Reverse Engineering

  • Trying to get a current picture of an existing database.

  • 1. Go into the server room

    2. Whip out your Canon 5000

    3. Take a picture

    😀

    Sorry...couldn't resist

    I usually start with a database diagram, and go from there.

    It also helps to talk to the person who designed it.

  • If it's a complex database, you might want to look into something RedGate's SQL Doc, or ApexSQL's Doc. Those are products that will look at the data and metadata for you and try to turn it into something comprehensible. (Both have free trials.)

    Otherwise, start with whatever documentation you have, then move towards database diagrams, and then naming conventions on procs and such. (Hopefully, the names will give you an idea of what they do.)

    - Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
    Property of The Thread

    "Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon

  • Jeremy (6/20/2008)


    1. Go into the server room

    2. Whip out your Canon 5000

    3. Take a picture

    😀

    That might get you a picture of the server room, maybe even the server, but to take a picture of the database, you'd have to crack open the housings on the hard drives and take pictures of the platters. 🙂

    - Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
    Property of The Thread

    "Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon

  • Visio could also be your friend 😉


    * Noel

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