Concepts › CA IDMS Extractor Implementation

CA IDMS Extractor Implementation

CA IDMS Extractor allows you to create a test database that contains a meaningful sampling of data. Use this extracted data to test the known data interactions encountered by a unit of work in day-to-day processing.

To extract a test database, you must segregate data and all the programs that impact or are impacted by that same data. To do this:

1. Prepare an information model from business methods so that you can identify and group data according to business procedures. If test database implementation is considered in the design phase, this information model could evolve as a result of data flow diagrams.
2. Segregate all the dialogs that access (update or retrieve) a given set of record types:
   1. Select a major dialog and identify all the record types that it uses.
   2. Find all the dialogs that use the same record types used by the dialog in the previous step.
3. Create a subschema with the records and sets identified through the segregation process detailed above.

   If your existing database is already grouped into functional areas, an existing subschema can be used with CA IDMS Extractor. If no existing subschema is appropriate, create a new one.

4. Use the identified set of dialogs to begin testing.

This implementation method creates multiple test databases. Using this method actually simplifies the testing process and helps to isolate problems encountered.