TDM collaborative data modeling

Toad Data Modeler
1

Hi,
Is anyone know how to work collaborative data modeling in TDM. For example I want to share a repository with my team. Currently I can use TDM version manager for local repository, which mean each user have to create its own repository and work on its own model.

How can we create a collaborative repository, which can be shared by team.

Regards,
Dinesh.

2

Hi,

in general, you have several possibilities.

  1. Use internal version manager and in Settings | Options in section Version Manager define paths in groupbox Server (Path to Projects, File with Projects and File with Users) to some shared folder.

  2. Use third party version manager

  3. Wait for next BETA version that will contain a set of new features for collaborative modeling. New beta version should be released in 3 weeks.

Regards,

Vaclav

3

Thanks,

We will use VSS for three weeks and wait for NEXT BETA.
Thanks for your help.

Regards,
Dinesh

4

Hi Dinesh,

OK. Thank you for the information.

BTW: we made some progress and the next BETA should be available in next 2 weeks.

Regards,

Vaclav

5

Really curious about these new collaborative features… any hint on what we’ll see?

6

Hi,

let me answer with additional questions :slight_smile:

Dinesh asked for “collaborative repository, which can be shared by team” - what else would you like to see in TDM? What features do you feel will help you in collaborative modeling? Of course, we have some ideas, but your feedback would help us to make TDM better!

Vaclav

7

Vaclav…

Simply put, actually you can put a model under version control, but this way you can work on a model only one at a time… with checkin-checkout to control ownership of model. This because a model is stored in a single file.
You can of course use an “optimistic” model, so that each component of the team work on it own copy of the model, and then do reconciliation (ie merging changes) at checkin time. But this cannot save you from changes on the same object.

Ideal approach is IMHO have “native” checkin-checkout on single objects inside model: that means, I can take ownership of a table, procedure, trigger, view, whatever, and is readonly for all the rest of the team until I’ve finished and do my checkin. This probably requires some database installed on a central server, but if you are doing collaborative job I think is last problem.

This is what I dream from a long time… I’ve had experience in past working two on a model, and was really painful to manage… “pls release model”… “no wait another hour I have to finish”… or do the job outside model and then integrate later on… Painful… Really painful…

8

Hi Roberto,

thank you very much for your feedback. It makes a perfect sense to develop check-in and check-out functionality on object level and I hope we will be able to offer something similar once, however this is not something we will introduce in next BETA version. There are many steps and many sub-features that belong to “collaborative modeling” category and the development will take some time.

Once again, thank you for sending me details.

Have a great day,

Vaclav