Question Re: Linked models (PowerDesigner) in Technology Q&A

Linked models (PowerDesigner)

former_member554397 — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 13:09:10 GMT

You link the BPM, PDM, RQM and EAM data models to each other through Extended attributes of the Object type ?

Re: Linked models (PowerDesigner)

Ondrej_Divis — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 14:43:08 GMT

Too general. Do you need to link the models themselves or some objects inside these models?

There are many types of standard connections you can use for objects (mappings, shortcuts, generation links, traceability links, requirement links,..).

Ify you need to connect just models, traceability link at the model level might be more simple than extended attribute. What is the purpose of this connection? What should it serve to?

Anyway, if the correct answer to your question is extended attribute, then Object type might be the right type. String might be another one which could be appropriate. It depends on what you need to do with that connection.

Regards,

Ondrej

Re: Linked models (PowerDesigner)

former_member554397 — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 19:17:00 GMT

I use extended attribute (Object type).

Purpose: monitoring end-to-end Impact & Lineage;
for example, from a business process:
to dependent physical tables of PDM (DWH),
to responsible persons,
to reports,
etc

Re: Linked models (PowerDesigner)

Ondrej_Divis — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 11:51:34 GMT

For impact analysis purposes is very important to be able to configure the parameters of your analysis (i.e. define your own rule-sets). Thanks to that you will see only such types of connections you want to see. And if there are too many rules (=rule sets are too wide), you will find out, that everything is connected to everything. The only way to prevent this everything-to-everything scenario, I`d recommend using more specific types of connections whenever it is possible.

For example:

source-target connections between tables in PDM: mappings
BPM to PDM: Related Diagrams connection might make sense in some cases
objects inside EAM: Role association might be appropriate candidate

Only in cases there is no other, more "native" connection available I`d think about extended attribute (Object). And I still think that using Traceability link might be more appropriate for Impact analysis purposes, because it doesn`t show you worthless Extended Composition nodes. See attached example. Process_2 uses extended attributes and Process_3 uses Traceability links. Which one is more simple and readable?

Ondrej

Re: Linked models (PowerDesigner)

former_member554397 — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 12:33:02 GMT

How to create Traceability Link from object of BPM model to the Table of PDM Model ?

Re: Linked models (PowerDesigner)

Ondrej_Divis — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 13:02:21 GMT

There is a Traceability links tab on almost every type of object in PD. This type of connection is oriented which means couple things:

When you connect Process to a Table using Tr.Link, you will see it in the table properties not on th Traceability links tab, but on the Dependencies tab.
Information about the connection is always stored in the model, where you created this link. (BPM in our example)
Information about the connection to process won`t be available on the PDM side if the BPM model is closed.

I`d recommend not to create many types of connections using just Tr.Links, because all such connections will be displayed in one node in Impact analysis (called Outgoing Traceability Links) and it is not possible to filter them automatically in any way (manual filtering is still available, but quite laborious and very ineffective).

Regards,

Ondrej

Re: Linked models (PowerDesigner)

former_member554397 — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 14:07:54 GMT

Many Thanks!