Re: Database migration and redesign

Since you're in the process of modifying a database, you could find this useful:

Agile Databases Techniques, by Scott Ambler.


Regards
Marco


On 9/11/06, Brandon Aiken <BAiken@winemantech.com> wrote:
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> I've been tasked with the unenviable job or migrating a MySQL 4.0 database
> to something more usable (namely, PostgreSQL 8).  MySQL 4.0 doesn't even
> support basic things like subqueries, and in order to emulate the effects
> that RULEs, TRIGGERs and VIEWs bring, they had been using PHP scripts to
> replicate and build tables across the database (not from one server to
> another – within the DB itself).  The database was built across 5 separate
> schemata simply to organize the 50 odd tables, and all the tables are using
> the MyISAM engine which means no transactions, no row-level locking, and no
> foreign key constraints.
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> Yeah.  It's ugly.  You should see the front-end.
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> My question relates to primary keys.  The vast majority of tables have a
> primary key on a single char or varchar field.  Is it considered better
> practice to create a serial type id key to use as the primary key for the
> table, and then create a unique index on the char and varchar fields?
> Should foreign keys reference the new primary id or the old unique key?
> What about compound [primary] keys?
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> Also, any suggestions for good DB design books would be appreciated.  I no
> longer have any good DB design books, and I don't know what's good anymore.
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> --
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> Brandon Aiken
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> CS/IT Systems Engineer
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--
Marco Bizzarri
http://notenotturne.blogspot.com/