manually import. Hence my only option was to recreate a Data Modelling MDG in EA solely for the purpose of configuring Prolaborate web solution.

Below is an illustration of how it works with Sparx EA Example project.

Note: this MDG definition has been submitted to Prolaborate team and will be available to download, before it is included in Prolaborate future releases. In the meantime you can contact me on guillaume[at]umlchannel.com to get a copy. 

Initial context

To illustrate the advantage of using Modelling Languages, the following screenshot shows how the details of a table is rendered in Prolaborate:

The default table element details are displayed with all tagged values. Not only some of these fields may not be relevant, but also note the field Type mentions that it's a Class; where this element is rightly a "table" stereotyped UML class, this information to an end user can be rather confusing!

The aim of installing and configuring the Data Model Modelling Language is to have the ability to manage the visible and hidden information amongst the element fields (e.g. name, notes, author, modified date, etc.) or custom tagged values, and rename their label when needed.

• Important: Prolaborate doesn't currently support customization of attributes and operations from a Modeling Language profile. Hence table columns and constraints cannot currently be customized.

Install the Data Model Modelling Language

• Once logged in, open Prolaborate Repository configuration, and select Modelling Languages

• Fill in the form, select the provided MDG Prolaborate EAUML.xml file, and click on Add Modeling Language

• The Data Model custom language is installed and ready to be configured.

Customize the users' views with profiles

Below is an illustration to customize the fields for a DB table.

• Click on Manage Profiles
• Create a new profile or edit the default one 

• The data model stereotypes are listed e.g. table, column, view, trigger, etc.
  • Note: the eye icon can be used to hide all elements under the selected stereotype to be hidden e.g. views and stored procedures.

• Open the form designer to customize the visible fields for a given stereotype e.g. table.

• The initial configuration is illustrated below.
  • The table name, notes, author and type (e.g. Class) are listed under the Basic Attributes.
  • All three tagged values are listed under EAUML::table Attributes

• These fields can removed, hidden, made read-only, or renamed. Other fields can be added (see the lists on the right hand side).
  • Notes:
    • The element's EA fields (e.g. name, notes, alias, etc.) can be freely mixed with tagged values, within any group.
    • The order can be updated as needed.
•  The example below matches the following configuration:
  • The fields' group titles have been renamed to Main Properties (from Basic Attributes) and Additional Properties (from EAUML::table Attributes).
  • The table name field is read-only and available against the label "Table name".
  • The table notes is visible against the "Description" label, and can be updated if the user has the write permission.
  • The Type field has been removed.
  • The Author field is not visible.
  • Only Tablespace and DBVersion tagged values are visible in read-only mode.

• Important - in theory, a table index constraint can be customised as illustrated here. However Modelling Language profiles are not yet supported by Prolaborate for attributes and operations (all columns and constraints remain visible). This is a possible enhancement for Prolaborate team to consider in a future release.

• The Profile can be saved.

Note: further details are available from Prolaborate online help.

User experience

Accessing the same physical data model, the displayed information matches the new table profile definition:

On 20 January 2016, researchers Konstantin Batygin and Michael E. Brown at Caltech announced a calculation-based evidence of a massive ninth planet in the Solar System.

Planet Nine would be 10 times the mass of Earth (approximately 5,000 times the mass of Pluto), and have an orbit that is so far away that it could take it 15,000 Earth years to orbit the Sun. It would most likely be an ice giant with a thick atmosphere of hydrogen and helium.

However, as Zeljko Ivezic (Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Project Scientist) suggests “if it exists, might be too small to be discovered with ongoing sky surveys, but large enough to be discovered even with only the first year of LSST data! That would be a great way to start the survey!”

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is providing a scalable, shared model to integrate the work of the geographically dispersed LSST team. Enterprise Architect has delivered complete requirements traceability, round-trip code engineering and detailed SysML support.

Additional Resources:

• Case Study: Designing the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope with Enterprise Architect - PDF Document

• Download E-Book: 20 Terabytes a Night: Designing the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope's Image Processing Pipelines - PDF Document
• Official website: Large Synoptic Survey Telescope - Visit Site

Creative Commons Attribution: Planet Nine in Outer Space artistic depiction image by Prokaryotes

The UML is a popular modeling notation for programmers, but it is little used by database developers. Nevertheless, the UML is highly effective for high-level conceptual data modeling. The UML notation avoids confusing database details, making it easier for business experts to understand data models. The suppression of details promotes deep thinking about data models, such as the use of abstract patterns. This talk explains the UML notation by comparison to IDEF1X.