Two key differences between Rational Rose® and Software Architect and Software Modeler involve models and model management. While you can create and open multiple models simultaneously in Software Architect and Software Modeler, you can only open one model at a time in Rose. Further, in Software Architect and Software Modeler, you can only control models at the model level; you do not use the controlled unit concept to refine and break up a model in multiple levels and sections.
You can have multiple projects and models open at the same time in Software Architect and Software Modeler. You can use this multi-model capability to work at different levels of abstraction, while still maintaining traceability across models. The multi-model approach is a key paradigm shift because you can only open one Rose model at a time, which is sometimes cumbersome when you need to work and modify several related models in unison. Now you can open multiple models simultaneously and tie them together at various levels of your model hierarchy through shortcuts, relationships, and cross-references between models.
Before you learn more about the Software Architect and Software Modeler model management capabilities, it is important to review how controlled units work within Rose.
Controlled units in Rose
In order to share parts of a Rose model with multiple users, or to simply reduce the size of a single model, you can break up a model into individual chunks, commonly referred to as controlled units. Controlled units help you manage a model by dividing it up and breaking it into smaller, more manageable sections. It is very common for software development teams to work in parallel by sharing out and placing controlled units in a configuration management system such as IBM® Rational ClearCase®.
For example, when you create a controlled unit from a package, its contents are moved from the model file and stored in the new file. The new file contains the following information:
Model management in Software Architect and Software Modeler
The model management approach in Software Architect and Software Modeler is a major change from Rose. In Software Architect and Software Modeler, you manage and control your models at the model level only; the concept of controlled units is not carried over from Rose. While Software Architect does not use controlled units, it does not mean that the information stored in controlled units is lost upon import. When you import a Rose model, all controlled unit content is automatically copied into the imported model. The controlled unit no longer resides as a separate file and is incorporated into a standard, monolithic Software Architect or Software Modeler model.
Once you import your Rose model, you can break up your model into separate physical models. For example, if your Rose model contains several subsystem packages that you had defined as controlled units, you may decide to make a separate model out of each subsystem. Creating models from each subsystem gives you the same control that you had when the subsystems were controlled units in Rose.
Software Architect and Software Modeler contain several capabilities that help you break up, divide, and manage your imported models. Once you import your model, you can:
While the model management capability between each tool is different, you can still achieve the same results; you can divide up your model at the model level instead of using the controlled unit concept.