Re-engineering with SSMS

Dear Friends,

Last week I was doing Database Re-Engineering of our few Legacy Applications.

Actually Re-engineering is a set of activities that are carried out to re-structure a Legacy System to a new system with better functionalities and conform to the hardware and software quality constraint.

I tested 3 Tools for Data-Modeling for this process.
(1) Toad Data Modeler 4.1

(2) Microsoft Visio and

(3) SSMS 2008 .

Data Modeling is a process used to define and analyze data requirements needed to support the business processes within the scope of corresponding information systems in organizations.

All are the good software for Data-modeling but I liked all time favorite SQL Server Management Studio Relationship Diagrams simple-easy, free and having good options..

A little formatting in SSMS database diagrams editor
As more tables will be added, these may not be arranged for easy viewing. To change the arrangement of the diagrams you can right click in the database diagram editor or use the Database Diagrams menu of SSMS as shown below.

1. Add text to diagrams
To make the diagrams more readable you can add text. To add text in your diagram, right click anywhere in the diagram and choose "New Text Annotation". A text box will appear, you can write text and to format the text, right click inside the text box and select the formatting options.
2. Select all objects in diagram editor
When you right click and bring up the menu you have the option to select all added tables and any text that is present in the database diagram editor. The same task can be achieved by using Cntrl+A or by dragging a clicked mouse.
3. Show and hide Relationship Labels for database diagrams in SSMS
Relations are shown among tables through bars/pipes by default. However if it is required to also display the name of the relationship key among tables in a text form, then choose "Show Relationship Labels". It will display names of all present relationships among the tables.
4. To arrange the tables in diagram editor
Right click anywhere in the diagram editor and select "Arrange Tables". All tables will get aligned through this option.
5. Zoom in or out
By right clicking anywhere in the diagram editor, you can get the Zoom option. To analyze the diagrams in any position, you can make use of the zoom option.
6. Keep track of page breaks
SQL Server database diagrams would rapidly consume multiplie pages. So it is better to keep track of page boundaries through page breaks. Enable the page break view by right clicking anywhere in the diagram editor and choose this option. Similarly you can turn off the page break view by again clicking on same menu option.

7. Recalculate page breaks
With the addition of more tables your database diagram may span many pages. Before printing the diagram it may be appropriate to recalculate page breaks, so that printing may be performed optimally. Use this option to assist with setting up your diagram for printing.
8. Copy Diagram to Clipboard
For further customization, editing or just for backup, it may be required to save the diagram to some other file format. For such purposes use the menu item to copy and paste the diagram outside the diagram editor. Along with this menu option you can copy any number of selected tables from one diagram editor and paste it to other diagram. To do this you have to use Cntrl+C for copy, because the copy option is not provided by using your mouse and then you can paste it into another diagram.

Right Click on Diagrams :-

1. Table View : We can View Standard and Custom wise of Structure.
2. Add Related Tables : - We can add Hierarchical Levels using this option.
3. Auto-Arrange : This option will automatically arrange the Diagram as per system flow. This will easy to understood our System..

ATTENTION :- Carefully and keep concentrate on two options in diagram Delete Table from Database and Remove from Diagram.. 1^st option will remove from Table with Data… and 2n will Remove from Diagram only….


Two Times I have been suffered from Trouble one on Development Server and One on Production Server…. But I recovered Table in 1 hour….he he…