Sharing Enterprise Model to a Project Model

[pauljak]

I’m wondering how EA supports the following scenario (I’ve tried searching the forums, but no luck on this scenario - perhaps I'm using the wrong terms):

In Model A I’ve got a package with elements in it, let’s say components like Microsoft Server 2003 and Microsoft SQL Server.  In Model A these components are associated with different things in other packages within Model A.

In Model B I want to use these components and associate them with things specific to Model B, but I don’t want to create new elements since I’ve already got those elements modeled.

Model A and B are currently separate EAP files.  I’ve tried exporting the Package from Model A and importing it into Model B.  After the initial import, the links for the elements show the Model A associations.  However after adding new associations in Model B, those Model A associations disappear.  Additionally, when I then export from Model B and go to import into Model A, the original associations are gone and only the Model B associations are present.  Also, existing diagrams have the Model A specific associations disappear because the import from Model B did not contain them.

Does this particular setup seem reasonable?  We’ve got a repository of things that we’ve already modeled (Enterprise view) and we want to allow others to use them in their models (project view), but we want to control their ability to update the repository.  Can we do this with separate EAP files or do we have to setup a SQL Server repository?  How would we secure that setup and still allow people to use repository elements when they wouldn’t have update authority on the repository.

I know this sounds and awful lot like the “merge” functionality that people have been talking about and if it is the same, is that on the horizon?

[thomaskilian]

Maybe controlled packages can be the answer. There are some threads dealing with similar requests. Also the help about controlled packages is fine.

[pauljak]

I've looked at the controlled packages and it seems to work.

Here is the scenario that I followed and a question around "security":

Place packages in the Enterprise area under control.

When extending an Enterprise package, you must add the package from the enterprise repository.

You must add the Enterprise configuration management to the project model.

Do not allow users to check out these areas under their project.  (This is my question now)

Users can use the elements from the Enterprise packages in other areas of their model, but they can not modify the Enterprise elements without checking out the Enterprise package.

When the project package is brought into the Enterprise, then links are established to the Enterprise components.

How can I prevent the users from being able to check out the Enterprise packages?

[pauljak]

In our scenario, I think we've solved the ability to lock the enterprise repository.

What we did was create two seperate subversion repositories, one for the Enterprise and a second one for the projects.  Since each of them is in a seperate folder on the file system, we can set read-only access at the file system level for the Enterprise folder.  This allows EA to do things like get latest, but not establish a check out.

Thanks,
Paul