Collaborative Modeling Best
Practices for Distributed Teams
Ben Constable
Chief Operations Officer
Sparx Systems
ISO/TC 211: 31st Plenary Meeting,
Canberra, 2010
www.sparxsystems.com
© Sparx Systems Pty Ltd 2010
Overview
Collaborative Modeling Concepts
Team Deployment
Version Control
Modeling Workflows for Distributed Teams
Managing Cross-Package Dependencies
Merging Changes from Incomplete Models
Applying Version Control
Future Work
Q&A
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Team based modeling – the challenges
Widely distributed teams
Shared development of standards
Big models and wide scope
Change control, merging work, revisions etc
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Sample Real-World Global Model Deployment
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Multi-site Models – How?
Ideal Scenario: Single, Shared (Master) Repository
Site 1
Site 3
Site 2
Site n
Assumes good connectivity between each site
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Multi-site Models – How?
Alternative Scenario: Local Replicas
Site 1
Site 3
Site 2
Site n
Allows broad replication even across slow links
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Version Control: What the user sees
Packages Checked-in
(Locked)
Packages Checked-out
(Editable)
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Version Control: Behind the scenes interfaces
Data Exchange Format: XMI (file based)
Subv ersion
Repositor y
Data Exchange Format: SQL
Subv ersion
Client
Enterprise Architect
TFS Repository
TFS Client
Model Repository
CV S Repository
SCC Repositor y
CV S Client
SCC Client
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Version Control: Multiple Users, Local Models
Versions in Enterprise Architect models
Package-Based Versions:
Packages serialized as XMI (XML Metadata Interchange) file
1 Package Version = 1 XMI file
Enterprise Architect allows version comparisons:
Compare utility operates on Baseline vs Current State
Current State: The ‘live’ Package in the model repository
Baseline (snapshot): XMI-based version of the same package
Baseline may take one of these physical forms:
‘Model Baseline’ (Snapshot stored in the model)
XMI exported file (Snapshot exists on disk)
Version controlled Package (Snapshot in VC Repository)
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Overview
Collaborative Modeling Concepts
Team Deployment
Version Control
Modeling Workflows for Distributed Teams
Managing Cross-Package Dependencies
Merging Changes from Incomplete Models
Applying Version Control
Future Work
Q&A
www.sparxsystems.com
Managing Cross-Package Dependencies
Examples of Cross-Package Dependencies:
UML Connector between Elements in different Packages (eg Inheritance)
Classifier referenced from an external package (eg. Attribute type)
Move Elements between packages
Model contains all related packages. Avoids info loss during XMI export/import
Managing Cross-Package Dependencies
Sharing Packages Across Multiple Projects:
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Model Merge
When it’s needed:
Concurrent work on a single package needs synchronization
Offline work needs to be ‘uploaded’
Selective roll-back of changes
Selective inclusion of changes (‘Phase based’ development)
Occurs at the package level
Between versions of a package
1-way merge of Model Baseline to live Package
Baseline may exist in another model, file (eg. version control)
Requires same starting Package
Think version, not ad-hoc model merge
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Managing Cross-Package Dependencies
Consider some possible synchronization scenarios:
Merging changes made in a complete model (only one external editor
supplies)
Merging changes made in an incomplete model (out of date with
respect to ‘Master’)
How Version Control could streamline the above processes in larger
scale
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Merging Changes from Complete Models
Example Workflow:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
‘Editor1’ is assigned to Package 1 (P1)
Editor1 adds a new element
No other updates occur to P1 by other editors
Changes to P1 submitted to Model Manager via Baseline
Model Manager reviews and merges into Model Master
Demonstration:
Baseline Merge Complete Changes
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Merging Changes from incomplete models
Example Scenario
1.
2.
3.
4.
Editor1 makes further updates
Meanwhile, Editor2 submits other changes to P1 for merge
Editor1 now submits changes to P1
Model Manager must preserve Editor2’s changes while
incorporating Editor1’s new updates (resolve conflicts)
Demonstration:
Selectively merge changes from Editor1’s Baseline
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Applying Version Control
Benefits
Allows all editors to work with complete models
Distribution of model information automated
Conflicts avoided by version control locks
Enables check-out of all cross-dependant packages
Demonstration:
Version Controlled Packages
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Future Work: Package Dependency Checks
Automated Dependency Checking:
Ensure classifiers available in model prior to check-in
Report on missing classifiers
Allow automatic “add from baseline”
Enterprise Architect 9
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Future Work: Model Registry
Facilitate systems-of-systems modeling
A central store for multiple information models
Cross-domain, reusable models published by SDO’s
Inter-model dependencies, automatically retrieved
Implementation: Solid Ground, hosted by CSIRO
More Info:
https://wiki.csiro.au/confluence/display/solidground/Model+Registry+Tools
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Best Practices Summary
Edit complete models, where possible
Use Baseline Merge to selectively include changes, otherwise
Assign ‘Model Manager’ to coordinate efforts
Apply Version Control for wide distribution and ‘auto-update’
Editors use ‘Get All Latest’ to retrieve complete, up-to-date model
Check out all cross-dependent packages, commit atomically
More Info: http://www.sparxsystems.com/WhitePapers/Version_Control.pdf
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Overview
Collaborative Modeling Concepts
Team Deployment
Version Control
Modeling Workflows for Distributed Teams
Managing Cross-Package Dependencies
Merging Changes from Incomplete Models
Applying Version Control
Future Work
Q&A
www.sparxsystems.com
thank you for your attention!