Any limitations on the number of connectors?

[cube1us]

We are using Sparx EA to model elements of our enterprise architecture.   As we begin, we are natrually noticing that there are certain common elements (a particular table, say, or a database instance) that are common to many many systems -- and thus could potentially end up with dozens, or possibly even hundreds, of connectors referring to them.  

Aside from database performance (which might be no small thing) is there any practical limitation on the number of connectors referring to a particular element?

[«Midnight»]

No.

Remember that in many cases you are looking at a 'representation' of a connector on a diagram. Though this connector might appear in many diagrams, each of these is simply a reference to a single instance of the connector in the model itself.

[cube1us]

Thanks.  Yes, I understanad about connectors on diagrams as opposed to unique connectors in the model.  However, when one has hundreds of systems, one can generate a large number of unique connectors to common elements, especially in deployment diagrams in the model -- hence the question.

Thanks again.

[«Midnight»]

You are quite correct, of course.

As systems grow in complexity, so too do their models. Even though UML is designed to help manage the 'complexity' by standardizing (and sometimes minimizing) presentation of details, models must naturally reflect the degree of complexity of a system from the point of number of elements and relationships.

The above said, EA can easily handle systems with many thousand elements and connectors.

EA also helps you partition the system into management chunks, via diagrams and other facilities, as any good UML tool should do.

So keep modeling, pay attention to what you include in any given portion of your model (by managing the number of elements or degree of abstraction), You should find that EA helps you throughout the process. The overall size of your model should not be a major concern. [Unless it is simply enormous, but in the case of EA that is a long way out.]