erwin Data Modeler vs. Pragmatic Workbench (discontinued)

I have had a chance to use few other data modeling tools from Quest and Oracle, but I am most comfortable using erwin Data Modeler. They understand your data modeling needs and have designed the software to give you a feeling of completeness when you are designing a data model.

Incentivized

Workbench Enterprise is consistent across devices and users so far. It works the same, and access is easy. I have a problem with its security. If you use an enterprise password to access databases, it's very easy to click the show password on the connection page and expose the enterprise password. You shouldn't allow users to use the same accounts to access the database because that means all users are sharing the same password.

Incentivized

• Reverse Engineering: I love the way we can import an SQL file containing schema meta data and generate ER diagram out of it. This is specifically useful if you are implementing erwin Data Modeler for an existing database.
• Forward Engineering: We use this feature very frequently. Where we do database changes in our physical and logical data models and then generate deployment scripts for the changes made.
• Physical vs Logical Models: I like to have my database model split into physical and logical models and at the same time still linked to each other. Any changes you make to logical model or physical model shows up in the other.

Incentivized

• Querying is easy and quick.
• Updating tables is very easy.
• It gives us very accurate error messages.

Incentivized

• Cost is the single largest barrier to entry with this tool.
• Would like to see a greater variety of export options available for use outside of the tool, for example as a vector graphic.
• Support has been uneven at times.

Incentivized

• It has autocompleted, but I find it difficult to use or get to use.
• It doesn't automatically complete table names or field names.

Incentivized

I had a lot of experience using erwin Data Modeler for designing data models. I think it's pretty intuitive and easy to use. It has enough features to represent your database requirements in form of a model.

Incentivized

CA customer support and our account manager have been able to support us with any issues that we have had, from managing our serial keys to issues we logged tickets to resolve. There are aspects of key management that have made it difficult over the years but support usually has worked with us.

Incentivized

Our team does the support for us. Sometimes we see download related issues that can easily be fixed by our team. Most issues you will see with one user in your org will probably happen to others, so keep a log and track those issues. Then have a fix for them somewhere that everyone has access to. This will save you a lot of time troubleshooting.

Incentivized

Not listed, but I've only used alternatives built into something like the Squirrel SQL editor. That one is semi-functional but lacking many features and, in some instances, just plain wrong. The only pro there is that it's freely available and works over ODBC. I've tried some of the other free ones like Creately but didn't have much success.

Incentivized

• It is difficult to assign a monetary value to it. The initial learning curve was fairly long.
• It allows us to have better support documentation.
• It allows ease of communications between functional units.

Incentivized

• I personally like Workbench Enterprise, and I can do everything I need to do using it.

Incentivized