Getting Started with Enterprise Architect Gerald R. Gray, PhD Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
Dec 23, 2015
Getting Started with Enterprise Architect
Gerald R. Gray, PhDElectric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
Disclaimer• Not a celebrity spokes model• Not a SparxSystems representative
Agenda• EA Strengths/Weaknesses• Pre-requisites• Access• Setup & Configuration• Creating common OpenSG diagrams• Model Baselines
EA Uses and Benefits• Supports IT system, software, and business processes
• Model, design, build, and test software
• Uses standard Unified Modeling Language (UML)
• Central repository for process and IT system information
• Interfaces with version control e.g. Subversion
• Fast, built-in or custom document generation & HTML
EA Weaknesses• May be a poor choice for complex system diagrams – Visio is “prettier”– PowerPoint also an option
• Complex User Interface– Extensive feature set may lead to confusion– Time saving “tricks” difficult to learn
• Diagrams not useful if team doesn’t see value– UML/BPM may be used currently at their site– Some users intimidated by tool
Pre-requisites• Sparx Enterprise Architect– http://www.sparxsystems.com.au/– $135 - $699 depending on version
• Subversion– Command-line client (required)• http://www.open.collab.net/downloads/subversion/
– TortoiseSVN (optional)• http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads
Repository Access• UCAIUG Microsoft SharePoint credentials • Added to the Source Code Access group in the
UCAIUG SharePoint user management (Tony Adams, Kay Clinard)
• Coordinate with the appropriate team, ie., OpenADE, OpenADR, OpenAMIENT
• Subversion can be used locally
Installation• Install – Enterprise Architect (v7.5 or greater) – Subversion command-line client• http://www.collab.net/downloads/subversion/
– TortoiseSVN (Windows)• http://tortoisesvn.net/downloads
Working Directory Creation• C:\OpenSG\Test\Working
– In Windows Explorer, right-click on folder
• Using TortoiseSVN repo browse to:– http://svn.ucaiug.org/svn/cimugrepo
• Enter credentials if prompted• Right-click on folder in left-hand
panel• Select Export… to directory created
above
EA Configuration• Start Enterprise Architect• Open the project• From main menu select– Project Version Control Version Control
Settings…
EA Configuration– Create a unique name– Select type: Subversion– Point to working directory– Subversion exe path should pre-
populate– Click Save
EA Configuration• Right-click on Package• Select Package Control• Select Add Branch to
Version Control…• The key icon is added to
each package under version control
Common OpenSG Diagrams• Use Case• Business Process (Activity)– Integration Requirements
• Sequence Diagram
Adding a Use Case• Project Browser– New Package – grouping of diagrams– Add new diagram: Use Case– In the workspace add • Actors, cases, associations
– Save changes, check-in package
Adding a Business Process• Project Browser– Add new diagram: Activity– Open workspace, right-click for Swimlanes and
Matrix…– Add swimlanes– Add Activity and flows
Integrations Requirements• Addition to the Activity diagram– Typically a hand-off from the business user to the
architect/software– Object flow between two activities, spanning actors
(swimlanes), between two systems– Add requirement – Right-click properties
• Type dropdown: Add Integration
– Change node to identify service name
Adding Sequence Diagram• Project Browser– Add diagram: sequence– Open workspace– Add Actors– Add flows (asynchronous)– Add returns (“Is Return” checkbox)
Manage Baselines• Internal “version control”– Can be used in conjunction with DBMS– Corporate version required*
• Baseline can be added to each package• Complements import/export of XMI– Import XMI replaces everything in a target package– Can be compared to XMI to replace only desired changes
Reference• EA Free Trial– http://www.sparxsystems.com/products/ea/trial.html
• Subversion Documentation– http://svnbook.red-bean.com/en/1.5/index.html
• EA Tutorials and Online Help– http://www.sparxsystems.com/resources/index.html
• Test Repository– http://svn.ucaiug.org/svn/TestRepos/
ContactGerald R. Gray, PhDElectric Power Research Institute (EPRI)[email protected]