PowerDesigner

Last updated
SAP PowerDesigner
(and SAP Sybase PowerAMC)
Original author(s) Xiao-Yun Wang
Developer(s) SAP
Stable release
16.7 / April 2020;4 years ago (2020-04)
Operating system Microsoft Windows
Available inEnglish
(PowerAMC: French)
License proprietary
Website www.sap.com

SAP PowerDesigner (or PowerDesigner) is a collaborative enterprise modelling tool produced by Sybase, currently owned by SAP. It can run either under Microsoft Windows as a native application or in an Eclipse environment through a plugin. It supports model-driven architecture software design, and stores models using a variety of file extensions, such as .bpm, .cdm and .pdm. The internal file structure can be either XML or a compressed binary file format. It can also store models in a database repository.

Contents

The PowerDesigner data modeling tool's market share in 2002 was 39%. [1] It's priced from $3,000 to $7,500 USD per developer seat. [2]

Features

PowerDesigner includes support for:

History

PowerDesigner started life as AMC*Designor in France and S-Designor internationally, which was written by Xiao-Yun Wang of SDP Technologies. The "or" in the product name refers to "Oracle", since initially the product was developed to design Oracle databases, but very quickly evolved to support all major RDBMS in the market. SDP Technologies was a French company that was started in 1983. Powersoft purchased SDP in 1995, and Sybase had purchased Powersoft earlier in 1994. Shortly after the acquisition, the product was renamed to be consistent with the Powersoft brand. Sybase currently owns all rights to PowerDesigner and PowerAMC (the French version of PowerDesigner). In May 2010, SAP announced that it would be acquiring Sybase for $5.8 billion. [3]

The data modeling features of the French and English editions were originally following 2 different methodologies: Merise for PowerAMC and information technology engineering (based on Yourdon / DeMarco [4] works) for PowerDesigner. Since version 7, both editions support all methodologies and only differ from their user language. From v16.6 onwards, both editions are called PowerDesigner and are delivered in a single installer.

Version History

Standards

PowerDesigner supports the following standards:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unified Modeling Language</span> Software system design modeling tool

The unified modeling language (UML) is a general-purpose visual modeling language that is intended to provide a standard way to visualize the design of a system.

SAP ASE (Adaptive Server Enterprise), originally known as Sybase SQL Server, and also commonly known as Sybase DB or Sybase ASE, is a relational model database server developed by Sybase Corporation, which later became part of SAP SE. ASE was developed for the Unix operating system, and is also available for Microsoft Windows.

The Web Services Business Process Execution Language (WS-BPEL), commonly known as BPEL, is an OASIS standard executable language for specifying actions within business processes with web services. Processes in BPEL export and import information by using web service interfaces exclusively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Entity–relationship model</span> Model or diagram describing interrelated things

An entity–relationship model describes interrelated things of interest in a specific domain of knowledge. A basic ER model is composed of entity types and specifies relationships that can exist between entities.

A UML tool is a software application that supports some or all of the notation and semantics associated with the Unified Modeling Language (UML), which is the industry standard general-purpose modeling language for software engineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business Process Model and Notation</span> Graphical representation for specifying business processes

Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is a graphical representation for specifying business processes in a business process model.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">System Architect</span> Enterprise architecture tool

Unicom System Architect is an enterprise architecture tool that is used by the business and technology departments of corporations and government agencies to model their business operations and the systems, applications, and databases that support them. System Architect is used to build architectures using various frameworks including TOGAF, ArchiMate, DoDAF, MODAF, NAF and standard method notations such as sysML, UML, BPMN, and relational data modeling. System Architect is developed by UNICOM Systems, a division of UNICOM Global, a United States–based company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XPDL</span>

The XML Process Definition Language (XPDL) is a format standardized by the Workflow Management Coalition (WfMC) to interchange business process definitions between different workflow products, i.e. between different modeling tools and management suites. XPDL defines an XML schema for specifying the declarative part of workflow / business process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MagicDraw</span> Systems modelling software

MagicDraw is a proprietary visual UML, SysML, BPMN, and UPDM modeling tool with team collaboration support.

Business Process Modeling Language (BPML) is an XML-based language for business process modeling. It was maintained by the Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI) until June 2005 when BPMI and Object Management Group announced the merger of their respective business process management activities to form the Business Modeling and Integration Domain Task Force. It is deprecated since 2008. BPML was useful to OMG in order to enrich UML with process notation.

ER/Studio is data architecture and database design software developed by IDERA, Inc. ER/Studio is compatible with multiple database platforms and is used to create and manage database designs, as well as to document and reuse data assets. In 2015, Embarcadero Technologies was acquired by database and infrastructure management software company IDERA, Inc. Since the acquisition by IDERA, Inc., ER/Studio has been renamed to ER/Studio Data Architect with updated features.

SAP SQL Anywhere is a proprietary relational database management system (RDBMS) product from SAP. SQL Anywhere was known as Sybase SQL Anywhere prior to the acquisition of Sybase by SAP.

SAP IQ is a column-based, petabyte scale, relational database software system used for business intelligence, data warehousing, and data marts. Produced by Sybase Inc., now an SAP company, its primary function is to analyze large amounts of data in a low-cost, highly available environment. SAP IQ is often credited with pioneering the commercialization of column-store technology.

The Business Process Definition Metamodel (BPDM) is a standard definition of concepts used to express business process models, adopted by the OMG. Metamodels define concepts, relationships, and semantics for exchange of user models between different modeling tools. The exchange format is defined by XSD and XMI, a specification for transformation of OMG metamodels to XML. Pursuant to the OMG's policies, the metamodel is the result of an open process involving submissions by member organizations, following a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued in 2003. BPDM was adopted in initial form in July 2007, and finalized in July 2008.

A workflow application is a software application that automates, to at least some degree, a process or processes. The processes are usually business-related but can be any process that requires a series of steps to be automated via software. Some steps of the process may require human intervention, such as approval or the development of custom text, but functions that can be automated should be handled by the application. Advanced applications allow users to introduce new components into the operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Function model</span>

In systems engineering, software engineering, and computer science, a function model or functional model is a structured representation of the functions within the modeled system or subject area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UModel</span>

UModel is a UML software modeling tool from Altova, the creator of XMLSpy. UModel supports all 14 UML 2 diagram types and adds a unique diagram for modeling XML Schemas in UML. UModel also supports SysML for embedded system developers, and business process modeling for enterprise analysts. UModel includes code engineering functionality including code generation in Java, C#, and Visual Basic, reverse engineering of existing applications, and round-trip engineering.

ModelRight is a database design and data modeling tool developed by ModelRight Inc. It is used by data modelers, database developers and database architects to create, visualize, and document their databases as an Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD).

ADONIS is a Business Process Management (BPM) tool, used for documentation, analysis, and optimization of business processes. It enables the visualization of process flows and standard operating procedures (SOPs), provides visibility into how they operate, and helps increase their efficiency by revealing redundant efforts and opportunities for improvement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enterprise Architect (software)</span> Visual modeling and design tool

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is a visual modeling and design tool based on the OMG UML. The platform supports: the design and construction of software systems; modeling business processes; and modeling industry based domains. It is used by businesses and organizations to not only model the architecture of their systems, but to process the implementation of these models across the full application development life-cycle.

References

  1. "Xiao-Yun Wang, PowerDesigner Chief Architect, 2005" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-24. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
  2. Sybase
  3. "SAP to Acquire Sybase, Inc" (Press release). SAP.
  4. Fadace. "Présentation de Sybase PowerAMC 15". fadace.developpez.com. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
  5. "SAP Support Launchpad: Log On". accounts.sap.com. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
  6. "SAP Help Portal". help.sap.com. Retrieved 2020-10-08.