Generating a Physical Data Model

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The Generate Physical Model Wizard automatically creates a relational or dimensional physical model based on a logical model, freeing you to focus on performance during the physical model design phase. The wizard can assist you by ensuring conformance with the basic naming and syntax rules of the target database platform; implementing referential integrity, such as the enforcement of logical keys through indexes or table constraints; and replacing non-specific (many-to-many) relationships with alternative schema elements more appropriate to the relational or dimensional model being generated.

Once you have created a logical data model you can generate a physical data model for many different platforms that is based on the logical data model selected.

To create a physical data model from a logical data model

  1. In the Data Model Explorer, right-click the Main model or a submodel of the logical data model, and then click Generate Physical Model.
  2. Complete the Generate Physical Model Wizard, and then click Finish to complete the wizard.

The following page breakdowns describe options that require additional explanation.

Generate Physical Model wizard Page 1

  • What is the target database platform? All supported database platforms appear in this list for selection.
  • Wizard Quick Launch. All fields and settings from pages 1 through 5 of the wizard are restored when you click Use Settings. With the Settings Only option, only those general options that are likely to be useful with a different model are restored. Settings Only loads information that is generic and can be used across models. Conversely, the Settings and Objects option, as an example, loads SQL path data specific to the model.

Generate Physical Model wizard Page 3

  • Naming Standards Template. Select naming standards based on either an XML file or a Naming Standards Template from the Data Dictionary. Naming standards can replace or remove spaces, perform uppercase/lowercase conversion, and replace invalid SQL characters.

Generate Physical Model wizard Page 4

  • Oracle Datatype Defaults. (Oracle 12c and later only) Allows the user to select whether the Varchar/Char Size Unit is measured by BYTE or CHAR to support the varchar2 data type.
  • Indexes. The storage and index parameters vary depending on the target database platform selected on page 1. PK indexes are generated for each entity having primary key columns. For platforms that support clustered PK indexes, a clustered option exists on page 2 of the wizard.

Notepad blue icon 2.pngNote: For information on defining storage for tables and indexes, see Defining Table Storage and Defining Index Storage.

Creating a New Physical Model

ER/Studio Data Architect lets you create a new physical model by reverse-engineering a live database or importing an SQL or ERX file.

To create a new physical model using reverse engineering

  1. On the Data Model tab, right-click the logical model icon, and then select Add New Physical Model.
  2. Complete the Add New Physical Model wizard, and then click Finish.

The following options that are available from the first page of the wizard.

Name Description
Reverse engineer from a database The options on this tab and subsequent steps are the same as those for the Reverse Engineering Wizard. For information on these options, see Reverse Engineering an Existing Database.
Load from a SQL File The options on this tab and subsequent steps are the same as those for the Import Model Utility for importing an ERX File. For more information on these options, see Importing a Model from a SQL File.
Load from an ERX File The options on this tab and subsequent steps are the same as those for the Import Model Utility for importing an ERX File. For more information on these options, see Importing a Model from an ERX File.
Load from an ER/Studio Data Architect File Enter the file name including the path, select the physical model to import, and then click Finish.
Load from a DT/Designer File Enter the file name including the path, select the physical model to import, and then click Finish.

See Also