Is there any tool for ER modeling and then converting models to a Microsoft SQL Server database?
The tool should has this features:
ER Diagrams shoud be in UML Notation (see this, the last is UML notation).
Export models to a Microsoft SQL Server 2005/2008 database (by creating a mdf file or connecting to a MSSQL Server and creating suitable database in it).
I tried Microsoft Visio but seems not support UML Notation nor Exporting to MS SQL Server.
I also tried Visual Paradigm but i'm not sure i could export models to MS SQL Server.
I DID export my ER Model to SQL Server database with DB Visual Architect (a product of from Visual Paradigm family).
DB Visual Architect can export ER model to MSSQLServer/MySQL/...
It also let me to convert a ER Model to a class diagram that is identical to a UML notation.
However, it's not free.
anyway, Thanks all!
Take a look at the following Microsoft Reference
When All You Want is an ER Diagram
If you accept commercial software, there are some choices:
Upgrade to Microsoft Visio Professional - it supports UML and database modelling
Enterprise Architect
Power Designer- my preferred tool for working with ER diagrams.
ErWin
There are many variants, e.g. many choices listed here.
Personally I prefer ERD diagrams for databaser data models. SQL Power's data architectis great for that, and it supports any RDBMS (through JDBC). It does not support UML though.
http://mysql.com/products/workbench/ does support some UML notation, but generates MySql Specific SQL. You can write a plugin for it to generate other SQL dialects
Visual UML can:
UML
Database reverse engineering
Database forward engineering -- generate DDL scripts.
If you want to directly connect and generate DB and sync models (forward/reverse) try:
Erwin (no UML)
Toad (no UML)
You can use my online database code-generator to generate SQL Server DDL Scripts (and Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL,...) from UML models. Instead of forcing you to use a specific UML tool to draw the models, several UML tools are allowed (including Microsoft Visio but also ArgoUML, Eclipse UML,...).
See http://modeling-languages.com/content/uml2db-full-code-generation-sql-scripts-databases
for more information
I remember answering a similar question but cannot find it right now. I advised using DIA with SQL to DIA found here
Related
I am new to sybase. IS there a way to create a database diagram as in SQLServer Management Studio.
Thanks
PowerDesigner is sold by Sybase, with integration to (create objects in a target database) and from (reverse-engineer a database) Sybase ASE.
However it is immature and clunky. Originally built for Oracle, integrated to the lowest levels of detail, and not yet completely to that point with Sybase.
The best tool for modelling databases is ERwin. It happens to have better integration with Sybase, as well as a slew of features for enterprise modelling that PowerDesigner does not have. It is very mature, and implements the Relational Modelling Standard (IDEF1X).
Both are expensive. But there are other options:
if all you need is a diagramming tool, anything will do (OmniGraffle; ABCFlowCharter; VS). Then do your database administration in SybaseCentral (free from Sybase) or DBArtisan or various other offerings.
You can also model in SQLServer Management Studio; produce a DDL file; then import that into Sybase. That requires resolving the difference between Sybase and MS SQL syntax. No big deal if you are not specifying low level (physical) elements.
I think that the best tool is Sybase PowerDesigner (Database Architect edition).
As far as I remember one license is included in ASE.
I'd like the ability to create a schema for multiple database types such as MySQL, SQL Server, and PostgreSQL. I know ORM tools such as Hibernate can do this, but I won't be using an ORM to access the database so would like a solution that doesn't depend on one. Are there any tools that can do this?
Edit:
I forgot to mention that this is a personal project so I'm looking for something either cheep or free.
Take a look at Erwin.
Edit: (Based on question update)
Yeah Erwin is not going to be cheap. I did a quick search and found Toad Data Modeler, which I haven't tried but may be worth looking into:
Entity relationship diagrams - both Physical and Logical modeling (incl. inheritance)
Support for various databases (Oracle,
MS SQL Server, MySQL, Sybase Ase,
PostgreSQL, DB2)
Generation of SQL (DDL) scripts
More...
SQL Power offer a FOSS modeling tool, SQL Architect. It can generate DDL for several flavours of database. It is still technically beta (current release is 0.9.1) but it should be fine for a personal project. Find out more.
I know you said u don't want an ORM but SubSonic 3's migrations might just do the trick for you. You don't have to use the ORM just have SubSonic build itself from your database and have it as a separate class library. Then change the provider say from MSSQL to MySQL and have it rebuild itself.
PowerDesigner is a far better choice than Erwin but it too is expensive.
It took me roughly 16 hours to install the demo of Erwin, lots of failed attempts, incomprehensible error messages, help phone number which were disconnected.
PD will give you 14 day free trial.
I have created a Database in DB2 and tables with relationships. I would like to create a ER diagram based on my database design in DB2. MS SQL has a facility to create ER diagrams from DB schema, but DB2 doesn't seem to have one, at least to my knowledge.
Any one know of any open source tools/facility within DB2 itself for this?
You could try TOAD for DB2 (freeware and commercial versions).
Download here
Also IBM Data Studio looks promising.
DbVisualizer can visualize (and much more) just about any database, provided that the relevant foreign keys have been defined. DbVisualizer isn't open source, but there is a free edition of it (which isn't limited regarding visualization).
You can use Visio and do a database reverse engineering. I have done it and found it to be quite neat.
Reverse engineer an existing database into a database model
TOAD for DB2 freeware does not have the ER diagramming feature enabled. It is available only in the commercial version. ER Studio is another (expensive) option. Try Visio 2000 Enterprise edition if you can get one. It is available on ebay for about $35. Microsoft has moved the reverse engineering option in subsequent version of Visio to the expensive enterprise architect bundles.
Aqua Data Studio has an ER Modeling tool which will work with any RDBMS. You can create, explore, detail, and modify database schemas to create fully editable and scriptable diagrams of database relationships and objects. The link to download is www.aquafold.com
Is there a program that converts a SQL Server database diagram to er model, or create er model of a database from SQL Server server?
Within SQL Server, there's the "Database Diagram" feature in each database, in Management Studio.
You can create a new diagram from that, and include all (or some) of your tables, so showing where the relationships are, and what the tables are.
I've used Erwin for 10 years and it works great! Unfortunately it is a bit pricey. Hopefully someone will come out with a less expensive tool to accomplish this, I've heard Visual Studio 2010 may have some tools in this area.
Try Microsoft Visio. Visio professional has a reasonably good database reverse engineering feature, and it is easy to retrofit relationships logically present in the data but not physically manifested in the database. It is also easy to make multiple diagrams from the same reverse engineered model (on separate pages in the .vsd file).
These two features make Visio a very useful tool to help understand and document third-party databases, and Visio Pro isn't all that expensive.
However, there is a serious caveat in that it has no facility to generate a SQL file from the schema unless you buy the enterprise architect version, which is only available with EA versions of Visual Studio. As far as I know, there's no EA version of Visio past 2002/2003, so this product is obsolescent.
In Visio 2003 Architect version I can generate a SQL Server Database on the fly from UML ER diagram. But there is no such a way by using Visio 2007. My question is: Any other good and latest tools can support ER-> DB or DB->ER very well for SQL2005/2008?
I think Enterprise Architect can do that too.
http://www.sparxsystems.com.au/
You can do the ER diagram on Visual Studio creating a dbml file and then export to a Sql Server script using the huagati plugin. http://www.huagati.com/dbmltools/
If you're looking for a free/open source tool to achieve this, you could try:
DBDesigner
From the website:
DBDesigner 4 is a visual database design system that integrates database design, modeling, creation and maintenance into a single, seamless environment.
It combines professional features and a clear and simple user interface to offer the most efficient way to handle your databases.
DBDesigner 4 compares to products like Oracle's Designer©, IBM's Rational Rose©, Computer Associates's ERwin© and theKompany's DataArchitect© but is an Open Source Project available for Microsoft Windows© 2k/XP and Linux KDE/Gnome. It is release on the GPL.
And it supports the following features:
Available on Linux / MS Windows
User Interfaced based on industry standard layouting software
Design Mode / Query Mode
Reverse engineering MySQL, Oracle, MSSQL and any ODBC databases
Userdefined schema-generation
Model-To-Database syncronisation
Index support
Automatic foreign key placement
Weak entity support
Standard Inserts storing and sync
Full documentation capabilities
Advanced model printing
Output as image
All MySQL datatypes with all options
User defined datatypes
Database storage, ability to save model within database
Network-/Multiuser access through database storage
Version control*
SQL Query Builder
SQL Command History
SQL Command storage within model
Plugin interface
I think the bolded ones above (my own emphasis) should give you what you require (i.e. effectively two-way database/model synchronization).
I have used the tool in the past to reverse engineer an existing database to an ER diagram. From what I remember, it wasn't the most stable software I'd ever used (I seem to recall it crashed a couple of times) however, this was a little while ago so it may be more stable now.
I remember that in Visio 2003 that was only possible, I believe in the Enterprise Edition. Could that be your issue with 2007?
Most of the tools don't handle SQL 2005/2008 correctly. But CA ERwin® Process Modeler does the best job (at a cost though).
There is a community edition but it is limited to 25 objects per model.
Give it a try and let us know.