Understanding and Evaluating Modeling and MDA Tools

by Michael Rosen

Modeling is not a new concept or practice in software. For years, it has been used in various aspects of IT development, perhaps most successfully in information, or data, modeling. Today, the predominant practice in creating enterprise database implementations is first to create an entity relationship model with a design tool such as Erwin and then to allow the tool to generate the SQL schema and other necessary artifacts for the particular database being used. All parties involved in this activity recognize the productivity and quality improvements attained through the use of data models and tools.