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 (from common tools)• Right-click properties• Type dropdown: Add integration

– Change node to identify service

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)ggray@epri.com