MySQL Workbench 5.2: Visual Database Design

Visual Database Schema Design

MySQL Workbench simplifies database design and maintenance, automates time-consuming and error-prone tasks, and improves communication among DBA and developer teams. It enables data architects to visualize requirements, communicate with stakeholders, and resolve design issues before a major investment of time and resources is made. It enables model-driven database design, which is the most efficient methodology for creating valid and well-performing databases, while providing the flexibility to respond to evolving business requirements. Model and Schema Validation utilities enforce best practice standards for data modeling, also enforce MySQL-specific physical design standards so no mistakes are made when building new ER diagrams or generating physical MySQL databases.

Forward and Reverse Engineering

MySQL Workbench provides capabilities for forward engineering of physical database designs. A visual data model can easily be transformed into a physical database on a target MySQL Server with just a few mouse clicks. All SQL code is automatically generated and runs right the first time, which eliminates the normal error-prone process of manually writing complex SQL code. MySQL Workbench also enables you to reverse engineer an existing database or packaged application to get better insight into its database design. Not only can MySQL Workbench forward and reverse engineer existing databases, but it can also import SQL scripts to build models and export models to DDL scripts that can be run at a later time.

Change Management

Database change management is a difficult and complex process, which involves maintaining different versions of database schemas and manually modifying existing databases. To help DBAs and developers with change management, MySQL Workbench includes Schema Synchronization and Comparison utilities. A DBA can compare two live databases or a model and a live database and visually see the differences, and also perform synchronization between a model and a live database or vice versa.

Database Documentation

Documenting database designs can be a time-consuming process. MySQL Workbench includes DBDoc that enables a DBA or developer to deliver point-and-click database documentation. Models can be documented in either HTML or plain text format, and includes all the objects and models in a current MySQL Workbench session.