The Data Warrior

Changing the world, one data model at a time. How can I help you?

Archive for the category “SQL Developer Data Modeler”

19 Oct 2015
1 Comment

SALE: Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler Jump Start

So in honor of the upcoming #OOW15 and User Group Sunday Symposiums, I decided to put my video workshop for #SQLDevModeler on Sale!

Why use #SQLDevModeler?

If you were an Oracle Designer user and are looking for a replacement data modeling tool, or you are using one of the other mainstream, expensive modeling tools and want a more cost effective alternative, then you owe it to yourself to look at Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler (SDDM). Data Modeler has been around for years now and is up to version 4.1. It really is an industrial strength data modeling tool that can be used for any data modeling task you need to tackle. (And it works with MS SQL Server and DB2, not just Oracle.)

#SQLDevModeler is a fully functional tool provided for FREE by Oracle. It has many features built in that can be leveraged to capture the design of an existing (probably undocumented) database and re-engineer it or you can use it to design a new database, even a data warehouse from scratch. There are features to apply standards, and then generate DDL to implement your newly standardized design. You can even use one logical model to develop multiple physical models that can be deployed to different RDBMS. You also have options on the type of notation used in the diagrams (i.e., Barker, IE, etc.).

Workshop? What Workshop?

I’m so glad you asked! 😉

Since there was no one around teaching classes on SDDM, I figured I should build one that would be easily accessible and show you exactly how to use the tool for the most common data modeling tasks.

This workshop will start from a totally blank page and walk you through all the major features and options of the tool to show you how to design build and deploy a database. I provide lots of examples and tips on how to do all this so that you can quickly be productive.

In this workshop, I introduce you to the tool and show you how to use some of the cool features I use almost daily. I provide step-by-step instructions on how to use these features.

In this 4+ hour long workshop you will see:

  • How to create new objects from a blank page
  • How to build a logical ERD (with sub-types!)
  • How to reverse engineer and document existing databases
  • How to reverse engineer logical models from physical
  • How to use the visual view builder
  • How to use the interactive view testing tool
  • How to reconcile a model to the database or the database to a model
  • How to generate DDL for multiple RDBMSs (Not Just Oracle!)
  • How to generate a script to change an existing database

Tips, tricks and features I will demonstrate:

  • Modifying the delivered reporting templates
  • How (and when) to use the abbreviations utility
  • How to use and apply domains
  • How to create and applying object naming templates
  • How to add audit columns to every table
  • How to add custom design rules for model quality checks
  • How to use the built in quality checks
  • How to use the newest find and extract feature to enable updating table and column comments by end users
  • How to generate a simple data dictionary

As an added bonus, in addition to step by step slides, I also give you a live demonstration of important aspects of the tool.

By the end of the workshop you will be able to effectively use Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler for all your data modeling tasks.

So how about a sample?

The platform that we used to deliver the video is pretty darn good, but I figured you might want to see what the content looks like so here are two modules taken right out of the class. The first one talks about using sub views in SDDM, and the 2nd one talks about creating Entities.

Enjoy!

 Subviews

Entities

Sale Coupon!

So ready to sign up?

Great. Go here to get right in!

Normally the price is $1299  (which is MUCH less than you would have to pay me to come to your office and teach you myself), but for a limited time, I am giving a big discount so that even more folks can afford it.

Use coupon code KentSDDM to get $300 off the regular price.

I am sure you will find this a very useful workshop with examples you can use (yes there are a few downloads when you finish the class). The examples alone will save you a bunch of time and money.

But don’t take my word for it:

So sign up today, start watching, then you can ask me questions at #OOW15!

Cheers.

Kent

The Data Warrior

P.S. The sale will not last long, so be sure to jump in now to save $300 while you can. Go on, sign up here (you know you should).

Posted in Data Modeling, Oracle, SQL Developer Data Modeler and tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
15 Sep 2015
2 Comments

Better Data Modeling: Showing Super & Sub Types in #SQLDevModeler (SDDM)

So this started with a not so innocent tweet from Jeff Smith:

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Well, I sort of answered at least part of the question (eventually),  but along the way the topic of using super types and sub types came up.

Note: If you don’t know what a sub type is, you probably do not do conceptual or logical modeling, so you can stop reading now. Or google it. 🙂

So, in Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler (SDDM for short, or #SQLDevModeler) you can specify sub type entity relationships in the Logical Model (not relational or physical).

Unless I missed an enhancement (??), you have to do this by:

  1. Create the parent or super type entity
  2. Create the potential sub type entity
  3. Set the Super Type Entity property on the candidate Sub Type Entity to associate it with the parent.
Set Super Type

Set Super Type

Note in the screen that Super Type is set to Employees.

(It sure would be nice if we could just drag and drop to do this, or better just create a new sub type entity “inside” an existing entity)

Once you have set the property, then it will appear in the diagram in one of several ways, depending on the diagram notation you pick. The default is Barker Notation with Box-in-Box Presentation turned on. That looks like this:

Displaying Subtypes in Barker Notation with Box-in-Box

Displaying Sub Types in Barker Notation with Box-in-Box

If you turn Box-in-Box off (right mouse on white space in the diagram then go to Notation), you can drag the sub types outside the super type display and a red line will be displayed to connect them together.

If you switch to Bachman Notation with Box-in-Box off, it looks like this:

Displaying Subtypes in Bachman Notation

Displaying Sub Types in Bachman Notation

Notice the little red lines with arrows pointing into the Employees entity? That is the sub type relationship.

So depending on your personal experience and style, you have a few options to choose from when modeling these type of relationships.

How this converts to a database table design is a whole other (and longer) topic. If you really need to know now, go buy Heli’s SQL Dev Modeler Book and read the section on Inheritance.

Or you could sign up for my online Intro to SDDM (use coupon code GRAZIANO10S for 20% off).

Better Still – do BOTH!

Happy Modeling

Kent

The Data Warrior

P.S. I will be speaking at ECO15 in Raleigh, NC next week. If you are attending be sure to say hi.

Posted in Data Modeling, Oracle, SQL Developer Data Modeler and tagged , , , , , , , ,
15 Jun 2015

Surfs Up! #KScope15 Beach Club: Opening Soon!

I know this is last minute but wanted to remind everyone that the Annual ODTUG KScope event starts in less that a week!

As always, I will be there with my ACE Director hat on (literally). I will be giving My Talks at KScope during the week. One on SQL Developer Data Modeler (SDDM), and my fun talk about the Worst Practices in DW Design I have seen. And there will be the Lunch with the ACEs among many other events.

I will also be running Morning Chi Gung on the beach each day to help people stay in shape and stress free.

Just so you know the score, I have captured for you a list of great stuff happening at KScope from the recent attendee email I got. Here it is. Enjoy

Believe it or not, we are only six days away from the opening of the Kscope Beach Club in Hollywood, Florida. This exclusive club is only open to Kscope15 attendees, so consider yourself one of the elite.

This is the third newsletter with content updates, event happenings, and everything you need to know to plan for Kscope15. It’s a long email full of important information to make your week a success, so please read it all.

See you soon!

– Natalie Delemar, Kscope15 Conference Chair

Important Updates

Community Service Day – If you have already signed up to attend Saturday’s Community Service Day, please meet at the Diplomat Conference Center Porte Cochere at 7:00 AM to have breakfast and pick up T-shirts. The activity is within walking distance (.5 mile); however, transportation will be provided to those who need it. Participants will depart the hotel at 8:00 AM. Wear comfortable clothing for both the walk and the activities. If you did not sign up to participate in Community Service Day but you would like to help, show up at the Conference Center Porte Cochere on Saturday morning. Chances are you will be able to join the group on a first-come, first-served basis.

Registration – Kscope15 registration is open on Saturday from 5:00-7:00 PM on the third floor of the Diplomat Conference Center. After that, registration begins at 7:00 AM on Monday and Tuesday; 7:30 AM on Wednesday; and 8:00 AM on Thursday. Check the agenda for daily schedules.

Mobile App – Build your schedule and have all of your devices sync to it with the Kscope15 mobile app. The first time you login you will need to click “create a password” and enter the email address you used for your Kscope15 registration. A password will be emailed to you. Only registered attendees (who have paid) can access the app. Download the app today and get busy building your schedule!

Schedule – Want to see the schedule in a grid format before you receive your printed Schedule at a Glance onsite? Check this out (you will have to log in to http://www.odtug.com to view) – but keep in mind the most up-to-date schedule will be available on the mobile app and the schedule signs outside of the Registration Desk.

Confirm Your Stay – Be sure to double-check your hotel reservations and confirm your arrival and departure dates are correct. Some properties may require a 72-hour cancellation notice.

Say Cheese – Need a new headshot or family pic? We’ve got you covered. Accomplished Kscope photographer Warren Capps is offering free sessions to a select number of Kscope attendees. Find out more here. Space is very limited, so sign up today!

Scavenger Hunt – Are you competitive, driven, and like to be a winner? Then participate in the Kscope15 Scavenger Hunt. Sign up in advance, and stop by the Registration Desk to receive your NFC sticker to fully participate!

Social Media Lounge – Give your brain a break and head over to ODTUG’s Social Media Lounge in the Exhibit Hall. We’ll have giveaways, picture-taking opportunities, and an area where you can sit back and relax. While you’re there, tell us what you think about Kscope in an interview, or watch one while it happens!

Women in Technology Roundtable – Participate in Wednesday’s interactive discussion about issues facing Women in Technology. Men are welcome, too! Ernst & Young is sponsoring the event. To participate in the luncheon, please register here and share your feedback on important issues.

Hands-On Training – If you are planning to participate in any Hands-On Training sessions, please view the mobile app and designated webpage for important prerequisite instructions. Details may be added within the next several days, so check back closer to the classes for updates.

Special Event – The White Party at Nikki Beach comes with a dress code: Plan your all-white outfit to live it up South Beach-style! It’s not required, but we would love as much participation as possible.

Fun for the Little Ones – Sign up any children in your group for Kids Fun Night Out on Wednesday while you are celebrating in South Beach. The cost is $70 per child, which will be charged to your room. Reservations are required; email Natalie.Dotson@diplomatresort.com.

Conference Dress – Casual. We want you to be comfortable! The days and nights will be hot in South Florida, but the conference rooms will be cool, so layers are recommended. Pack your swimsuit and hit the beach or pools in your off-time!

via Kscope Beach Club: Opening Soon!.

Hope to see you next week in Florida.

Kent

The Data Warrior

Posted in Chi Gung, Data Modeling, Data Warehouse, ODTUG, Oracle, SQL Developer Data Modeler and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
16 Mar 2015

Better Data Modeling: The Book

Trying to be as productive as possible during my infrequent down time, I just published another Kindle book with some of my best tips for Oracle Data Modeler. it is called Better Data Modeling: Tips for Enhancing Your Use of Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler.

If you are one of the 3.5 million users (or so) who have downloaded this tool, and you want to know my little secrets for getting the most out of SQL Developer Data Modeler (#SQLDevModeler), this book if for you.

If you were an Oracle Designer user and are looking for a replacement data modeling tool, or you are using one of the other mainstream, expensive modeling tools and want a more cost effective alternative, then you owe it to yourself to look at Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler (SDDM). Oracle Data Modeler has been around for over five years now and is up to version 4.1. It really is an industrial strength data modeling tool that can be used for any data modeling task you need to tackle.

SQL Developer Data Modeler (SDDM) is a fully functional tool provided for FREE by Oracle. It has many features built in that can be leveraged to capture the design of an existing (probably undocumented) database or you can use it to design a new database, even a data warehouse from scratch. There are a load of great features. This book will show you my favorite features along with detailed step by step instructions (with screen shots) on how to use them.

Tips include:

  • How to easily color code your diagrams
  • How to make hundreds of views really fast
  • How to find missing foreign keys
  • How to find missing unique keys
  • How to connect to a SQL Server database (if you must…)

As a bonus, there are two appendices with my run down on common data modeling mistakes and my famous rant on why you need foreign keys in your data warehouse.

So if you don’t use Oracle Data Modeler yet, read my book to see why you should.

If you do use it, I hope this little book will make you even more productive than you already are!

Model on!

Kent

The Data Warrior

P.S. After you read the book, please leave a review on Amazon to help other folks decide if the book is for them.

Posted in Data Modeling, SQL Developer Data Modeler and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
04 Mar 2015

End Your Data Modeling Pain

Tired of hand drawn data models, or models drawn in Visio or even PowerPoint?

Still limping along on an old Oracle Designer repository?

Can’t afford the license for your current modeling tool anymore?

Or maybe your shop has no documented data model diagrams at all (horrors!).

Well, if you were an Oracle Designer user and are looking for a replacement data modeling tool, or you are using one of the other mainstream, expensive modeling tools and want a more cost effective alternative, then you owe it to yourself (and your organization) to look at Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler (SDDM). Data Modeler has been around for over five years now and is up to version 4.1. It really is an industrial strength data modeling tool that can be used for any data modeling task you need to tackle.

As I have mentioned before (many times) in this blog, SQL Developer Data Modeler (SDDM) is a fully functional modeling tool provided for FREE by Oracle. It has many features built in that can be leveraged to capture the design of an existing (probably undocumented) database and re-engineer it or you can use it to design a new database, even a data warehouse from scratch. There are features to apply standards, and then generate DDL to implement your newly standardized design. You can even use one logical model to develop multiple physical models that can be deployed to different RDBMS (like Oracle, SQL Server, and DB2). You even have options on the type of notation used in the diagrams (i.e., Barker, IE, etc.).

Unfortunately there are no comprehensive, end-to-end classes that can teach you how to really get started with SDDM and can point you to some of the awesome features and show you how they work.

Not until NOW!

Announcing my new online class: Introduction to Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler.

This course will start from a totally blank page and walk you through all the major features and options of the tool to show you how to design build and deploy a database. I provide lots of examples and tips on how to do all this so that you can quickly be productive (while you watch!).

In this class, I will introduce you to the tool and show you how to use some of the cool features I use almost daily. I will provide step-by-step instructions on how to use these features. The class includes both lectures with screen shots and hands on demos of the tool (recorded live by me). Hint: some of my best tips are in the demos.

In this course you will see:

  • How to create new objects (entities, attributes, relationships) from a blank page
  • How to reverse engineer and document existing databases
  • How to reverse engineer logical models from physical to get a clean ERD
  • How to reconcile an existing data model to the database or the database to a model
  • How to generate a script to change an existing database

Tips, tricks and features I demonstrate include:

  • Modifying the delivered reporting templates
  • How (and when) to use the abbreviations utility
  • How to use and apply domains
  • How to create and applying object naming templates
  • How to add audit columns to every table in a model
  • How to add custom design rules for model quality checks
  • How to use the built in quality checks
  • How to use the newest find and extract feature to enable updating table and column comments by end users
  • How to generate a simple data dictionary

As an added bonus, in addition to step by step slides, and the demos, I have included a zip file with example output, templates, and DDL scripts that I created during the demos. You will be able to download these to your machine to try the exercises yourself.

If you have questions along the way, our modern learning management system (LMS) lets you enter your questions in the course comments whenever you want. I will get an immediate email notification so I can promptly answer your questions.

Unlike typical user group presentations, where I can only scratch the surface or show a few tricks, this course contains over four and a half hours of content broken up into bite-sized modules so you can easily digest the detailed information. If it does not make sense, you can simply play the same segment over again and even follow along on using your own install of SDDM.

By the end of the course you will be able to effectively use Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler for all your data modeling tasks.

So head over to Learn Data Vault and check out the preview video of the class, then sign up and learn. Use my special offer code of GRAZIANO10S to get 10% off.

See you online!

Kent

The Data Warrior

P.S. The current price of the course is the initial sale price. I am not sure when the price will go up but Dan and Sanjay tell me that I set the price too low and they will have to raise it in the near future. So, I would sign up now, before that price goes up.

Posted in Data Modeling, Oracle, SQL Developer Data Modeler and tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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