Mike Jr | My thoughts on life, business & technology.

Power*Architect Data Modeling Tool

The need: When you have a lot of databases that must have the schema synchronized, it can get difficult.  At work, when I finish making changes in our development database, I need to roll out the schema changes to our other 10+ databases.

Old solution: Keep track of all the “ALTER” statements in a text file.  Then apply them to every database.  Inevitably something gets missed.  Oh the fun.

New solution: Power*Architect Data Modeling Tool by SQL Power.  Just one part of this application is the ability to compare data models!  It’s EXTREMELY simple to compare data models from two databases and have Power Architect output the SQL statements needed to make the older database match the newer.

Download Power Architect from the google source code link: http://code.google.com/p/power-architect/

Once you install the application, go to the “Connections” menu and add your database server connections.  Then to compare data models, go to the “Tools” menu and click “Compare DM”.  Comparing data models could not be any simpler.

Power Architect seems to natively support Oracle (8i,9i,10g), PostgreSQL, SQL Server (2000,2005), MySQL, DB2, Derby Embedded, HSQLDB and SQLstream.

This is a VERY powerful tool!  I am looking forward to learning more about the power of this program.

I friend of mine asked me for advice on a purchase he was thinking about making. These principles apply to any purchase decision. Use these next time you think about purchasing something!

Don’t be hasty
Hastiness generally doesn’t lead to something good. Take a day or two and think about it.

Do your research
Research what you are wanting to by. Test drive, try it out, do a demo, which brands are better, where are the better prices, etc… Doing a little research goes a long way in helping you make a confident purchasing decision

Does this purchase help you accomplish your financial goals?
Otherwise, is it in your budget. We hate this question; nonetheless, it’s a very valid one. If this purchase won’t help you reach your financial goals, then why buy it?

Is my wife ok with it?
No, my wife didn’t make me put this in there. It is better to not buy and have a happy wife, than to buy and not have a happy wife.

“God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life and may I burn for Thee. Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life, but a full one, like You, Lord Jesus.” – Jim Elliot