Offline work with DBMS shared projects

[Guillaume]

Hi,

We run a central EA project on a MySQL with the Security enabled.
As I had to work offline whilst travelling and during an offsite workshop on the EA project, I took an offline copy (DBMS to EAP Project transfert) after creating a user lock on my packages/models.

I'm planning to merge my changes by using the Baseline comparison feature between my EAP and the DBMS EA project. I will run backups before doing this (DB + new transfert to EAP), but prior to discover any potential issues, would anyone see any reason from preventing applying this method?

Note that I've modified not only elements within the same package, but also relationships e.g. between requirements & use cases that are located in separated yet locked packages.

Thanks,
Guillaume

[Geert Bellekens]

Guillaume,

I would never work like that.
If you really need such way of working I would recommend to use version control.
I'm afraid the baseline comparison will give you such a information overload that you won't know what to do with it.

Geert

[Guillaume]

Hi Geert,

As I'm the only one who seldomly needs to take some of the models offline, I'm trying to avoid version control.
From your warnings, should I understand that VC Check out/in features are unique so I cannot get the same results by running a selection of EA features on the offline version (EAP or XMI file)?

Would the use of  a Design Master + replicas be more appropriate?

thanks

[Geert Bellekens]

VC check-in/checkout makes sure you don't mess up things by exclusive locking.
EA security locking is less tight.

Master/Replica is a technology I wouldn't touch with a pitchfork from 5 meters distance.

Geert

[qwerty]

You don't need version control. Just lock the package, export to XMI and work offline with that. Then re-import the package. Be sure, the lock is held all time you are working offline!

q.

[Geert Bellekens]

You don't need version control. Just lock the package, export to XMI and work offline with that. Then re-import the package. Be sure, the lock is held all time you are working offline!

q.

Theoretically that would indeed be the same, but I've seen small differences between security locks and VC locks.
Sometimes you are still able to add relations to security locked elements where VC locked elements wouldn't allow that.

Geert

[Guillaume]

I carried some tests so I could apply the updates from my offline copy.
It's taken a while to run but the result has been successful (comparison between offline EA project and shared DB = identical on the updated package tree).

I shared the process I defined here: http://goo.gl/T5En2p

Please let me know if you have any comment.