An approach for reverse engineering of relational databases

Abstract

A process for reverse engineering of relational databases is proposed. Object-oriented models provide a natural language for facilitating the re-engineering process. An object-oriented model can describe the existing software, the reverse-engineered semantic intent, and the forward-engineered new system. The Object Modeling Technique (OMT) notation for modeling data is adopted. Graphical OMT models are intuitive and provide a rigorous basis for specifying software. A more robust process than advanced in the literature is proposed. Guidelines for coping with design optimizations and unfortunate implementation decisions are provided. The process emphasizes analysis of candidate keys rather than primary keys. Three sources for information are incorporated: schema, observed patterns of data, and the semantic understanding of application intent. >