Concurrent Development

[lunmaw]

Hello,

I would like to hear from somebody about strategies on concurrent development in EA.

We have been using EA (for the first time) in a major project that will be deployed and delivered to maintenace. The project will continue after deployment in 2 concurrent tracks.

Are there any good strategies how to handle these 3 tracks, 2 project and 1 maintenance? Separate .eap 's and using import/export between them? separate models in one .eap file? or another better way?

Thanks in advance.

Mats

[hansh]

Dear Mats,

I am afraid i cannot give you the anwers you are looking for but we are faced with the same question. Do you know if it is possible to do concurrent engineering wit h EA and is your problem that you don't know how, or don't you know if i can be done. As we are going to work with multple person on our project we are interested to know if it is possible to perform concurrent engineering and if so, how it can be done. I hope someone can answe rthis question.

Yours sincerely,

Hans H

[Martin Terreni]

We work usaing database and version control.
We have a shared repository in DB and the packages are controlled in SVN, so only one user can checked them out at a time, but al can see the chages.
You can also work with a master EAP and then create replicas and merge the changes (I did it in some previeus project long ago...).

Hope it helps.

[Dermot]

One thing I suggest you look at is EA’s “Baseline Difference and Merge”. Where you have an “Original” model to be altered in Maintenance phase and "Branch" to be altered with new development details:
 
1).  From the Original: Create a new ‘Branch”  – but create the Branch as a Model – either .eap or DBMS using: Tools | Data Transfer .
2).  Model the new Branch (users add new data) & do maintenance updates/changes in the Original.
3). When a merge is required; do a difference and merge in the Original with the data from the new Branch model:
      Branch -> Create a Baseline
      Original -> Compare /Merge: Branch.Baseline
This requires using the Baseline [Load Other Baselines]
This can be used in conjunction with Version Control, but it does require a new version control repository to be created for the Branch
More details on some of the options Martin has pointed aout above are covered in the EA Deployment whitepaper.

[stfkbf]

I am facing a similar problem and have tried this (the steps suggested by Dermot) however i am unable to actually get the changes from the branch to the original (both by right clicking on elements and selecting "Add from Baseline" or by selecting the "Merge to Model" arrow). Is there something else that needs to be done for this to work?

[Matt Edwards]

Dermot, is step 3 something any user can perform quickly and easily as needed with a DBMS based model, at the package level? Or is this something that has to be done at the model level?

[Dermot]

It appears there was a problem with the "Load Other Baselines" where new Branch elements were not merged.  This has been corrected for the next available build.

In terms of Levels - this can be done on either package or Model level.

[Dorian Workman]

Related question please Dermot.

Is the Compare Utility able to look inside Linked Documents for changes?  If not, can it at least see if a different Linked Document exists on an element, or if a Linked Document was removed when one previously existed, or added when one previously did not?

Thanks.

[Dorian Workman]

I tested and answered my own questions:

1. Is the Compare Utility able to look inside Linked Documents for changes?  NO

2. If not, can it at least see if a different Linked Document exists on an element, or if a Linked Document was removed when one previously existed, or added when one previously did not?  NO

But a workaround is to attached the Linked Document to a Document element, which is in turn attached to your primary element (Use Case, Screen, etc). Then if you want to change the contents of the Linked Document, export the Linked Document, delete the Document element, create a new Document element and reattach it to your primary element, and then import the Linked Document back into this new Document element.  At least then the Compare Utility will recognize that there is a new Document element, and allow you to flip back and forth between the two.

[Dorian Workman]

This can be used in conjunction with Version Control, but it does require a new version control repository to be created for the Branch

We use ClearCase for version control. When you say 'a new version control repository' would this mean a new VOB in ClearCase, or just a new View?

Thanks.

[Dorian Workman]

Also Dermot - related to this topic, there is a bug with the Compare Utility where the Target element Name is not displayed on a Link:



I submitted a bug report back on January 8th for this, but it has still not been fixed.

Is this anyway you could fix this quickly like you did the issue with loading other baselines?  We cannot use this branching and merging approach until this is fixed - I'd be extremely grateful if you could.

Thanks.