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

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
Data Profiling
Incremental Harvesting
Multi-Model Harvesting
Remote Repository Browsing for Model Selection

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
REQUIREMENTS
Uses the System Architect COM/OLE Automation interface to connect, System Architect needs to be installed locally in order to have this bridge running.

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.

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\*'

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What diagram types are supported?
A: Imports only Entity Relationship diagrams.

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: 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.

Q: I get a popup message box 'The diagram is locked by user 0', what could be the cause and resolution?
A: This diagram may be locked by a particular user in the encyclopedia repository. You should ask this user to right-click on the diagram object, select the 'Access Control...' menu, and unlock the object.

Q: Why does this bridge try to import from 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 import. Therefore please uncheck that checkbox in the System Architect UI before importing.

LIMITATIONS

The System Architect API may not be completely installed by the Telelogic installer.
Confirm the API is properly installed, enter the following command lines into 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.

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

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 The 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. Note the two columns called 'Name' and 'Located on Connection'
5. Use the value in the 'Located on Connection' column for this bridge parameter

Refer to the Frequently Asked Questions in this bridge tooltip for the default Encyclopedia setting.
STRING     Mandatory
Encyclopedia name 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. Note the two columns called 'Name' and 'Located on Connection'
5. Use the value in the 'Name' column for this bridge parameter.

Refer to the Frequently Asked Questions in this bridge tooltip for the default Encyclopedia setting.
STRING     Mandatory
Project Data Model name A System Architect encyclopedia may contain more than one Project Data Model.
Specify the name of the Project Data Model to import.

By default, the first one is imported.

In SA 10.4 and greater, the project data model name must be defined, if the encyclopedia already includes any data models.
REPOSITORY_MODEL      
Import diagrams Should diagrams be imported?

'True'
Diagrams are imported.

'False'
Diagrams are not imported.
BOOLEAN   True  
Close System Architect Close System Architect after importing the model.
By default the tool will not be closed.
BOOLEAN   False  
User defined properties The path to an XML file which contains data such as:
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' ?>
<SystemArchitect>
<AttributeProperty>prop1</AttributeProperty>
<DomainProperty>prop2</DomainProperty>
<EntityProperty>prop3</EntityProperty>
</SystemArchitect>

This XML file provides a simple way to specify a subset of custom properties to import as User Defined Properties.

In the above example, the SystemArchitect encyclopedia defines the 'prop1' property for Attributes, the 'prop2' property for Domains, and the 'prop3' property for Entities. This bridge will attempt importing them as UDPs for Attributes, Domains and Entities respectively.

Note that SystemArchitect extended properties are declared in the file USRPROPS.TXT which is used to define the Encyclopedia metamodel, including:

- Attribute properties - defined in a section beginning with: DEFINITION "Attribute"

- Domain properties - defined in a section beginning with: DEFINITION "Data Domain"

- Entity properties - defined in a section beginning with: DEFINITION "Entity"
FILE *.xml    

 

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   Based on the multiplicity of each role
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   In the order returned by the System Architect API.
BaseType Data Domain, Attribute, Data Element  
DataType SQL Data Type See datatype conversion array
Name Name  
PhysicalName   Derived from the datatype
CandidateKey Access Path  
Name Name  
PhysicalName Name  
UniqueKey Unique True for Primary Key
Class Entity  
Comment Database Comment  
CppClassType   Set to ENTITY
CppPersistent   Set to True
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  
PhysicalName   Derived from the datatype
Scale SQL Data Type Qualifier  
UserDefined   True for a DataDomain
DesignPackage   No equivalent in System Architect. A main package "Logical View" will be created to contain all entities/references
ForeignKey All Foreign Key Components  
Name Constraint Name Of either the Relationship or the Supersub relation
PhysicalName 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  
PhysicalName Name, Constraint Name  
IndexMember Access Path, All Foreign Key Components  
Name Name  
PhysicalName Name  
Position Description in the order stored in the Description property
SortOrder Description in the order stored in the Description property
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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