Design the physical model

The physical data model in KAIZEN represents how data is actually stored in the database. It is the technical layer of the domain model, defining the tables, columns, data types, and constraints that make up the database schema. Using the Database Designer, you can build and manage this model visually without writing SQL manually.

Key concepts

A physical model in KAIZEN is composed of the following building blocks:

Concept	Description
Table	A structured set of rows and columns that stores a specific type of data (e.g., customers, orders).
Column	A field within a table that holds a single attribute, defined by a name, data type, and optional constraints.
Data type	The storage format assigned to a column (e.g., VARCHAR, INTEGER, TIMESTAMP). Data types are database-specific and the designer adapts its options based on the connected database.
Constraint	A rule enforced on a column or table to maintain data integrity, such as NOT NULL, UNIQUE, or default values.
Primary key	One or more columns that uniquely identify each row in a table. Composite primary keys are supported.
Foreign key	A column that references the primary key of another table, establishing a relationship between the two tables. Supports configurable ON DELETE and ON UPDATE actions (e.g., CASCADE, SET NULL).
Index	A performance optimisation structure created on one or more columns to speed up queries. Supports multiple index types depending on the database (e.g., BTREE, HASH, FULLTEXT).

Supported databases

The Database Designer supports the following relational databases:

• SQL Server
• PostgreSQL
• MySQL
• MariaDB
• Oracle

The designer automatically adapts column types, charsets, collations, index options, and constraint behaviors based on the connected database platform.

What you can do

Through the Database Designer, you can perform the following tasks to build your physical model:

• Define tables and columns — Create tables with fully configured columns, including data types, sizes, default values, nullability, auto-increment, charset, and collation. Refer to Create a new table.
• Manage keys and indexes — Add primary keys, foreign keys with referential actions, and indexes with ordering and type options.
• Preview DDL before execution — Review the generated CREATE TABLE or ALTER TABLE statements before applying changes.

For navigating the tool's workspace, browsing database objects, and using the query console, refer to Database Designer overview.

Generated outputs

When you design a physical model, KAIZEN can automatically generate the following artifacts from your schema:

• Data Access Objects (DAOs) — Java classes that handle all database interactions (Create, Read, Update, Delete), eliminating the need for boilerplate code. Refer to Generate backend code.
• ER Diagrams — Visual entity-relationship diagrams showing tables and their foreign key relationships. Diagrams can be exported as SVG images.
• Data dictionaries — Comprehensive documentation of your schema exported as Excel or PDF, covering tables, columns, constraints, views, triggers, and stored procedures.

Last updated on 20 May 2026