This article is the voice of one of our future customers (that prefer to be anonymous). John (let's call him that) is a Chief Architect in one of the US States Judiciaries and sent this to his colleagues and managers as a diagnosis of problems and recommendation for data management and reporting for the migration of their core system.

Background

State's Judiciary is in the process of migrating from legacy Case Management System to the new one. This is a complex project that will span a few years. Data migration is one of the key aspects.

John's email to his team:

Need/problem

Judiciary IT doesn’t possess an electronic, centralized repository for gathering and disseminating knowledge about any of its database systems. Each data system has, at best, a data guru and at worst no guidance other than ‘dive in and figure it out.” Also, IT has added new Case Management product to its suite of court management tools. Out of the box, it spans multiple SQL databases and will spawn other databases and cubes (reporting server(s), Court BI cubes, etc.).

Without access to an easily accessible and centralized repository of trusted database metadata (data about the data[base]), all consumers and support groups will experience the same dilemma currently experienced with Judiciary's legacy Case Management System – only a small number of staff understand the secret workings of the data. In a perfect world, the vendor would pass off the required documentation and keep it up-to-date, but this perfect world is not going to occur with this project.

As we move to:

1. create interfaces
2. change the database to accommodate our requests for software operation changes
3. and develop reports and Court Business Intelligence rules

We must also document change to ensure that:

1. documentation exists for where our implemented Case Management System is different from standard one
2. enable business users the ability to search and retrieve metadata about the database without SQL expertise
3. quickly gather and provide database structure information for BI, interface and security purposes,

Amplifying these needs is the fact that ALL of the Judiciary will be involved with the new Case Management System over the next couple of years. From Docket Clerks to the Court Administrator. Clearly, this is a mission-critical, enterprise-wide system. By any professional standard, it is obvious that launching the system requires a centralized and accessible repository of database knowledge.

Solution

I am recommending that IT purchase Dataedo. Here is why:

1. Easily and automatically imports SQL (and others Oracle, etc.) databases with relationships and creates basic metadata about the database.
2. Completing the database documentation uses a familiar tabbed and row interface.
3. Easily create visual displays of database relationships that would otherwise be difficult to explain.
4. Information is shared across the judiciary using standard tools like Excel, PDF, and Web-based HTML.
5. All knowledge about RIS databases becomes known and documented not bunkered and at risk.
6. Custom fields for specific Judiciary/RIS specific needs.

Below is a list of Dataedo Website pages for your review:

1. How it works
2. User Interface
3. Exporting and sharing documentation
4. Who uses it and what is it good for

As we move to bring new Case Management System to live, a decision on the tool to share our shared discovery of its database structure is upon us. I recommend using Dataedo.