Engineering Data Management
eASEE’s base “Engineering Data Management” function offers the capability of setting up an organization-wide Engineering Data Backbone. All results of development work are managed as eASEE objects here. The central database system offers functions for managing the eASEE objects in versions and variants. eASEE objects have a lifecycle. This is the sequence of states that the object may run through. As a result, it is possible to determine from the object whether source code has already been released, for example, or whether it is still in the test phase. Using these tools it is also very easy to generate a history for tracking changes. This makes the engineering data transparent and accessible to all participants. It is easy to integrate any desired authoring tools such as MATLAB & SIMULINK for editing and displaying artifacts.
eASEE objects may be combined into configurations. These configurations are in turn treated as eASEE objects and can be hierarchically grouped as well as versioned. eASEE supports searching for documents, data structures and data configurations by providing convenient search functions. Here, queries can be made based on search criteria such as an attribute, status, relation and usage relationship between objects. The Difference Viewer can be used to point out differences in content between data objects. Individually set up views of the data structure optimize the understanding of use cases. When ’queries’ are created, search queries are saved that offer a user-specific view of the data. Application areas may be encapsulated in domains. Only released engineering data are visible in other domains.
Supported object types
Data objects
Documents are semantically classified by object classes, and they form instances of these classes. Specific file types may be assigned to each class; they reflect the physical representation of thedocuments.
Example of an eASEE.edm object hierarchy:
Data sets
Analogous to file objects, nearly any type of structured data records may be mapped , versioned and configured as a relationaldata structure. These objects behave exactly like documentobjects; that is, they can have attributes and relations.
Containers
Containers play a central role in eASEE. They represent anextremely flexible and differentiated way to handle collections of data. Data and document versions may be combined in any desired configurations in a container. Versions can be versioned independently of one another and can be placed in relationships.
A container does not contain the objects themselves, rather only information on the usage relationship of their combined versions. For example, data for the software and hardware components of a specific configuration of an ECU may be grouped in a container.
Life cycle for engineering objects
Each document or container class may be assigned a life cycle. This consists of a sequence of user-definable life cycle states, and it establishes the sequence of state transitions. A symbol may be assigned to the individual state to graphically emphasize the particular version.
Version management
During an active development, eASEE automatically versions alldocuments and data in so-called revisions. All changes to a document itself or to its metadata are recorded in a history that can be used to reconstruct the change at any time.
Variant management
eASEE.edm supports branching, which means the creation of object variants. While a revision represents an advanced development of an object that replaces its predecessor, variants are parallel development branches that can be developed independently of one another.
Example of a history tree with versions and variants:
Multiple use
The single source principle applies to all data and versions; this means that a specific version object physically exists just once in the system. Consequently, configurations with versions are formed by referencing these objects in containers. An object may be contained or referenced in as many containers as desired without this resulting in diverging version states.
Tracebility
eASEE offers extensive capabilities for creating relationships between data. This ensures reusability and traceability of any desired eASEE objects. Functions such as usage verification and update verification are explicitly supported for all objects and on all hierarchy levels.
Relationships between any desired artefacts (e.g. between specifications and test specifications or between projects and project plans) are modeled in eASEE as relations. All relations may be tracked in both directions.
Workflows
Integrated workflows in eASEE offer an easy way to formalize recurring steps in business processes. Workflows in the organization become transparent, repeatable and traceable. Organizational guidelines can be automated. This supports routine tasks, freeing up more time and space for other activities. Workflows are modeled in a role-based way as a state graph. For each workflow there is a form sheet that represents the key data of a workflow or offers input and change options. Workflows and Engineering Data Management are tightly interwoven in the eASEE base. For example, it is easy to couple workflows to the lifecycle of objects.
Messaging Services
eASEE has flexible notification mechanisms. Besides new tasks, there are also informational mailings, which might be sent over the organization’s mail server when the status of a project milestone changes. Both the contents and layout of the mailings may be modified. Hyperlinks to artifacts are possible in the mails.
Reporting
eASEE provides powerful reporting functions. For example, standard reports such as the milestone trend analysis or resource utilization report might be created for projects. This provides the user with methods for making valuable analyses of the project flow or project status. This lets project leaders evaluate the quality of project planning more quickly. It is easy to expand existing reports and adapt them to specific needs.
Authorization Concept
eASEE has a universal authorization concept. Responsibilities in the organization are clearly delineated by finely granulated allocation of rights to any desired eASEE objects. The authorization concept supports groups and roles that reflect static organizational structures. But these are too rigid when dynamic information needs to be represented. In eASEE, individually enumerated groups and roles are used for this purpose. An example of such dynamic information is the ‘Project leader’ role. It is normally not defined organization-wide, rather it is assigned to a specific project. In contrast, the ‘Software developers’ group might be defined organization-wide as a global group on the one hand, and project-specifically as a parameterized group on the other. Roles are configurable sets of rights. A group is a set of users who may be assigned one or more roles administratively. Both groups and roles may be structured hierarchically.
Import and Export XML
eASEE enables export and import of any desired objects. Powerful export and import interfaces are available for this purpose. The data exchange format is based on XML. To be able to react flexibly to our customer-specific requirements, the interface offers the option of processing different input and export formats. In the framework of customizing, the external format is typically converted to the standard eASEE exchange format by a XSLT transformation. This transformation may be integrated in the export or import process, as supplemental batch scripts.
Flexible Customizing
Mapping of properties, structures and relationships of project and product data are stored as a model in eASEE. This is done by describing a data model in an initial customizing step and implementing it in an application domain.
Plug-in Development
The eASEE base system has extensive programming interfaces on both the server (COM, .NET) and client sides. They serve to extend functionality and to exchange data with external applications. On the one hand, this enables access to the data model of the relational database. On the other hand, it allows the graphic user interface to be adapted to individual needs. Mature plug-in technology makes it possible to develop and integrate your own menus, toolbars and dialogs and to influence eASEE functions directly.
Domains
Application areas may be encapsulated in domains. Only released engineering data are visible in other domains.
Continue to New functions of the current version of eASEE
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