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Unicom (Popkin) System Architect (SA) 10.4 to 11.4 (Encyclopedia) - Export

Availability-note AWS

Bridge Requirements

This bridge:
  • is only supported on Microsoft Windows.

  • requires the tool to be installed to access its SDK.

Bridge Specifications

Vendor UNICOM Systems
Tool Name System Architect (SA)
Tool Version 10.4.23 to 11.4.5
Tool Web Site http://unicomsi.com/products/system-architect/
Supported Methodology [Data Modeling] Data Store (Logical Data Model), Graphical Layout via COM API

SPECIFICATIONS
Tool: UNICOM Systems / System Architect (SA) version 10.4.23 to 11.4.5 via COM API
See http://unicomsi.com/products/system-architect/
Metadata: [Data Modeling] Data Store (Logical Data Model), Graphical Layout
Component: PopkinSaEncy version 11.2.0

OVERVIEW
This bridge uses the System Architect COM/OLE Automation interface to connect to the tool, System Architect needs to be installed locally in order to have this bridge running.

REQUIREMENTS
WARNING: This bridge uses the COM API of a Windows based tool client and/or SDK which must be (a) properly installed, (b) licensed on behalf of a Windows user capable of running this tool, and (c) capable of accessing the tool server content. In addition:
(1) As recommended by the tool vendor, the tool server must NOT be installed/coexist on the same machine where the tool client (and the bridge) is installed/running because of potential conflicts of resources, including with respect to COM API.
(2) Windows COM API based tools are notoriously unstable after repeated failures or lack of system resources, which requires a Windows reboot to make that tool COM API work properly again.
(3) If this bridge is running as an application, then it must be logged with the same above Windows user.
If the bridge is running as a Windows service, then go to the services manager of Windows, right-click on the MIMB Application Server service, and go to the "Log On" tab to define an account by name under which the service will run.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What types of diagrams does this bridge support?
A: This bridge supports Entity Relationship diagrams of Project Data Models.

Q: Does this bridge support the update of a Project Data Model?
A: No, if a data model with the same name already exists in the encyclopedia, the conversion process will not work. However you can use the 'Project Data Model name' bridge option to specify another name.

Q: On large models, this bridge does not respond until I respond to the following message: "The size of the undo file is too small for this diagram. Would you like to enlarge it to allow continued undoing?"
A: As the Telelogic bridge is API based, the Telelogic application may require interaction from the user. Please refer to Telelogic's documentation on how to eliminate some of these dialog boxes. In the case of this particular dialog, the undo file size can be set via Tools->preferences. The Undo file size is a numeric value; the maximum file size is 10M, and the default file size is 128K (when System Architect is initially installed).

Q: The export data model failed. This model worked in version 10.1.
A: Verify that the value in the connection name is correctly entered. The connection name in version 10.4 and greater is managed by the SA connection manager. In prior versions the connection name was the same name as the udl file.

Q: Some of my subject areas were not exported.
A: Your source model subject areas will not be exported, if there is a subject area with the same name in the SA encyclopedia.

Q: What are the required configuration steps when running this bridge as a Windows service?
A: This bridge interacts with System Architect via its COM based API which may have to display messages on the desktop. Therefore, if this bridge is running within a server launched as a Windows service (rather than a classic Windows desktop application), click on the 'Properties' menu of such service, go to the 'Log On' tab, select 'This account' and specify the same username and password used as Windows session when testing connectivity from System Architect to the encyclopedia, and restart the Windows service.

System Architect (SA) stores connection configuration files in the local user area. Therefore, if this bridge is running within a server launched as a Windows service (rather than a classic Windows desktop application), then such files must be available to the current user. In this case, running System Architect (SA) logged as 'JohnSmith' will store the connection files in:
Windows XP: 'C:\Documents and Settings\JohnSmith\Local Settings\Application Data\Telelogic\System Architect\Connections\*'
Windows 7: 'C:\Users\JohnSmith\AppData\Local\Telelogic\System Architect\Connections\*'

Q: Why does this bridge tries to export to a different Encyclopedia than specified in the parameters?
A: System Architect allows one to specify a default Encyclopedia to be opened at startup. In the 'File'->'Open' menu, the checkbox 'Open this encyclopedia at startup' should not be checked. If this checkbox is checked, it may interfere with proper bridge execution, and that encyclopedia will be used for the export. Therefore please uncheck that checkbox in the System Architect UI before exporting.

LIMITATIONS
Refer to the current general known limitations at MIMB Known Limitations or bundled in Documentation/ReadMe/MIMBKnownLimitations.html

The System Architect API may not be completely installed by the Telelogic installer. To make sure the API is properly installed, please type the following command lines in a DOS window:

cd c:\Program Files\Telelogic\System Architect Suite\System Architect Suite\System Architect
sa2001.exe /regserver

This setup is required for Telelogic version 10.0.14 and all older versions.

SUPPORT
Provide a troubleshooting package with debug log. Debug log can be set in the UI or in conf/conf.properties with MIR_LOG_LEVEL=6


Bridge Parameters

Parameter Name Description Type Values Default Scope
Connection name Connection name to connect to the encyclopedia database.

In SA 10.4 and greater, the connection name is defined within the SA connection manager.
Note: Sometimes, the connection name required here will be different from what you see in the SA Enterprise Manager. To determine the required name:
1. Start System Architect
2. Select Open
3. Select Open Encyclopedia...
4. Look at the two columns called 'Name' and 'Located on Connection'
5. Use the value in the 'Located on Connection' column for this bridge parameter.

Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions in this bridge tooltip for the default Encyclopedia setting.
STRING     Mandatory
Encyclopedia name Specify here the encyclopedia name to connect to.
Note: Sometimes, the encyclopedia name required here will be different from what you see in the SA Enterprise Manager. To determine the required name:
1. Start System Architect
2. Select Open
3. Select Open Encyclopedia...
4. Look at the two columns called 'Name' and 'Located on Connection'
5. Use the value in the 'Name' column for this bridge parameter.

Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions in this bridge tooltip for the default Encyclopedia setting.
STRING     Mandatory
Project Data Model name Customize the name of the Project Data Model that will be created.

If this option value is empty, this bridge will use the Model name (as defined by the source tool) instead.

In SA 10.4 and greater, the project data model name must be defined, if the encyclopedia already includes any data models.
STRING      
Close System Architect Close System Architect after exporting the model.
By default the tool will not be closed
BOOLEAN   False  

 

Bridge Mapping

Meta Integration Repository (MIR)
Metamodel
(based on the OMG CWM standard)
"Unicom (Popkin) System Architect (SA) 10.4 to 11.4 (Encyclopedia)"
Metamodel
PopkinSa
Mapping Comments
     
Association Relationship, Non-specific relation  
Aggregation Identifying  
Description Description  
Name Name  
AssociationRole Relationship, Non-specific relation  
ExtraConstraint Delete, Update, Insert Rule  
Multiplicity From Cardinality, To Cardinality, Allow Nulls  
Name Name, Reverse Phrase  
Source   determine the order of the relationship
AssociationRoleNameMap All Foreign Key Components  
Name Role Name  
Attribute Attribute/Data Element  
Comment Database Comment  
Description Description  
InitialValue Default Value  
Name Name  
Optional Default Nullity  
PhysicalName Column name  
Position   determine the order of the attribute in the entity (Description)
BaseType Data Domain, Attribute, Data Element  
DataType SQL Data Type See datatype conversion array
Name Name  
CandidateKey Access Path  
Name Name  
UniqueKey Unique  
Class Entity  
Comment Database Comment  
Description Business Description  
Name Name  
PhysicalName Table Name  
ClassDiagram Subject Area  
Description Description  
Name Name  
DataType SQL Data Type See datatype conversion array
Description Description  
InitialValue Default Value  
Length SQL Data Type Qualifier  
Name Name  
ForeignKey All Foreign Key Components  
Name Constraint Name Of either the Relationship or the Supersub relation
Generalization Super-sub Relation  
Description Description  
Name Name  
GeneralizationRole Super-sub Relation  
Index Access Path, All Foreign Key Components Associated with each key
Name Name, Constraint Name  
IndexMember Access Path, All Foreign Key Components  
Name Name  
Position Description determine the order in the Description property
SortOrder Description determine the /SEQ value
Note Notes  
Projection Symbol Graphical Information
BackgroundColor fill color  
FontColor font color  
Height height  
LineColor pen color  
Width width  
X x  
Y y  
RelationshipProjection Relation Symbol Graphical Information
BackgroundColor fill color  
FontColor font color  
Height height  
LineColor pen color  
Width width  
X x  
Y y  
StoreModel Project Data Model  
Description Description  
Name Name  

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