The right way to use EA

[oraclepilot]

Hi all,

which is the right way to use EA for create a DWH project? I mean, I would like to start from conceptual model, down to logical model down to physical one.
So I have to use DOMAIN MODEL for both conceptual and logical and database for physical one?

Thanks for any hints
Ste

[g.makulik]

I don't know what exactly is meant with a DHW model.

There's a sample for how you can use model transformations from a PIM (Platform Independent Model) to a PSM  (Platform Specific Model) in the EAExample project.

HTH
Günther

[oraclepilot]

I don't know what exactly is meant with a DHW model.

Yep sorry, I was not clear. I have to create a data model for a database, oracle in particular. What I would create is

• Conceptual model: person related to employees, managers, etc
• Logical model: class person with its own properties
• Physical model: table person with related table, pk and fk, indexes, etc....

Thanks
Ste

[g.makulik]

I think such thing is covered in this example. Look at the details of 'Design Model' and 'Implementation Model', you should be able to extrapolate this for your situation.

Best regards,
Günther

[Geert Bellekens]

What exactly do you mean by "use DOMAIN MODEL"?

Apart from that i that I think you're on the right track.

In our modelling method we use InformationItems for the conceptual model (instead of classes).

The advantages are:
- you can use InfomationItems as the conveyed elements on a transition between activities or actions (representing business processes)

- EA doesn't allow you to add attributes to InformationItems. This is an advantage because otherwise the conceptual model almost inevitably becomes more and more of an evil twin brother of the logical model, complete with attributes, associations, constraints, data types,...

Geert

[Oliver F.]

I believe what you are out to is the classical MDA approach.

Create a conceptual model (aka domain model or platform independent model PIM) from which you then write transformation templates to generate the platform specific model PSM (JAVA/C++/... classes, SQL model, etc.). From which then code is derived.

In my previous company we did this rather succesfully by starting with a PIM for the whole data model including basic attributes , relations, keys, etc. from which the MDA transformation extracted the SQL model, code model, etc.
This lead to SQL scripts, XML descriptions and corresponding code stubs.

However it was not a piece of cake as writing all the transformations to wire it all together so that it produced the right results was quite challenging. Especially for the database scripts where we had to add support by add-ins and JAVAScripts due to the complexity of the requirements.

So yes, this is the right approach but expect some major efforts until it runs satisfactory. If you have reached this state, then everything is quite smooth and fun as changing something in the PIM and have it reflected in the coding is just two clicks away.

Hope this helps.

Oliver

[Graham_Moir]

This link might help

http://community.sparxsystems.com/whitepapers/Data%20Modeling%20-%20From%20Conceptual%20Model%20to%20DBMS/data-modeling-concept-to-dbms.pdf