Sparx Systems Forum

Enterprise Architect => General Board => Topic started by: dge98753 on December 23, 2023, 04:04:24 am

Title: How to find and display relations of a sub-component at an upper level ?
Post by: dge98753 on December 23, 2023, 04:04:24 am

Hello,
I am a relative beginner in EA modeling.
I come from IcePanel online C4 modeling tools, and I would like to "migrate" to a more powerful tool like EA.
So I actually tried EA, and I did not find how to do something very common in IcePanel:
My question is: How to display in a "Application level" diagram relations that have been defined at the "component level" ?

More precisely, here is my model:
- An application, A1, is composed of a component, C1
- Another application, A2, is composed of another component, C2

Here is how it looks like in IcePanel "Project Browser":
(https://iili.io/JAiZdw7.png)

C1 and C2 are linked by a communication relationship. In my case, Cx components are Nuget packages, and they communicate together using a REST API.

In IcePanel I am used to creat that relationship from C1 -> C2 in a component level diagram.

Here is how it looks like in IcePanel "Component level" diagram:
(https://iili.io/JAiZZOB.png)

When I model at application level diagram, If I create a link from A1 -> A2.
It ask me If I want to reuse the underlying existing relationship between the applications.
(https://iili.io/JAitS7R.png)
Then:
(https://iili.io/JAiZRMg.png)

It is an extremely powerful operation, and I have not yet found out how to mimic it with EA.
I am sure it could be possible, but I do not know how.

Here is what I have tested. Here is a simple Project Browser
(https://iili.io/JAsK9ja.png)

Here is the class diagram with the composition
(https://iili.io/JAsKxZG.png)

Here is the communication diagram at component object level :
(https://iili.io/JAsqAk7.png)

And after that nothing change at upper object level :A1 and :A2.
Neither in the Quick Link tool
(https://iili.io/JAsBGMG.png)
Nor in the relationship tab of the element:
(https://iili.io/JAsCmXe.png)

Could someone have any tips for me ?

Thanks for your help,
Damien

Title: Re: How to find and display relations of a sub-component at an upper level ?
Post by: qwerty on December 23, 2023, 08:32:12 am

It probably needs more thoughts, but maybe you try Portals/WindowsTrace/Traceability

q.

Title: Re: How to find and display relations of a sub-component at an upper level ?
Post by: dge98753 on December 23, 2023, 09:25:06 am

You are right, I can manually search the relationship with the trace tool, but it is practically unusable on a real model with hundreds of relationships.
For me, one of the basic functions of the modeling tool is to help me find such a "hidden" relationship and show it in the appropriate diagram.

I discover a very surprising things.
(https://iili.io/JAQc7HP.png)
EA does not know that A1 communicates with C2 through its internal component C1.
Ok that's the main issue.

But :
1 - If I add a Port to A1
2 - Select A1
3 - In the relationship area, left-click "Expand to Children"
4 - The relation from Port to C2 appears, it raise me a hope. But not the relation from C1 to C2  :-[
(https://iili.io/JAQ77HX.png)

And unfortunately, in the application level diagram, even if I can see the port, it is not possible to show the "internal" relationship from C1 to C2 if those elements are not put on the diagram.
(https://iili.io/JAQYfql.png)