Can EA produce a database diagram?

[JamesHurst]

Hello, I've just downloaded the trial in order to evaluate EA to document my extensive website (ASP.NET 2, SQL Server 2005).

Can EA be used to import the schema from an existing SQL Server 2005 database and produce a data model?

I did try following the help instructions under "Import DB Schema from ODBC", but that option in the menu under "Project, Database Engineering" is grayed out.

All I need is to produce a diagram of the tables. Is this something EA can provide?

Thank you for your time and advice,

James Hurst

[Gary W.]

James,

I haven't done this in V7.0 yet, but have done it countless times in prior versions against Oracle DB's.

I just tried it out now in V7.0, and although these steps are against my Oracle DB, should be representative of what you need to do against SQL Server:

1. In Project Browser, right click the package (in my case, Deployment View -> Deployment Model).
2. Select "Code Engineering"->"Import DB Schema from ODBC"
3. On the resulting window, click the "..." button to the right of the "Database Name" field
4. Create a new ODBC source.
5. Choose the import options.
6. Click "Import"
7. Select from the available DB objects.
8. Watch the "Reverse Engineering" log window run to completion.
9. Create a new "Data Modeling" diagram and drag the imported tables onto it.

Actually, for #9, you may be able to skip this step if you have the appropriate diagram type open when you start the import.

HTH,
Gary

[Eve]

Hi James,

Just a clarification of the steps posted.  The most likely problem from what I've read is that you need a package other than a root node to be selected in the project browser before you can run that command.

The rest of the steps look good.

[JamesHurst]

Thank you for that tip.  It did that, and it just returns to sit with that dialog open. How do we now actually view the diagram?

[Dave_Bullet]

Under the package where you did the import, you should see a diagram created.  Close the import dialaogue if left open and double click the diagram (you may need to expand the package first).

Cheers,
DAvid.

[«Midnight»]

Just to be sure, I tried this from scratch - I'd not imported a schema into a new project since EA 6.5. I made sure that I was using EA 7.0 (build 814) and SQL Server 2005.

Everything worked just the way it should have, without anything unexpected whatsoever.

I used the SQL Native Client (new with SQL Server 2005), but I suspect that the older client would work as well.

As for ease of viewing. I find that it helps to create the target package and diagram (at the top level) and open the (empty, since it has just been created) diagram before doing the import. Leave (or choose) the Create Package and Diagram option - this should be the default - and you'll see everything as it is being added.

David

[bmioch]

The Project Browser is used in Enterprise Architect to navigate the model. The Project Browser is located in the top right corner of your application by default. Here is a link to a page in the online help that contains more information.

http://www.sparxsystems.com.au/EAUserGuide/index.html?projectexplorer.htm