| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
pat.patel@alliedbakeries.co.uk
Starting Member
United Kingdom
4 Posts |
 Posted - 26 Mar 2009 : 08:29:56
|
We have just reverse engineered some dozen or so of our legacy Rdb databases into SA with a view of making use of these already analysed data definitions for all of our future work, i.e. application re-writes on SQL platform.
As thing stand today we have in SA some 400 entities and apx. 6000 data elements as identified in our legacy systems. But the data elements have been named based on IT requirements only i.e. BRN_NO means something to the database administrators/developers only and our business users have no vision of this.
We are attempting to introduce a SBV (Shared Business Vocabulary) whereby we can have one definition captured in SA which both the outside business users and internal IT refer to using the same naming convention.
For this we wish to rename e.g. data element BRN_NO to “BranchNumber” and going forward use this as attribute name and column name in all of our future work (based on SQL platform).
But to help us still support our legacy systems during the transition period we wish to retain attribute name & column name of BRN_NO (including legacy index definitions etc) for all legacy ERDs captured in SA (via reverse engineering).
If we "rename" data element BRN_NO to say "BranchNumber" then SA automatically renames the attribute and column name in the entity definition to "BranchNumber", and this is exactly what I would expect it do. However is there anyway (temporarily) whereby we can rename the data element but still preserve the existing attribute/column definitions in existing entities (maybe even on a separate encyclopedia)?
By being able to do this would allow us to use the new definition (including attribute and column name of BranchNumber) in all of our new work but also preserve links to existing entity Rdb definitions (i.e. BRN_NO).
We have experimented a little, i.e.:
a) say we start off with Data Element of BRN_NO, and within an entity have a Attribute/Column names of BRN_NO
b) within the entity we modify the Attribute/Column names to say xBRN_NO
c) we can then modify the original Data Element BRN_NO and change the name to BranchNumber
d) if we open up the entity the Data name is now BranchNumber, however the Attribute/Column names remain as xBRN_NO
e) we can then re-modify the Attribute/column names within the entity back from xBRN_NO to BRN_NO
So we end up with a data element name of “BranchNumber” which we can use for all of our future work (including attribute/column names) but can still link this to attribute/column name of BRN_NO for all legacy work.
This is want we want to do to all existing entities reverse engineered from our legacy systems, but we have some 400 entities, 6000 data elements and on average 30 attribute/column entries per entity - this is too mammoth a task to perform using above methods.
Is there an easier method, not matter how temporary or one-off it may seem?S
SA currently does not support this requirement, nor can SA Support desk provide us with a solution; I was wondering if any other SA users have come across similar requirements and have found a means to achieve this!!
|
|
|
simon.duxbury
Starting Member
United Kingdom
5 Posts |
Posted - 26 Mar 2009 : 11:08:19
|
Hi Pat.
My initial solution would have been the one you've already identified, and it was obvious that would be a pain to do.
Try exporting various definitions to spreadsheets and changing what you need there. You'll still have to do lots of handcrafting, but it should be easier than in SA.
If you were to:
- Export all the Attributes to a csv file
- Change the names in the spreadsheet
- Delete all the Attributes in the encyclopaedia
- Re-import the csv file
That will give you new Attribute names but with the Data Element names as prior to the export.
You will probably lose all PKs, relationships etc, and will probably have to do something similar with Columns.
It's just a suggestion, but might be worth experimenting with. |
 |
|
|
pat.patel@alliedbakeries.co.uk
Starting Member
United Kingdom
4 Posts |
Posted - 01 Apr 2009 : 07:39:29
|
Hi Simon,
Tried out you suggestion and seems this may be the only way to do it.
Two poins to note:
a) once the "renamed" attributes are imported back, and data element name renamed thereafter the coulmn names remain intact; so it seems the column names will only renamed if the attribute names are also renamed.
b) I noticed the after the import of the renamed attributes the data entity seems to have the attributes in "alphabatical" sequence, hence not in the original form. DO you know of any way of resolving this quandry?
Thanks,
Pat
PS: See you at the SAUG later this month if you are also attending... |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Rename Data Elements
