CA ERwin Data Modeler

CA ERwin Data Modeler (ERwin) is a software tool for data modeling (data requirements analysis, database design etc.) of custom developed information systems, including databases of transactional systems and data marts. ERwin's data modeling engine is based upon the IDEF1X method, although it now supports diagrams displayed with information engineering notation as well. Logic Works stylised "ERwin" from an abbreviation of "Entity Relationships" and Microsoft's "Windows".

History

ERwin CASE tool on Windows 2000

ERwin was created by Logic Works. It was acquired in 1998 by Platinum Technology, which was later acquired in May 1999 by Computer Associates, who added it to their AllFusion suite under the name AllFusion ERwin Data Modeler. The tool was later renamed to CA ERwin Data Modeler.

In 2014 Embarcadero Technologies sought to acquire the product from CA, Inc..^[1] This acquisition was blocked by the Department of Justice over anti-competitive concerns.^[2]

Distinguishing features

• Logical Data Modeling: Purely logical models may be created, from which physical models may be derived. Combinations of logical and physical models are also supported. Supports entity-type and attribute logical names and descriptions, logical domains and data types, as well as relationship naming.
• Physical Data Modeling: Purely physical models may be created as well as combinations of logical and physical models. Supports the naming and description of tables and columns, user defined data types, primary keys, foreign keys, alternative keys and the naming and definition of constraints. Support for indexes, views, stored procedures and triggers is also included.
• Complete Compare: Complete Compare automates bidirectional synchronization of models, scripts, and databases, compares one item with the other, displays any differences and permits bidirectional update. If model changes are targeted for a database, CA ERwin Data Modeler can automatically generate a script to make these changes (known as an ALTER script).^[3]
• Logical-to-Physical Transformation: Includes an abbreviation/naming dictionary called "Naming Standards Editor" and a logical-to-RDBMS data type mapping facility called "Datatype Standards Editor", both of which are customizable with entries and basic rule enforcement.
• Forward engineering: Once the database designer is satisfied with the physical model, the tool can automatically generate a SQL Data Definition Language (DDL) script that can either be directly executed on the RDBMS environment or saved to a file.
• Reverse engineering: If an analyst needs to examine and understand an existing data structure, ERwin will depict the physical database objects in an ERwin model file.
• Model-to-model comparison: The "Complete/Compare" facility allows an analyst or designer to view the differences between two model files (including real-time reverse-engineered files), for instance to understand changes between two versions of a model.
• An "Undo" feature is available from version 7.
• Bulk Editor: CA ERwin Data Modeler has a unique Bulk Editor feature that enable users to edit a collection of objects in a single editing session
• Active Model Templates: Derive new models from template models. Changes in template model can be automatically synchronized into all derived models
• API (Application Programming Interface) Support: ERwin provides a programming interface to automate tasks that involve reading/writing of data models
• Domains (Column Domains): ERwin has the concept of domains that defines characteristics of attributes/columns in a model. It acts as a library of attributes/columns so it can be re-used across entities/tables and centrally managed through a flexible property inheritance/over-ride mechanism.
• Model Repository and version management: ERwin has a very powerful integrated model repository for change management (Workgroup edition) that supports metadata governance, version-ing, multi-user modeling, etc.

Physical Modeling support

• DB2 iSeries 5.x/6.x/7.x
• DB2 LUW 9.x/10.x
• DB2 ZOS 8.1/9.1/10/11
• Informix 7.x/9.x/10.x/11.x
• MySQL 5.x/6.x
• ODBC/Generic 2.0/3.0
• Oracle 10g/11g/12c
• Progress 9.x/10.x
• SAS
• SQL Azure (using SQL Azure extension)
• MS SQL Server 2008,2012/2014
• Sybase (ASE) 15/16
• Sybase IQ 12.x
• Teradata 13/13.1/14/14.1/15

Limitations

Versions prior to CA ERwin Data Modeler 9.2 had only been certified on the 32-bit versions of the Windows operating systems.

Associated products

• CA ERwin Web Portal (Data Governance Edition r9.6 March 2015)
• CA ERwin Web Portal (added with CA ERwin r8.2 in February 2012)
• CA ERwin Safyr Option for ERP

See also

• CA Software Change Manager
• Computer-aided software engineering

Publications

• Burbank, Donna (2011). Data Modeling Made Simple with CA ERwin Data Modeler r8. Technics Publications. ISBN 978-1-935504-09-2. 
• DeAngelis, Carla (2000). Data Modeling with ERwin. Sams. ISBN 0-672-31868-7. 

References

External links

• Official website
• CA Technologies releases the new version of its ERwin data modeling application, r9, October 16, 2012