You install InfoSphere Data Architect on your computer.
Then you connect to a database before you start to create and modify
data models.
Using the product
You install InfoSphere Data
Architect to your computer. After you install the product, you must
apply a license for the product. You can use either a standard license
or a floating license to activate the product. If you do not activate
the product, you can evaluate the product and its features for 30
days.
You can use the product without a data
source and create new data models. However, you should also set up
or connect to a data server. InfoSphere Data Architect supports several
database vendors.
Use the workbench to connect to a database.
You can reverse-engineer from that database. If you have the necessary
privileges, you can also generate SQL scripts to deploy your changes
to the database.
Key components
InfoSphere Data Architect
comes with several key components:
- Data model editor
- Open data models and work with the data objects in those models.
You can use the Data Project Explorer view to
create new data objects. You can use the Properties view
of each data object to easily modify data objects.
- Diagram editor
- You can also create data diagrams to help visualize the relationships
between data objects. Use the diagram editor to select and update
data objects. When you select a data object in the diagram, its properties
are displayed in the Properties view. You can
use this view to modify your data objects.
- BIRT reporting
- Use the BIRT functionality that is included with the product to
generate reports about your data models. You can share these reports
with others in your organization to help those users to understand
the design of your model.
Shell-sharing with other Eclipse-based products
Shell-sharing
(sharing Eclipse installations between products) with other Eclipse-based
products makes it easy to share functionality between products from
one interface. If you install InfoSphere Data Architect into the same
product group as a compatible product, you only install one version
of Eclipse that shares the components of each product. Shell-sharing
saves disk space and avoids duplicating components that are already
built into other products.
Another benefit of shell sharing
is the ability to have products interact with each other, making each
product stronger than if they were run alone. For example, the following
shell-sharing scenario shows the strength of using InfoSphere Data
Architect and Data Studio together:
- Shell-share InfoSphere Data Architect with Data Studio.
- Create glossary models to standardize your naming conventions
by using InfoSphere Data Architect.
- Use the database administration features of Data Studio to ensure
that those naming conventions are followed.
To shell-share products, the base Eclipse versions must be the
same. For example, you cannot shell-share an Eclipse version 3.4-based
product with an Eclipse version 3.6-based product.