Physical Diagrams

A physical data diagram provides a graphical view of your database structure, and helps you analyze its tables (including their columns, indexes, and triggers), views, and procedures, and the references between them.

Note:

To create a physical diagram in an existing PDM, right-click the model in the Browser and select New > Physical Diagram. To create a new model, select File > New Model, choose Physical Data Model as the model type and Physical Diagram as the first diagram, and then click OK.

In the following example, the Employee table is shown in relation to the Team, Division, Material, Task, and Project tables:

Physical Diagram Objects
PowerDesigner supports all the objects necessary to build physical diagrams.
Tables (PDM)
A table represents a collection of data arranged in columns and rows. Tables may contain any of the following objects:
Columns (PDM)
A column contains an individual data item within a row. It is the model equivalent of a database column. A column is always defined for a table. When you create a column, it must be assigned a name and code. You can also select a data type for the column. This can be done directly from a list of available data types, or by attaching the column to a domain.
Keys (PDM)
A key is a column, or a combination of columns, that uniquely identifies a row in a table. Each key can generate a unique index or a unique constraint in a target database.
Indexes (PDM)
An index is a data structure associated with a table that is logically ordered by the values of a key. It improves database performance and access speed.
Users, Groups, and Roles (PDM)
A user is a database object that identifies a person who can login or connect to the database. Groups and roles are used to simplify the granting of rights to users, as privileges and permissions granted to a group or role are inherited by users who belong to that group or incarnate that role.
Synonyms (PDM)
A synonym is an alternative name for various types of objects (table, view, sequence, procedure, function, synonym or database package).
Defaults (PDM)
A default is a value that can be assigned to a column or a domain in the DBMS of the Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise and Microsoft SQL Server families.
Domains (CDM/LDM/PDM)
Domains help you identify the types of information in your model. They define the set of values for which a column/entity attribute is valid. Applying domains to columns/entity attributes makes it easier to standardize data characteristics for columns/entity attributes in different tables/entities.
Sequences (PDM)
If your DBMS supports sequences, then you can create a sequence for a column.
Abstract Data Types (PDM)
An abstract data type (ADT) is a user-defined data type which can encapsulate a range of data values and functions. The functions can be both defined on, and operate on the set of values.
References (PDM)
A reference is a link between a parent table and a child table. It defines a referential integrity constraint between column pairs for a primary key, or alternate key, and a foreign key, or between user specified columns in both tables.
Views (PDM)
A view is a subset of columns drawn from one or more tables defined by a SQL query, which may specify complex criteria for how the tables are joined.
View References (PDM)
A view reference is a link between a parent table or view and a child table or view. It is used to define a set of predefined joins between the columns of the parent and the child table or view.
Business Rules (CDM/LDM/PDM)
A business rule is a rule that your business follows. This can be a government-imposed law, a customer requirement, or an internal guideline.

Parent topic: Building Data Models