CA Brings Integration to Data Modeling, Data Profiling Process

Looking to make life a little easier for data architects, CA has made a move to tighten integration between data modeling and data profiling tools.

With the newly released CA ERwin Data Modeler Suite, the company has packaged the latest version of its data modeling product with a new data profiling tool using technology from Exeros. The new tool, CA ERwin Data Profiler 3.2, is the result of a distribution agreement the companies signed in 2008.

The two products are integrated via the new ODBC, enhancing reporting capabilities, explained Donna Burbank, senior principal product manager at CA.

"So, when you open Crystal reports, you're able to see the ERwin application as a 'data source' in Crystal," Burbank said. "We also offer several out-of-the box reports that can be opened in Crystal, and users can use those as templates for new reports or can use our published metamodel to create new reports of their own using the ODBC integration layer."

The idea is to allow data architects to slash the cost, time and complexity of the data modeling and profiling process. The integration between data profiling and data modeling is key, Burbank continued. In many enterprises, data warehousing and master data management projects have failed because data isn't properly defined, she said.

"Were I a data architect, I would have an interview with you and say … [for example] What is a customer, and how many accounts can a customer have?" Burbank said. "It sounds very human and obvious, but how you implement those data structures is critical. If you say you can only have one account, versus I can have unlimited number of accounts, the way that database is structured is drastically different … that's the piece that has been missing, that they didn't define those business rules in the data model."

In Data Modeler, the company has added new ODBC reporting features, Business Object Crystal Reports and extended database support for Teradata, SQL Server 2008 and DB2 z/OS. All the new capabilities in the suite are focused on providing robust tools around the core data modeling solution—from reporting to metadata management—to enable data modeling to integrate with other tools and business initiatives, CA officials said.

The products in the CA ERwin Data Modeling family are available now through authorized CA partners. The suggested retail price for CA ERwin Data Modeler and CA ERwin Data Profiler is $3,995 per seat for each product. The company has also released a Data Modeler Community Edition for free.