Why upgrade to Dataedo 6

This article compiles improvements in Dataedo 6 over Dataedo 5.

Custom fields

This is a flagship feature of Dataedo 6 - the ability to add custom metadata fields to any database object/element. You can add additional descriptive fields to columns, tables, etc. This opens up a lot of new possibilities.

Those fields can be searched for, and used as filters during the search. Now you can find all confidential fields in your database easily.

Cross-database relationships and diagrams

Another key feature of 6.0 is the ability to create cross-database, cross-server, and cross-engine table relationships. It enables you to create relationships in Data Dictionary and use them to create ER diagram that shows multiple databases. This allows you to document how various systems are linked together. It's particularly useful in case of SQL Server and MySQL if your system has more databases as those engines don't support FKs across different databases.

One to one relations

Dataedo 6.1 introduced the ability to define cardinality of FK/relation to 1:1, both existing and user-defined relationships. In the data dictionary and ERDs.

User defined dependencies

You can now add a dependency to any object's dependencies tab. The new dependency can be created across databases and engines. This is particularly useful for databases such as MySQL where dependencies are not provided by database data dictionary, and you can document this information manually.

Just drag the objects you want to add the dependency on to either side of the dependencies tab.

Exporting descriptions back to the database

With Dataedo 6 you can save descriptions and custom fields from Dataedo repository to extended properties of your SQL Server databases or descriptions to comments of your Oracle databases.

New HTML layout and multiple databases

It is now possible to export multiple documentations to a single document. So if your system spans across multiple databases, you can hold them all in a single PDF file or a website.

We've altered the look of HTML export to make it even more intuitive.

Adding objects to ERD from navigation tree

Previously, to add an object to ERD you've had to use the object list on the right side of the screen. This could be cumbersome, especially when you've wanted to add objects from different documentations.

Now you can just drag any object you want to add from the navigation tree on the left side of the screen.

You can also drag entire branches to an ERD, eg. drag an entire module to the ERD to add all the tables and views included in it.

Adding objects from a different documentation to ERD

In Dataedo 6 it was possible to add objects from different documentaions to an ERD only if they had relations to existing objects.

Now you can add any object from any documentation to an ERD using the drag & drop feature described above.

Including multiple schemas in single Oracle import

Dataedo 6 can now import metadata from multiple Oracle schemas at once.

Scripts in exports

It is now possible to include view, function, stored procedure and trigger scripts in your documentation export.

You don't have to repeat information visible in script comments in descriptions anymore.

Improved FK View

Another small but pleasing change. We added table reference information next to a column. Now you can quickly see if a column is a foreign and to what table. This information is visible in UI and exported to HTML and PDF.

Improved manual keys view

From now on, all information from Keys tab (either imported from a database schema or added manually in Dataedo repository) will propagate to columns table, diagrams and exports.

Easier publishing on Confluence

We've added a special .js file to our HTML export making it even easier to include it on Confluence pages without issues with page sizing and formatting.

Easier to show/hide all columns on ER diagrams

We added a global option to show/hide columns on ER diagrams. You can now show all columns in all tables, hide all columns in all tables leaving only table header or show key columns.

SQL Server 2017 support

Dataedo 6.0 now officially supports new SQL Server 2017. Older versions should also work but were not tested.

Azure SQL Data Warehouse support

We've added support for Azure SQL Data Warehouse.