Modeling Overview

Modeling is one of the most effective techniques for understanding and communicating business rules and processes. Just as an architect creates a blue print before building a structure, a database designer creates a data model before building a database. A data model is a graphical representation of a database that is used to capture an organization's business rules, which can then be used to define a system's requirements.

Typically, throughout the design process, a model is presented to business users and other members of the enterprise for review and input. As a reviewer of a data model, you may be required to provide input to the design team.

This product is a read-only version of the erwin� Data Modeler database modeling tool when you are working with data models. You can use it to create, open, manipulate, print, and report on any data model. This product maintains most of the functionality of the full-feature version, but you cannot use it to save a data model or to forward or reverse engineer a database.

You can also use erwin� Data Modeler Navigator Edition to open models saved in a shared database that was created using erwin� Data Modeler Workgroup Edition. If you want to be able to access a mart database, contact your mart administrator. The administrator must create a mart database on a supported DBMS and a security profile for each user. Your PC must have the appropriate DBMS client connection software before you can access models in a mart database, and you must have the appropriate security permissions. See the erwin� Data Modeler Workgroup Edition Administration Guide for more information.