Deriving a logical data model for a system using the RECAST method

The Reverse Engineering into CASE Technology method (RECAST) takes the source code for an existing COBOL system and derives a no-loss representation of the system documented in the format of Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method (SSADM) documentation. One key element of the method is the abstraction of the system data and its representation as a logical data model. The RECAST method considers how to derive the entities (with their relationships and attributes) both for systems accessing file-based data and for those accessing data from IDMSX databases. The functional specification of the system is derived primarily by considering the processing that affects these entities. This paper describes how the abstraction of the data design is achieved and discusses the results of using RECAST to derive the data models of two operational systems that have been used as case studies for the research project