Last month I spoke at Data Modelling Zone in Dusseldorf, about my favourite features of SAP PowerDesigner, some of which I demonstrated. You can find the slides on SlideShare.
Here are some of the features I talked about – as far as I know, none of these features are available in erwin Data Modeller or Idera ER/Studio Data Architect, though they do have something similar to one or two of them (but less powerful):
- Dependency matrices – show (and edit) links between objects – a great way to link attributes to domains
- Create a model within a model – useful for Subject Area models
- Add new properties, and new types of object, and links between them – how about adding Data Stewards, and linking them to the entities they’re responsible for?
- How about generating that LDM as JSON structures for your fancy governance tool to ingest?
- Tailor how PowerDesigner generates DDL, and even invent your own DBMS and funky new DDL syntax
- When you generate one model from another (e.g. generating a PDM from a LDM) you can change what happens using model transformations – such as a model transformation that removes “logical-only” or unapproved objects before generating or updating a PDM, and one that ensures that your PDM tables all have the correct audit columns
- Who needs Visio? Use a ‘Free Model’ to invent your own type of model