Import of (updated) BPMN 2 models

[Pawel Zubkiewicz]

Hello,

I wonder if it is possible to import BPMN 2 model (exported from Aris) multiple times in a way that EA would recognize what was already imported and just update existing elements and not create new ones. Do you know if that's possible?

Detailed description:
- There is a Unit in my company dedicated to do "Business Process Modeling" they use Aris to model in BPMN 2
- There is "my" unit which does Systems Analysis and design in EA

We want to import from Aris some of the models into EA every time they are changed in Aris.
So what I do:
1. Import into EA Aris model for a first time. Let's call it Version 1 - this works great.
2. There are changes in Aris model, so new export file is generated (in BPMN 2 XML format). Let's call it Version 2
3. I import the Version 2 into EA.
4. EA creates new package for Version 2 in EA repo. It does not recognize that most of the elements already exists since they were created during import of Version 1.

Is it possible to make EA update "Version 1" elements during import of "Version 2"?


PS. When I use import BPMN 2, on a dialog window there is option "Strip GUIDs" which is selected and read only by default. Why? I feel this could be a reason that EA is creating new elements every time.

[Geert Bellekens]

Pawel,

I think updates can only be done with XMI import, and probably only if the guid of the element in stored in the xmi file as well.

I don't think there's a "quick" solution for this problem. So if you really need this I think you can

- Convince the business modelling unit to use EA instead of Aris (or convince their bosses boss by showing the license price difference between Aris and EA )
- Write your own integration/compare/merge engine

The latter would be an interesting but difficult challenge.

Geert

[qwerty]

Actually I did the latter in the past. It was not too difficult, though.

q.

[Pawel Zubkiewicz]

@Geert
Belief me I'm well aware of the price tag on Aris, EA and IBM Rational suite for that matter. However I'm also convinced that changing people's minds is much harder than changing software.

@Geert @qwerty
As much as I feel writing custom import engine would be fun exercise I want to avoid this because than again I'd have to convince people that this is worth it. After all this would take time, for which someone have to pay.

Anyway thanks for help.