Getting started with database modeling

[Roy Chastain]

I have Visio Professional 2003 SP1 and I am not getting anywhere with modeling databases. This is my first attempt to do any
database modeling/diagraming and I probably don't know where to start.

My specific problems are
1) - If I try to run Visio Extras Database wizard, (Tools | Addins | Viso Extras | Database Wizard) it does not offer me anything
on my SQL server that is on the same system.
2) - If I try to manually diagram my database and I drag an Entity shape from the "Object Relational" shape page, I can edit the
Table Name and the Column Name, but I don't see how to add a second column.
3) - I just don't know what I am doing.


Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Al Edlund]

I'd probably start by opening the stencil Database => Model
then from the menu select
Database => Reverse Engineer
and follow the prompts.

Understand that this just diagrams it, if you want to move the design to the
database you have be at the Enterprise Architect version that comes with
VS.NET

Al

 

[Mike Ishimitsu[MSFT]]

Roy,

Al is right on. Here's a bit more detail to get you started:

1. After launching Visio Pro 2003, click on the "Database" category under "Choose Drawing Type."
2. Click on "Database Model Diagram (US units)". This will create an empty database model diagram and you should see the "Entity
Relationship" stencil on the left and the "Database Properties" tool window along the bottom.
3. Select the menu item "Database > Reverse Engineer..."
4. In the "Installed Visio drivers" combo box, select "Microsoft SQL Server."
5. Click on the "Setup..." button to the right of the combo box.
6. Click on "Preferred Settings" and ensure the values on the page are correct.
7. Click "OK."
8. Select your data source in the list box. (If your data source does not appear, press New... and complete the "New Data Source
Wizard")
9. Press Next. The rest of the Wizard should be pretty straightforward, just be sure to read each page carefully. (On one of the pages,
a reference to "selector" is made. The relevant "selector" is the "Tables and Views" tool window that appears after reverse
engineering completes. From this tool window, you can drag on to the diagram the desired table or view.)

To create your own Entity:
1. Drag the Entity shape from the "Entity Relationship" stencil to the diagram.
2. Double-click the shape to open the "Database Properties" tool window if it isn't already visible.
3. In the "Categories" list box in the "Database Properties" tool window, click on "Columns".
4. Enter the column information directly in the grid control.

Just to reiterate Al's point: you'll need the Enterprise Architect version if you wish to do any round tripping.

Hope this helps to get you started.

--
Mike
Visual Studio Enterprise Frameworks and Tools

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. Use of included script samples are subject to the terms
specified at http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm

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they originated.

--------------------
From: "Al Edlund" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Getting started with database modeling
Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 10:19:05 -0500

I'd probably start by opening the stencil Database => Model
then from the menu select
Database => Reverse Engineer
and follow the prompts.

Understand that this just diagrams it, if you want to move the design to the
database you have be at the Enterprise Architect version that comes with
VS.NET

Al

 

[Roy Chastain]

Thank you very much. I have run into a snag. After doing the setup etc, I have only MQIS as a data source. I did the new and
setup a data source, but it does not appear in the list once I complete the new data source wizard. I exited the Reverse Engineer
Wizard and tried again and the new data source is still not in the list.

I tried to connect to the MQIS data source and it is complaining that "Login failed for user 'roy'. Reason: Not associated with a
trusted SQL Server connection.

The SQL server is on my system and I can access it just fine from VS Server Explorer and SQL Enterprise manager and from my code.

Ideas??

Thanks

 

[Mani]

Roy,

I had a similar problem, If I tried with a File DSN (machine independent),
It never showed up on the data-sources list, but creating a User Data Source
solved it.

You may want to try that.
hope this helps.

Mani.

Thank you very much. I have run into a snag. After doing the setup etc,

I have only MQIS as a data source. I did the new and

setup a data source, but it does not appear in the list once I complete

the new data source wizard. I exited the Reverse Engineer

Wizard and tried again and the new data source is still not in the list.

I tried to connect to the MQIS data source and it is complaining that

"Login failed for user 'roy'. Reason: Not associated with a

trusted SQL Server connection.

The SQL server is on my system and I can access it just fine from VS

Server Explorer and SQL Enterprise manager and from my code.

Ideas??

Thanks

 

[Thomas Prost]

I´m working with VISIO2000 (german) and I can´t find that menue DATABASE.
I find a DATABASE WIZARD in Tools, but I´d like to try this reverse
engineering.
Isn´t it available in 2000 ? What newer Visio is there with the reverse
engineer ?

Best Regards
Thomas

I'd probably start by opening the stencil Database => Model
then from the menu select
Database => Reverse Engineer
and follow the prompts.

Understand that this just diagrams it, if you want to move the design to the
database you have be at the Enterprise Architect version that comes with
VS.NET

Al

 

[Thomas Prost]

Mike,
are all these fine features earliest available in VISIO2003 ?
What Edition do I need for the "Reverse Engineer" ?

Best Regards
Thomas

Roy,

Al is right on. Here's a bit more detail to get you started:

1. After launching Visio Pro 2003, click on the "Database" category under "Choose Drawing Type."
2. Click on "Database Model Diagram (US units)". This will create an

empty database model diagram and you should see the "Entity

Relationship" stencil on the left and the "Database Properties" tool window along the bottom.
3. Select the menu item "Database > Reverse Engineer..."
4. In the "Installed Visio drivers" combo box, select "Microsoft SQL Server."
5. Click on the "Setup..." button to the right of the combo box.
6. Click on "Preferred Settings" and ensure the values on the page are correct.
7. Click "OK."
8. Select your data source in the list box. (If your data source does not

appear, press New... and complete the "New Data Source

Wizard")
9. Press Next. The rest of the Wizard should be pretty straightforward,

just be sure to read each page carefully. (On one of the pages,

a reference to "selector" is made. The relevant "selector" is the "Tables

and Views" tool window that appears after reverse

engineering completes. From this tool window, you can drag on to the

diagram the desired table or view.)

To create your own Entity:
1. Drag the Entity shape from the "Entity Relationship" stencil to the diagram.
2. Double-click the shape to open the "Database Properties" tool window if it isn't already visible.
3. In the "Categories" list box in the "Database Properties" tool window, click on "Columns".
4. Enter the column information directly in the grid control.

Just to reiterate Al's point: you'll need the Enterprise Architect version

if you wish to do any round tripping.

Hope this helps to get you started.

--
Mike
Visual Studio Enterprise Frameworks and Tools

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no

rights. Use of included script samples are subject to the terms

specified at http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm

Note: For the benefit of the community-at-large, all responses to this

message are best directed to the newsgroup/thread from which

they originated.

--------------------
From: "Al Edlund" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Getting started with database modeling
Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 10:19:05 -0500

I'd probably start by opening the stencil Database => Model
then from the menu select
Database => Reverse Engineer
and follow the prompts.

Understand that this just diagrams it, if you want to move the design to the
database you have be at the Enterprise Architect version that comes with
VS.NET

Al

 

[David Gillman]

Mike,

I am having some problems similar to Roy's item (2). I am designing a set
of views that do not exist in my database. I am manually creating entities
and linking them with dynamic connectors.

I am using Visio 10.0.525 on Windows 2K.

I wonder if you have any insight about these problems:

1. I drag an entity onto the page. When I type the name and column
information into the it doesn't appear in the entity box on the page.

I have been able to work around this by creating a new model, adding an
entity to it, and copying the entity to the old model. But of course I'd
rather just fix the problem.

2. For some entities I have succeeded in entering name and column
information, but when I select them later no information shows up in the
Database Properties window.

3. I connected some pairs of tables with relations. New columns appeared
automatically as foreign keys in one of the tables. When I delete a relation
the foreign key columns do not go away, and they are not visible (or
removable) in the Database Properties window.

Thanks for any advice, from you or anyone else out there reading this.

David Gillman
Akamai Technologies

Roy,

Al is right on. Here's a bit more detail to get you started:

1. After launching Visio Pro 2003, click on the "Database" category under "Choose Drawing Type."
2. Click on "Database Model Diagram (US units)". This will create an empty database model diagram and you should see the "Entity
Relationship" stencil on the left and the "Database Properties" tool window along the bottom.
3. Select the menu item "Database > Reverse Engineer..."
4. In the "Installed Visio drivers" combo box, select "Microsoft SQL Server."
5. Click on the "Setup..." button to the right of the combo box.
6. Click on "Preferred Settings" and ensure the values on the page are correct.
7. Click "OK."
8. Select your data source in the list box. (If your data source does not appear, press New... and complete the "New Data Source
Wizard")
9. Press Next. The rest of the Wizard should be pretty straightforward, just be sure to read each page carefully. (On one of the pages,
a reference to "selector" is made. The relevant "selector" is the "Tables and Views" tool window that appears after reverse
engineering completes. From this tool window, you can drag on to the diagram the desired table or view.)

To create your own Entity:
1. Drag the Entity shape from the "Entity Relationship" stencil to the diagram.
2. Double-click the shape to open the "Database Properties" tool window if it isn't already visible.
3. In the "Categories" list box in the "Database Properties" tool window, click on "Columns".
4. Enter the column information directly in the grid control.

Just to reiterate Al's point: you'll need the Enterprise Architect version if you wish to do any round tripping.

Hope this helps to get you started.

--
Mike
Visual Studio Enterprise Frameworks and Tools

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. Use of included script samples are subject to the terms
specified at http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm

Note: For the benefit of the community-at-large, all responses to this message are best directed to the newsgroup/thread from which
they originated.

--------------------
From: "Al Edlund" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Getting started with database modeling
Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2004 10:19:05 -0500

I'd probably start by opening the stencil Database => Model
then from the menu select
Database => Reverse Engineer
and follow the prompts.

Understand that this just diagrams it, if you want to move the design to the
database you have be at the Enterprise Architect version that comes with
VS.NET

Al