EA in Team environment

[orcus]

Hi-

In a large team environment, I am wondering how teams using EA are handling concurrent changes.

I am using the security, locking and package control in EA with my team (about 10 members to grow to a 25 member team) with most of them using EA in various phases of the project.

My questions is - Is there any way to improve "Reload current Model"?

Here is a typical scenario:
If user A locked an existing package and  changed an element (e.g. added a new method to the Employee class), and user B is exploring the same package (in a readonly view) and wants to print the diagram with the employee class out, he will probably print the older version unless he reloads the model. I think this method is very error-prone.

Can a new feature be  added to prompt the user with a message if he is trying to enter a package that has been modified by another user?

I'd like to know how other EA teams are handling this.

Thanks in advance for your time...


regards,
orcus

[Ilja Kraval]

Hi orcus,

I think the solution of your problem is in combination of using these methods:

1.      Every part of model is implemented as XML file of Controlled Package. Don’t make circular reference in DEPENDENCY between  Control Packages. Models are assembled from these  Packages.

2.      Every XML file is loaded into system for version control (VSS or CVS). The situation is the same as in component version configuration or code version configuration.

3.      EA is now only “viewing tool” of models from VSS or CVS like Visual Studio. Get them from VSS or CVS, check in check out… Configuration is inside VSS or CVS. files EAP are only auxiliary, the main files are XML files from ctrl packages.

4.      Reloading from CVS or VSS is the same as with code or components. “Labeling” or “Get last version” is possible. This is answer to your question.

5.      Every check out, check in, or get, every work with ctrl packages make in EA with BATCH EXPORT and BATCH IMPORT, in other case you can have inconsistency in nested packages. (at one time everything must be loaded or everything must be exported).