Importing proprietary physical data models

You can import physical data models that were developed with vendor software and use them to develop data warehousing applications in the Design Studio. You can also export native physical data models that you created in the Design Studio to the same proprietary formats.

The Design Studio incorporates the Meta Integration Model Bridge (MIMB) feature, also known as the MITI Bridge. This bridge transforms proprietary physical data models, such as ERwin, Rational Rose®, and Sybase models, to the native SQL model format that is used in the DB2® Warehouse Design Studio. By importing and transforming an existing model, you avoid the need to re-create the model natively in the Design Studio. You can use the transformed model transparently as a metadata source for your data flows and mining flows.

For general information about this feature, go to: http://www.metaintegration.net/Products/MIMB/

For example, assume that your database design team routinely uses ERwin to do physical data modeling. A new data mart or star schema has been physically designed in ERwin by someone in the team, and the SQW developer wants to use that model to design some data flows. The model designer does not want to re-create the model in the Design Studio "SQL model" format, and the data flow developer does not have access to the actual database. (Maybe the actual database has not been created yet, or the ERwin model contains changes that have not been deployed to the database yet.) In this type of scenario, the solution is to import the ERwin model, transform it to the SQL model format that the Design Studio uses, and let the SQW developer work from that. The .dbm file that results from a successful MITI Bridge transform is visible as metadata when the flow designer creates table sources, table targets, and other operators.

Procedure

To import a physical data model:

Create a data warehousing or data design project where you can import the model.
Check that the format of your proprietary model is supported by the MIMB feature.
Locate the source file for the model that you want to import.
In the Design Studio, select File > Import > Data > Data Model Import Wizard, then click Next.
Select the model format from the list.
Browse to the model file and select it.
Browse to a list of available target projects and select one: either a data design project or a data warehousing project.
Important: Browse only to the root folder of the target project; do not select a folder within the project.
Select the Physical only model type.
Restriction: Logical models are not supported in the Design Studio. Logical modeling is available with Rational® Data Architect.
Type an output file name for the transformed model and click Next.
Select the import options on the next page of the wizard by double-clicking the Values entries and making selections.
On the same page, select the appropriate Validity check and Target database options, then click Next. The model is transformed and stored in the target project.

To export a physical data model that exists in a data warehousing project or data design project, use the File > Export > Data > Data Model Export Wizard.

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