Modeling in reverse

Real-world enterprise operational systems and data warehouses can reach heights of great complexity, especially if they have evolved over many years and absorbed untold numbers of dubious design decisions. Even the standing members of the data team may not be able to explain every detail, let alone a new hire or a business analyst. Fortunately, conceptual modeling can help simplify and visualize existing database landscapes as quickly as it does when starting new ones.

Database modeling tools allow users to take schema definitions as DDL and ingest them to generate a corresponding diagram—a process known as reverse engineering. Since all the table structures and constraints are already defined in the database, generating an ER diagram and visualizing the database landscape can be done in seconds. Because reverse engineering uses Snowflake object DDL, it produces physical models. As physical models contain the highest level of detail of all modeling types...