PowerDesigner

Key takeaways

PowerDesigner belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect PowerDesigner to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of PowerDesigner from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

SAP PowerDesigner (or PowerDesigner) is a collaborative enterprise modelling tool produced by Sybase, currently owned by SAP. It can run either under Microsoft Windows as a native application or in an Eclipse environment through a plugin. It supports model-driven architecture software design, and stores models using a variety of file extensions, such as .bpm, .cdm and .pdm. The internal file structure can be either XML or a compressed binary file format. It can also store models in a database repository. The PowerDesigner data modeling tool's market share in 2002 was 39%. It is priced from US$3,000 to $7,500 per developer seat.

Features PowerDesigner includes support for:

Business Process Modeling (ProcessAnalyst) supporting BPMN Code generation (Java, C#, VB .NET, Hibernate, EJB3, NHibernate, JSF, WinForm (.NET and .NET CF), PowerBuilder, ...) Data modeling (works with most major RDBMS systems) Data Warehouse Modeling (WarehouseArchitect) Eclipse plugin Object modeling (UML 2.0 diagrams) Report generation Supports Simul8 to add simulation functions to the BPM module to enhance business processes design. Repository It refers to a repository of models (enterprise, information, data). Requirements analysis XML Modeling supporting XML Schema and DTD standards Visual Studio 2005 / 2008 addin

History PowerDesigner started life as AMC*Designor in France and S-Designor internationally, which was written by Xiao-Yun Wang of SDP Technologies. The "or" in the product name refers to "Oracle", since initially the product was developed to design Oracle databases, but very quickly evolved to support all major RDBMS in the market. SDP Technologies was a French company that was started in 1983. Powersoft purchased SDP in 1995, and Sybase had purchased Powersoft earlier in 1994. Shortly after the acquisition, the product was renamed to be consistent with the Powersoft brand. Sybase currently owns all rights to PowerDesigner and PowerAMC (the French version of PowerDesigner). In May 2010, SAP announced that it would be acquiring Sybase for $5.8 billion. The data modeling features of the French and English editions were originally following 2 different methodologies: Merise for PowerAMC and information technology engineering (based on Yourdon / DeMarco works) for PowerDesigner. Since version 7, both editions support all methodologies and only differ from their user language. From v16.6 onwards, both editions are called PowerDesigner and are delivered in a single installer.

Version History 1989 - The first commercial release of AMC*Designor (version 2.0) in France 1992 - The first commercial release of S-Designer in the US. 1994 - ProcessAnalyst was added to the suite in 1994. 1995 - S-Designer becomes PowerDesigner, AMC*Designor becomes PowerAMC 1997 - PowerDesigner 6.0 releases. 1998 - WarehouseArchitect was added. 1999 - PowerDesigner 7.0 was rewritten to take advantage of newer technologies and to provide an interface more consistent with other Sybase products. December 2001 - PowerDesigner 9.5 was initially released, with maintenance releases through 2003. December 2004 - Version 10.0 (Minerva release) 2005 - Version 11.0 January 2006 - PowerDesigner 12.0 released with metadata mappings and reporting features August 2006 - PowerDesigner 12.1 released with enhanced support for Microsoft Visual Studio and SQL Server July 2007 - PowerDesigner 12.5 released with new ETL (Extract, transform, load) and EII (Enterprise Information Integration) modeling and full UML 2.0 diagrams support October 2008 - PowerDesigner 15.0 released with new Enterprise Architecture Model, customizable frameworks support (Zachman Framework, FEAF, ...), Impact and Lineage Analysis Diagram, logical data model, Barker's Notation, Project support and lot more November 2011 - PowerDesigner 16.0 released with new Shell, Role-based UI, Glossary, Impact analysis on the repository, Sybase IQ reference architecture wizard, New database support, Web portal enhancements January 2013 - PowerDesigner 16.5 released with new features supporting SAP Platform: SAP HANA, SAP BusinessObjects, SAP Netweaver and SAP Solution Manager March 2016 - PowerDesigner 16.6 released with Support for SAP HANA Calculation Views and SAP HANA Core Data Services (CDS). PowerDesigner Web can now edit Enterprise Architecture and Requirements Models. April 2020 - PowerDesigner 16.7 released with new features supporting: Export from Web privilege, Limit the choice of model types offered in New Model dialog, New models added, Customize link symbol labels, Generate Models using the CSN notation, OAuth 2.0 Client Credentials authentication

Standards PowerDesigner supports the following standards:

BPEL4WS Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) Document Type Definition (DTD) ebXML IDEF IE/Information engineering Merise RDBMS Rich Text Format (RTF) UML 2.0 diagrams XML XML Schema

See also Comparison of data modeling tools

References

External links SAP PowerDesigner webpage Novalys PowerDesigner

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with PowerDesigner

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what PowerDesigner claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to PowerDesigner before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about PowerDesigner ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of PowerDesigner

In research: PowerDesigner appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses PowerDesigner in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: PowerDesigner is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Data modeling tools, Enterprise modelling, UML tools, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for PowerDesigner outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study PowerDesigner in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what PowerDesigner means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain PowerDesigner out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is PowerDesigner in simple terms?

SAP PowerDesigner (or PowerDesigner) is a collaborative enterprise modelling tool produced by Sybase, currently owned by SAP. It can run either under Microsoft Windows as a native application or in an Eclipse environment through a plugin.

Why does PowerDesigner matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study PowerDesigner?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on PowerDesigner.