How to save a Database Model to an EAP file

[Andries Burger]

How do I save the database model from our database to a EAP file and then once the BA's completed there changes in the file, merge this file back into the database model?

I personally do not know EA at all, I'm a DBA and got this hot potato dumped in my lap.

Any help will be appreciated.

[Geert Bellekens]

What exactly do you mean by "database model from our database"
Do you mean by that the EA model stored on a database?
In that case you can use EA (Tool/Data Management/Project Transfer) to move the contents to an EAP file.
Merging them back in could prove to be a bit more difficult, but hopefully Tools/Data Management/Project Compare helps

Geert

[Andries Burger]

Hi Geert

Thanks for the prompt reply. Yes the EA Model is stored in a database. Now the BA's want to export the full thing to their desktops/laptops and work on it then later merge it back into the database model that everyone can use.

I've been trying to do the DBMS to EAP option but the file to which it is exporting seems to be of a specific type... I get an 'Unrecognised database format' on the Target Project File.  :-/

[Geert Bellekens]

Did you create an "empty" EAP file through EA first?
If that is the case the only thing that I can think of that could go wrong is something with the Jet 4.0 setting. (Tools/Options). Try playing with that to see if that helps.

A much better alternative would be to use version control. This would allow your BA's to check out only the part of the mode they are interested in, and check back in later.
This is exactly the kind of thing version control is designed to handle.
There should be a whitepaper on using version control with EA somewhere on the website.

Geert

[Andries Burger]

Geert

I re-created a blank EAP file, selecting everything to go into the model, and then transfered the model from the datbase to the EAP file.

I'll give this to the BA to check and see if I was successful.

Thanks for the help.

[Luis J. Lobo]

How do you plan to merge all the local EAPs back to the database? Ensure you know what you're doing... this operation should not be trivial.

[Andries Burger]

Louis

That is something that will need to be handled from the BA side since they know their model intimately. At this stage in the project it would be very hard to get them to adapt to a version control system that would make the merge of the changes easier. Still, even with the version control it won't be trivial. Been in the IT business to long to underestimate these complexities.

Have you got any suggestions as to how a DBA can assist them in this process? Are there any white papers or tech notes on this process?

[Luis J. Lobo]

If BAs will work all in the same EAP file, there is no problem. When they finish their work, you make a "Project transfer" from EAP to DBMS and done.

The problem appears if they are working in several "branches" and individual merges are required. Then, the only way will be export each local model to a XML file and compare 1 by 1 all the branches, doing manual merges.

[Andries Burger]

I think my problem is going to be the second one...  

I have multiple streams working on the project model so once the BA who has the model now, tells the others that there is this ability they are all going to want it and then i'm going to have to merge it manually.

If it's via XML comparisons, I supose you could write a program to do this, but determining the comparison rules are going to be mission on it's own... probably going to be more effort than the returns would be.

Will wait and see what time brings.

Thanks for the feedback.

-Andries

[Dermot]

The baseline Difference and Merge does support merging differences from baselines (XMI) in other repositories - see: "Load other Baselines".