Defining the initial model

Introduction

Before starting work on defining the initial model, each user participating in the teamwork project must have a database (locally on his machine, if possible), and a shared directory must already exist.  Access is possible via UNC paths (\\machine\, etc), except for Objecteering CM Synergy.

The multi-user directory is common to all users wishing to work on the same model.  If several models are shared independently, you should:

· create different multi-user directories

· allocate the correct value at MDAC configuration level for the Objecteering projects concerned

The name of the multi-user directory directly corresponds to the physical location of the directories created for the storage of models.

Users who wish to be able to modify the model must be able to access these directories in read-write mode.

The project start-up phase is important.  The initial structure of the model is used to:

1. Define the system's principal packages and the dependencies between these packages

2. Organize the work to be carried out by the first people to work on the project.

During this phase, changes made to the structure of the model can be important and non-optimal if special care is not taken.  We recommend that you:

· Define the principal packages collectively, in order to create an initial model which corresponds to a perception common amongst the different players.  Typically, it is possible to start with "blackboard" definition meetings, whose aim is to identify the system's principal packages, the choice of UML models and the functional division of the application in terms of packages and actors.

· Build an initial work plan with the affectation of packages to different players.

· Define consolidation meetings, whose purpose is to collectively review the structure of the model, where necessary.

At Objecteering level, this principle is represented by:

· the constitution by the repository administrator of the initial model from a first Objecteering modeling project

· the creation and configuration of the repository by the repository administrator, followed by the initial check-in of the model (this is automatically carried out when the Objecteering Multi-user or Objecteering Dimensions MDACs have been deployed)

· the creation of a database for each user

· the reservation (check-out) and delivery (check-in) of each developer's work

· the taking into account of other users' work (Import...)

If the structure is questioned, we recommend that you:

· Integrate into a UML modeling project all the latest modifications (Import...)

· Reserve impacted elements (possibly the entire project) through a check-out

· realize and deliver structural modifications (check-in)

· synchronize all users from the new structure through an "Import complete element from repository" on the entire project

Creating a project type

To reduce the administration work previously described, we recommend that you prepare a project type, which will be used in the creation of different users' private work spaces.  This database should be initialized according to the sequence described above, except for the activation of the Objecteering Multi-user MDAC.

Private work spaces can then be created by copying this project type.  Only the activation of the Objecteering Multi-user MDAC is necessary for each individual private work space.