Multiple architecture viewpoints in single unified modeling language (UML) model
View Patent ↗A method, a system and a program product provide for defining for an information technology (IT) system that may be modeled within the context of a plurality of architecture viewpoints, and whose model elements are defined within a configuration file, a plurality of architecture viewpoints within a single UML model. The method, the system and the program product also provide for synchronously automatically updating a remainder of the architecture viewpoints when one of the architecture viewpoints is manually updated.
1. An information technology (IT) system architecture modeling method comprising the steps of:
designating within a single Unified Modeling Language model a plurality of architecture viewpoints for modeling an IT system comprising a plurality of model elements defined in a configuration file;
receiving a selection of one of said plurality of architecture viewpoints;
determining which of said plurality of model elements is associated with the selected architecture viewpoint;
displaying each of said plurality of model elements which is associated with the selected architecture viewpoint;
hiding each of said plurality of model elements which is not associated with the selected architecture viewpoint;
receiving a new model element created by a user;
determining a characteristic of said new model element; and
for each of said plurality of architecture viewpoints:
determining which of said plurality of model elements is both: (i) associated with said architecture viewpoint and (ii) corresponding to said new model element;
determining a default location of each of said determined model elements; creating a new proxy element at said default location; and
hiding the new proxy element in the architecture viewpoint.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of said model elements is represented by an icon.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
receiving notification that a user has removed at least one of said plurality of model elements from at least one of said plurality of architecture viewpoints;
for each of said plurality of architecture viewpoints:
determining which of said plurality of model elements is both: (i) associated with said architecture viewpoint and (ii) corresponding to said removed model element;
locating at least one corresponding proxy element corresponding to said removed model element; and
removing said at least one corresponding proxy element from said architecture viewpoint.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer system comprises at least one of a computer hardware system and a computer software system.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer system comprises both a computer hardware system and a computer software system.
6. A system comprising:
a computer programmed to:
designate within a single Unified Modeling Language model a plurality of architecture viewpoints for modeling an information technology (IT) system comprising a plurality of model elements defined in a configuration file;
receive a selection of one of said plurality of architecture viewpoints;
determine which of said plurality of model elements is associated with the selected architecture viewpoint;
display each of said plurality of model elements which is associated with the selected architecture viewpoint;
hide each of said plurality of model elements which is not associated with the selected architecture viewpoint;
receive a new model element created by a user;
determine a characteristic of said new model element; and
for each of said plurality of architecture viewpoints:
determine which of said plurality of model elements is both: (i) associated with said architecture viewpoint and (ii) corresponding to said new model element;
determine a default location of each of said determined model elements; create a new proxy element at said default location; and
hide the new proxy element in the architecture viewpoint.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein each of said model elements is represented by an icon.
8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the computer is further programmed to:
receive notification that a user has removed at least one of said plurality of model elements from at least one of said plurality of architecture viewpoints;
for each of said plurality of architecture viewpoints:
determine which of said plurality of model elements is both: (i) associated with said architecture viewpoint and (ii) corresponding to said removed model element;
locate at least one corresponding proxy element corresponding to said removed model element; and
remove said at least one corresponding proxy element from said architecture viewpoint.
9. The system of claim 6 wherein the computer system comprises at least one of a computer hardware system and a computer software system.
10. The system claim 6 wherein the computer system comprises both a computer hardware system and a computer software system.
11. A computer program product comprising a machine readable medium encoded with instructions to:
designate within a single Unified Modeling Language model a plurality of architecture viewpoints for modeling an information technology (IT) system comprising a plurality of model elements defined in a configuration file;
receive a selection of one of said plurality of architecture viewpoints;
determine which of said plurality of model elements is associated with the selected architecture viewpoint;
display each of said plurality of model elements which is associated with the selected architecture viewpoint;
hide each of said plurality of model elements which is not associated with the selected architecture viewpoint;
receive a new model element created by a user;
determine a characteristic of said new model element; and
for each of said plurality of architecture viewpoints:
determine which of said plurality of model elements is both: (i) associated with said architecture viewpoint and (ii) corresponding to said new model element;
determine a default location of each of said determined model elements; create a new proxy element at said default location; and
hide the new proxy element in the architecture viewpoint.
12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein each of said model elements is represented by an icon.
13. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the machine readable medium is further encoded with instructions to:
receive notification that a user has removed at least one of said plurality of model elements from at least one of said plurality of architecture viewpoints;
for each of said plurality of architecture viewpoints:
determine which of said plurality of model elements is both: (i) associated with said architecture viewpoint and (ii) corresponding to said removed model element;
locate at least one corresponding proxy element corresponding to said removed model element; and
remove said at least one corresponding proxy element from said architecture viewpoint.
14. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the computer system comprises at least one of a computer hardware system and a computer software system.
15. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the computer system comprises both a computer hardware system and a computer software system.