Enhancing data models with tuning transformations

Description

Maintaining consistency between an entity-relationship model and the relational database it represents can be problematic. As a database evolves, reverse engineering can be used periodically to capture an up-to-date model. There are difficulties, however, in obtaining accurate conceptual data requirements using automated reverse engineering tools. A new approach is proposed that ensures data models are up to date and removes the need for reverse engineering. Tuning transformations are introduced as a concise method for specifying database design modifications related to performance tuning. This method reduces the effort required to keep models up to date. Maintaining an entity-relationship model together with concise specifications of tuning transformations enables a tuned relational database definition to be generated automatically. Keywords: conceptual data model, relational database, reverse engineering, physical database design tuning transformations