advanced data modeling: be happier, add more value and be...

Karen Lopez

blog.infoadvisors.com© InfoAdvisors 1

Advanced Data Modeling:Be Happier, Add More Value

and Be More Valued

Karen Lopez

© 2012 InfoAdvisors

Karen López,

A frequent speaker on data modeling, data-driven methodologies and pattern data models.

SQL Server MVP

She wants you to love your data.

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Karen Lopez



Logistics• Interruptions And Other Fun• Exercises• NDA/Confidentiality• Feedback

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About this Presentation

Feel free to participate – your opinion counts

This is a non-technical presentation

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Karen Lopez


POLL: Who Are You?

POLL: Who Are You?

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POLL: Model Much?

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Karen Lopez


OVERVIEW OF THE TRADITIONAL DATA MODELING ENVIRONMENT

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Data Modeling Process• Tools• Databases• People

– Skills– Background– Attitude– Culture

• Timing8

Karen Lopez


Does that still work?What does? What doesn’t?

Being Happier, an Overview• Leaving 1985 Behind• Where Are We, Though?• Making a Difference in Small Ways • [Data] Happiness Project• Adding Value - Being Valued

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Karen Lopez



www.happiness-project.com11

WHAT ARE YOUR 5 TOP DATA SUCCESSES?

Exercise 1

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[email protected]

Karen Lopez


PAIN POINTS FOR DATA ARCHITECTS

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Karen’s Pain PointI don’t have enough current technical background to be a DBA or a Developer and sometimes that means I can’t participate fully in technical decisions.

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Karen Lopez



Karen’s Pain PointI work with a developer who thinks data models are unneeded on his project.

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Karen’s Pain PointI work with a data architect who has no database skills and can’t work hands-on with our databases.

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Karen Lopez



Karen’s Pain PointMy data modeling tool doesn’t support NoSQL databases

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Karen’s Pain PointMy DBA doesn’t care at all about data quality; he removes constraints and turns off RI in the database. He doesn’t check to see if the application code compensates.

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Karen Lopez



Karen’s Pain PointI don’t know enough about Oracle to do a good first cut physical design.

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WHAT ARE YOUR TOPBOTTOM 5 DATA PAIN POINTS?

Exercise 2

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[email protected]

Karen Lopez


New Development Methods• Agile / SCRUM• Lean, Fast• Code First• Refactoring

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Big Data• How Big is Big?• 3 Vs? 6 Vs?• What does it mean?

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Karen Lopez


NoSQL, Not Only SQL• Graph Databases• Key Value• Document Databases• Others

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Being Physical• SQL• Relational Extensions• Working Up to Your Elbows with Data• Being Polyglot

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Karen Lopez


Data Governance• Governance• Stewardship• Dictatorships, Anarchies• How to be Valuable

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Data Modeling Tools• Traditional DM tools• Drawing tools• Tools that Rev Engineer Databases• Other tools

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Karen Lopez


SHARE YOUR PAIN POINTSExercise 3

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Analysis

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Karen Lopez



X Y• Urgency: Yesterday … Whenever• Important: High…Low• Impact: Enterprise … Local• Effort: High…Low• Scope: Corporation…You• Pain: Life Threatening…”Meh”• Risk: High…Low• ???

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ANALYZE POINTSExercise 4

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Karen Lopez


LOVING YOUR DATA MODELS

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Being Happier, The Details

Karen Lopez



Happiness Project• Jan: Boost Energy• Feb: Remember Love• Mar: Aim Higher• Apr: Lighten Up• May: Be Serious about Play• Jun: Make Time for Friends

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Happiness Project• Jul: Buy Some Happiness• Aug: Contemplate the

Heavens• Sept: Pursue a Passion• Oct: Pay Attention• Nov: Keep a Contented

Heart• Dec: Boot Camp Perfect

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Karen Lopez



Resolution Matrix

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Gretchen’s 12 Commandments1. Be Gretchen2. Let it go3. Act the way I feel4. Do it now5. Be polite and be fair6. Enjoy the process7. Spend out

8. Identify the problem9. Lighten up10.Do what ought to be

done11.No calculation12.There is only love

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Karen Lopez


CREATE A RESOLUTION MATRIX FOR THE NEXT 3 MONTHS

Exercise 5

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Splendid TruthsTo be happy, think about feeling good, feeling bad, and feeling right in an atmosphere of growth

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Karen Lopez


Feeling Happy, Feeling BadHappy

Bad

More Happy More Bad

Less Happy Less Bad

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Splendid TruthsThe days are long, but the years are short

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Karen Lopez



Karen’s DM Splendid TruthsBad News: No one will love the logical data model as much as the data modeler. Good News: No one will love the logical data model as much as the data modeler.

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Karen’s DM Splendid TruthsEvery good design decision is based on cost, benefit and risk

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Karen Lopez



Karen’s DM Splendid TruthsIf you want the data model to be simple, go make the world simple.

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Karen’s Splendid TruthsYour data modeling tools will impact design much more than you can ever imagine.

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Karen Lopez


Delivering Value in 2012• Documentation as a literary activity is

1985• Documentation should be generated (Do it

in the Data Model or Process Model)• Iterations, not huge deliverables• Be a development method polyglot• Use their tools, too.

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Be Your Own CMO• Have a Business story to tell• Focus on Business success in status

reports• Cost, benefit, risk • Know their pain…and reflect it.• Know their priorities…and reflect it.• Say “Yes, I can do that, but…”

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Karen Lopez


10 Steps to Happiness, Being Valuable and Providing Value

1. Identify pain points and threats2. Analyze3. Prioritize4. Build a Plan

1. Near term2. Year term

5. Give gold stars (you and others)47

10 Steps to Happiness, Being Valuable and Providing Value

6. Keep Metrics7. Report Metrics8. Say “Yes, I can do that….”9. Automate!10. Overshare

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Karen Lopez


Thank You

You were GREAT!

….We should do this again….

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