DAMA INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM & WILSHIRE META-DATA CONFERENCE
April 27-May 1, 2003 - Renaissance Hotel, Orlando, Florida
SUNDAY WORKSHOPS
Last updated December 26, 2002. Subject to change.

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W1: Data Modeling Basics: Everything you need to know to get started

Marcie Barkin Goodwin
President/CEO
Axis Software Designs

Are you new to Data Modeling? Would you like to review the basics? Then this is the Workshop for you!

‘Data Modeling Basics’ combines lecture, illustration and interactive discussion to provide the novice (or rusty beginner) with all the details necessary to understand the elements of a data model. In addition, the model’s accompanying documentation will be discussed, as well as ‘Best Practices’ for building, reviewing and delivering the logical data model ‘package’ to management and/or the physical team.

Participants will gain an understanding of the models and the modeling process, allowing them to participate with confidence. This workshop is intended for all beginning modelers, or anyone interested in seeing what data modeling is all about, including Business Users, Analysts & Managers who need to understand data models. Presented by Marcie Barkin Goodwin (a former Hollywood actress and comedienne), this workshop will cover the basics of data modeling, and is sure to entertain as well!

Marcie Barkin Goodwin is the President/CEO of Axis software designs, a software training and consulting company specializing in CASE environments, their infrastructures, and the fostering of communication to ensure successful projects. She has provided Axis training and consulting services to Fortune 500 companies as well as to the government for over 10 years. Ms. Goodwin has assisted her corporate clients in the development of efficient development infrastructures across a wide variety of industries. Her consulting expertise includes the creation of customized standards, procedures and best practices for the management of iterative development and shared data. Her quick wit, engaging personality, and vast ‘hands-on’ experience makes her a charismatic and highly entertaining, as well as informative speaker.

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W2: Creative Data Modeling: Ideas and Techniques for Advanced Practitioners

Graeme Simsion
Senior Fellow
University of Melbourne

Graeme Simsion has argued for many years that data modeling is a design discipline, involving choice and creativity. His book Data Modeling Essentials, first published some ten years ago, offers a range of techniques for generating and evaluating alternative models, in a quest for the best possible solution.

In this workshop, Graeme will revisit and update these ideas and techniques, drawing on experience and feedback, and on research that he is undertaking at the University of Melbourne. He will look at:

Graeme is well known as an entertaining and provocative speaker, and his workshops have been consistently amongst the most popular at DAMA conferences. There will be ample opportunity for comment, questions and debate.

Graeme Simsion founded Australian consultancy Simsion Bowles & Associates in 1982, after working as a DBA for a major insurance company. Over 20 years he grew the business from a one-person operation specializing in data modeling to some 70 staff in three states, offering consultancy in data management, information systems, and business process design. Graeme sold Simsion Bowles in 1999, and is currently a Senior Fellow with Melbourne University’s Department of Information Systems. Throughout his career, he has been a regular publisher and presenter and is the author of the widely used text, Data Modeling Essentials.

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W3: Practice Made Perfect: A Business Rule Discovery and Analysis Workshop

Barbara von Halle
Founder
Knowledge Partners Inc.

This workshop challenges the attendee to walk through new doors. It does so by engaging the attendee in step-by-step thought-provoking discussions along with interactive and practical workshops, all aimed at unleashing the business rules expertise in each attendee.

The workshop covers three major areas: motivation, methodology, and rule management. Most importantly, the workshop reinforces that a transition from information analyst to business rule analyst is a very natural career path. Activities common to information architecture groups are mapped to similar activities in a business rules approach.

At its core, the seminar walks the attendee through the 10 most valuable lessons learned in practice, along with a workshop for the most important ones.

The attendee will learn to:

Barb von Halle is the founder of Knowledge Partners, Inc. (KPI). KPI specializes in enterprise architecture, data warehousing, and business rule systems development. Barb plays many roles in the company, but her primary responsibility is Capability Management. Through this function, Barb ensures that all KPI consultants follow KPI’s methodology, standards, and guidelines on client engagements. Ms. Von Halle is probably best known for pioneering in the world of Business Rules through her writings and consulting work. She serves in a quality assurance role for KPI business rule engagements. Ms. Von Halle has an international reputation in the field of data/knowledge management. In 1996, she received the honored Outstanding Individual Achievement Award from the International Data Management Association. She is a keynote and supporting speaker at US and international conferences (Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Canada). As a part-time journalist, von Halle was the leading contributing editor for Database Programming and Design Magazine(Miller Freeman Publishers) for over five years. She co-authored The Handbook of Relational Database Design (Addison-Wesley Publishing Company) which serves as a standard text in universities and business environments. She also co-edited The Handbook of Data Management (Auerbach Publishers), which is Auerbach’s best selling book. Her most recent book, Business Rules Applied (2002: Wiley & Sons) is the first book to contain a step-by-step approach for delivering business rule systems. It was a finalist in the 2002 Jolt Awards from Software Development Magazine.

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W4: The Agile Data Method: Data Doesn’t Have To Be A Four Letter Word Anymore

Scott Ambler
Senior Consultant
Ronin International

Data is clearly an important aspect of software-based systems, a fact that the information technology (IT) industry has understood for decades, yet many organizations still struggle with their approach to data within their software processes. So how do you know you’ve got a problem? Enterprise data professionals, including both data architects and data administrators, will be frustrated by the fact that project developers on project teams ignore their advice, standards, guidelines, and enterprise models. Worse yet the developers often don’t they even know about these people and things in the first place. Developers will be frustrated by what they perceive (often rightfully so) to be the glacial pace of enterprise data professionals to make or authorize seemingly simple changes. Database administrators (DBAs) often find themselves stuck in the middle of these two warring factions, trying to get their work done while struggling to keep the peace. If one or more of these problems is common within your organization you’ve got a problem.

The goal of the Agile Data (AD) methodology is to define strategies that IT professionals can apply in a wide variety of situations to work together effectively on the data aspects of software systems. This isn’t to say that AD is a "one size fits all" methodology. Instead, consider AD as a collection of philosophies that will enable IT professionals within your organization to work together effectively when it comes to the data aspects of software-based systems.

In this interactive workshop we will explore four roles - Agile DBA, Application Developer, Enterprise Architect, Enterprise Administrator - what their responsibilities are and how they should interact. We will also discuss techniques that data professionals can support agile software development efforts such as eXtreme Programming (XP), including database refactoring and Agile Modeling (AM).

Scott Ambler is a Senior Consultant with Ronin International, Inc. since its inception in 1999. He actively works with Ronin clients on large-scale software development projects and on software process improvement (SPI) efforts around the world. Scott is Canadian and still lives in Canada although he spends a large portion of his time consulting in the United States and Europe. He has worked in the IT industry since the mid 1980s and with object technology since the early 1990s. He has written several books and white papers on object-oriented software development, software process, Agile Modeling (AM), and other topics. Scott is a Senior Contributing Editor with Software Development magazine and a member of the Flashline Software Development Productivity Council.

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W5: Developing a Metadata Strategy

Patricia Graham
Systems Director
Prudential Financial Services

In today’s IT world of data warehousing, business to business communication, mergers and acquisitions, and system simplification, corporations have come to realize that meta data is a significant asset. Having a strategy in place to manage this important asset and implementing that strategy will enable your company to meet or exceed many of its business objectives. Many corporations today have devised unique administration strategies to deal with meta data. This workshop will delineate sound meta data practices that can be instituted to accomplish the objectives of increasing revenue, reducing expenses, and managing risk.

The workshop will cover:

The presentation will delineate the factors that go into a successful implementation, even with a reduced staff.

Patricia Graham is a Systems Director at Prudential Financial Services and has been involved with meta data management in one capacity or another for 15 years. At Prudential, she has developed the Enterprise Model, determined Data Naming Standards, implemented policies and procedures, established a data modeling practice, created a data archaeology area, and implemented a data repository.Patricia is a past officer of DAMA NJ. She has presented at DAMA NJ and NY, DAMA International in London and CA World. Prudential’s meta data management program was awarded a ‘High Commendation’ for Meta Data Best Practices in 2002 by Wilshire Conferences and DM Review. Patricia was selected as one of Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders for 2003.

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W6: Introduction to XML for Data Practitioners

David Plotkin
Data Administration Manager
Longs Drug Stores, Inc.

Data practitioners have known for the past couple of years that XML was a technology that they "must know". Yet much of the education available to them has been too oriented to the needs of programmers and application developers only, rather than "data people." At last we've solved that problem by asking David Plotkin, a fellow data practitioner, to teach this workshop.

This half-day program provides a comprehensive introduction to XML as it relates to various data management functions and responsibilities. It provides an understanding of the importance of XML to meta data management. It will introduce you to the essential aspects of XML-based systems, including DTDs, XML Schema and namespaces. The tutorial will introduce you to the building blocks of XML structures, and also show how to construct DTDs and XML Schemas from reusable components. The "data" applications for XML are highly significant and varied, including Corporate Portals, Data Warehouses and Data Marts, Meta Data Management, Business Rules and Data Integration. However, the hype and confusion around XML can also lead to data management chaos. Come to this tutorial to get the "real" story.

David Plotkin is the Manager of Data Administration for Longs Drug Stores, a major drug store chain with more than 450 stores in 6 western states. He has been implementing both procedural and object-oriented systems for over 15 years, and built Metadata management environments in three companies, including the implementation of several corporate repositories. He was recently involved in the complete recreation of Longs pharmacy system using object-oriented technology, including CASE tools, code generation and database generation from models, synchronizing the effort with a third-party software package, and implementing the Metadata management initiative. The effort includes a business rules-driven approach, with the capture of business rules, as well as the automated implementation of parameter-driven business rules. He is currently working on Longs' E-CRM initiative, which includes an operational data store, electronic bus, XML messaging and data cleansing. He is also spearheading the effort to integrate disparate data marts into a data warehouse.

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W7: Practical Techniques in Assessing Data Behavior, Meaning, and Quality

Michael Scofield
Principal
Scofield Data Consulting

This workshop offers practical insight and solutions to enable you to assess the quality of the data in your legacy and new databases. It will show you how to use the tools you have in-house -- right now -- to accomplish this task.

Michael Scofield is an internationally-recognized speaker, author, and consultant in data architecture and data warehousing. Most recently he held the post of Director of Data Quality for Experian in Orange, California. Prior to that position, he was Vice President and Manager of Information Quality for Home Savings of America (Los Angeles). His articles on data architecture and data quality techniques have been published in Information Week, IBI System Journal, Data Management Review, and the Database Newsletter. His speaking engagements include DAMA-International conferences, Meta-data Conferences in London and the U.S., various DAMA chapters, DB2 user groups, and various CASE user group conferences. He also writes humor, published in the Los Angeles Times and other journals.

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W8: The Dangerous Illusion: Normalization, Performance, Integrity and the Logical-Physical Confusion

Fabian Pascal
Independent Analyst, Editor and Publisher
Database Debunkings

One of the most egregiously abused aspects of data modeling and database design is normalization. Despite the fact that they were repeatedly debunked, arguments against normalization and for denormalization continue to sway practitioners, be they experienced or novices. This costs dearly and reveals the poor understanding of sound design principles by even those who profess to be experts. It is both a major reason for and a consequence of SQL deficiencies and technology regressions such as ODBMS and OLAP, that have come to haunt data management.

Even if current data management systems performed better with denormalized databases, denormalization would still be unjustified, because performance gains, if any, can be had only at the expense of integrity. If the integrity consequences of denormalization are taken into account, thy will cancel out performance gains, if any.

This workshop demonstrates why the notion of "denormalization for performance" is a misconception due to the logical-physical confusion prevalent in the industry, and exposes its costly dangers, of which most practitioners are blissfully unaware.

Attendees will learn:

Fabian Pascal has a national and international reputation as an independent technology analyst, consultant, author and lecturer specializing in data management. He was affiliated with Codd & Date and for more than 15 years held various analytical and management positions in the private and public sectors, has taught and lectured at the business and academic levels, and advised vendor and user organizations on data management technology, strategy and implementation. Clients include IBM, Census Bureau, CIA, Apple, Borland, Cognos, UCSF, IRS. He is founder, editor and publisher of DATABASE DEBUNKINGS (dbdebunk.com), a web site dedicated to dispelling persistent fundamental fallacies and flaws prevalent in the information management industry, where C.J. Date is a senior contributor. Author of three books, he has published extensively in most trade publications, including DM Review, Database Programming and Design, DBMS, Byte, Infoworld and Computerworld, and is contrarian columnist for the Journal of Conceptual Modeling, The Data Administration Newsletter (TDAN) and DBAzine.com. His third book, Practical Issues in Database Management

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