Messages

1

Suggestions and Requests / Re: Same Element Multiple Times on Same Diagram

« on: August 28, 2009, 11:44:08 pm »

What would an "official request" look like?

2

Suggestions and Requests / Same Element Multiple Times on Same Diagram

« on: August 28, 2009, 10:53:12 pm »

There are many situations where it is necessary (especially as a best practice in modeling BPMN, which is allegedly supported by EA) to show the same element on the same diagram multiple times. (See BPMN 1.1 Section 9.4.2.3.) As an example, when two organizations (each represented in its own pool or swimlane on the same diagram) perform the same Activity.

I understand that the one-element/diagram limitation may be an EA architectural constraint that may be a major undertaking to change. I wonder if a simpler approach might be to support the creation of ghost or clone elements (or use another descriptive name) whereby a new/unique element is created that is somehow linked with the original element (such that it is possible to quickly get to the original element to make global changes and it is also easy to see all of the instances where an element's clone is used across diagrams).

Personally, I feel deceived when I spend months (hundreds of hours) using and becoming invested in a product and then discover a fundamental flaw in a allegedly supported specification.  9.4.2 of BPMN 1.1 specifically addresses reusable Sub-Processes.  (I realize that BPMN's Reusable Sub-Process specification might be supported by EA in ways that I have not yet figured out and welcome feedback from anyone with a solution/insights.)

Craig

3

General Board / Re: Do I need to select "Unique" box for a table's Primary Key?

« on: April 24, 2008, 04:13:39 am »

You're right.  It doesn't make sense.  The PK should be unique, but in my models, the unique key does NOT get grey-checked, although the null box does.  If I check the Unique box, I get a UQ index in addition to the PK index.

If I create a new project, it works as expected.

Maybe there's something corrupt or a setting that needs to be set/unset, but I don't know which.  

Anybody else know?

4

General Board / Do I need to select "Unique" box for a table's Primary Key?

« on: April 24, 2008, 02:02:55 am »

What is the purpose of being able to check the "Unique" box when setting a column as a table's Primary Key?  Will the Primary Ken not be unique unless the box is checked???

Craig

5

General Board / Quick conversion from ERD to DMDs

« on: April 10, 2008, 07:39:45 am »

For a data modeling effort, I've started with Class Diagrams with Entity stereotypes to create ERD diagrams.  Now I want to develop the DM schema, which I understand would be within Data Modeling Diagrams with Table stereotypes.  

So, what's the easiest (and appropriate) way to go from the Class ERD diagrams to DMDs?  Do I need to create new class tables from scratch or is there an easy way to make use of the Entity stereotypes in the ERDs?  For example, is there a way to copy the Entity Class stereotypes over to Table Class stereotypes?  Are there issues in simply converting the existing stereotypes from Entity to Tables?  (My preference would be to maintain the Entity stereotypes in the ERDs and also quickly create the Tables.)

Suggestions?

Craig

6

General Board / EA Consultant/Coach with Data Model "Patterns" Exp

« on: March 01, 2008, 08:46:37 pm »

I'm struggling with getting from logical/essential data models to physical database implementation.  Part of the struggle is my lack of experience with both designing DM “patterns” and implementing physical databases.  (My primary exposure to DM patterns is David Hay's book on the topic.)

I would like to hire an EA coach with DM pattern experience.

Any interested parties can e-mail [email protected].

7

General Board / Re: Start Page

« on: March 02, 2008, 07:03:10 pm »

Thanks.  The "Diagram / Set As Default Model" did the trick.

8

General Board / Start Page

« on: March 01, 2008, 08:32:05 am »

How do I set the start page (diagram) that displays when I open my project?

9

General Board / Any good IT consulting firms using EA?

« on: October 09, 2006, 08:27:00 am »

We have been using EA for a few months for analysis and design and will be outsourcing the technical design and development.  One of our objectives is for our EA models to be our system bible into the future.

Has anyone had success with maintaining the models well into production without the developers using EA?  If so, can you share your experience and lessons learned?

Assuming that development via EA is going to help us achive our objective (of keeping our models alive), can anyone recommend IT consulting firms (preferably in the east cost; New Jerseyish would be ideal) that have demonstrated experience with EA?  If this goes beyong the scope of this forum, please e-mail me at [email protected].

10

General Board / Move requirement External.  How to reverse tr

« on: September 10, 2006, 08:40:12 am »

The elements requirements tab allows one to move an internal requirement external.  Then the link is maintained in that one can later click on the requirement from within the original element and be able to edit the external requirement.  Great functionality to be able to trace it from the creating element, but I want to go the other way.  

When looking at my list of requirements, is there an easy way to determine which requirements were created from internal requirements of various elements and which element originally created those requirements?

11

General Board / Re: Phantom Foreign Keys (Cannot Delete)

« on: August 28, 2006, 05:49:27 am »

Thanks, but I'm not doing anything with transform code (to my knowledge).  

My DLL ported out to SQL Server okay.  I just hope that I don't have a referential integrity issue that's going to haunt me in the future (either in the implementation or even while modeling within EA).

12

General Board / Phantom Foreign Keys (Cannot Delete)

« on: August 27, 2006, 05:38:53 pm »

I have a couple of data model tables and created an association between, which generated a foreign key in the format FK_SourceTableName_TargetTableName.  Usually, if I delete the association, the foreign key is dropped as well; however, every once in a while it does not drop and if I try to  recreate the association, it says a FK with this name already exists.  (I could just give it another name, but I don't know why the original FK remains.)

I know I can delete the FK from the Operations dialog but it warns me that continueing could cause inconsistencies (and recommends that I use the FK dialog).

Why does the phantom FK remain and how do I determine whether there will be any issues if I forcably delete it from the Operations dialog?

13

General Board / What's the value of MDG for DM?

« on: August 28, 2006, 06:44:33 am »

I'm doing a significant amount of data modeling using EA.  The end result will go to a developer that uses Visual Studio 2005.  Are there significant advantages for me using MDG for only Data Modeling?  If so, what are the selling ponits?

BTW, I viewed the demo, but I can't tell if there will be a payoff if I'm only using EA for DM on this project.

14

General Board / Comosite Element - Helpful Hints?

« on: April 05, 2006, 04:08:01 am »

Composite elements allow a parent-child relationhsip to be formed between an element and a diagram when that diagram is a sub to the element in the project window.  Is there an effective way to create a parent-child to a diagram that is located somewhere else in the project window?

I seems that I can relocated the child diagram, and the link is maintained.  Is that asking for trouble (i.e., at risk for the link being broken by EA at some point) if I move the child diagram?

Any other tricks for linking/nesting diagrams other than using EA's hyperlink?

15

General Board / Re: How to Add Initial State in Activity Diag?

« on: May 09, 2006, 05:41:56 am »

Thanks. Initial/Final were not displayed.  I didn't realize that having the toolbox set to Business Analyst reduced the available elements.