Instant impact analyses in Enterprise Architect with SQL searches

One of the major benefits of using a tool such as Enterprise Architect is that you create traceability. You store the relations between different model elements in your model.

The tricky part is to effectively use that traceability for your impact analyses. Following these instructions you can create SQL Searches in EA that instantly show the impact a certain element has on the rest of the model and present them in a clear and useful way.

The meta model

In order to do impact analysis you have to know, and preferable document, your meta model. The meta model describes which elements from your model are to connected to each other, and it also describes which relation is used.

For the benefit of this example lets start with an imaginary meta model.

While this view of the meta model already helps a lot we still need to know exactly how these meta-concepts are realized in our Enterprise Architect model.

The model

So we end up with a model that looks a bit like this. You see that even for a miniature model like this it comes rather complicated very quickly. The questions that we need to answer when doing impact analysis questions such as

• If I change requirement RQ-002, which other elements in my model are impacted?
• I I change the CreateNewOrder function, where can I expect impact?

In general you’ll want to know

• If I change X how does that impact the rest of my model.

Graphically that looks a bit like this:

Enterprise Architect has an excellent view called traceabilty view

This is great when working on the model, but it doesn’t really give you an overview, and it can’t be used for exporting or document generation.

The query

In order to get an overview of all impacted elements will make a custom SQL Search. See Harvesting the power of EA’s SQL searches for more information on how to make and use SQL searches.

We’ll want to create a search starting from each of the different levels. From their we work our way through the meta-models layer using a union for each level.

Lets start with the first one, from the Requirements to Use Case,  to Business Process, and to Application Service.

It’s best to work through this gradually. The first query will only return the requirement itself.

select req.ea_guid AS CLASSGUID, req.Object_Type AS CLASSTYPE,'1_Requirement' as TraceLevel, req.Name, req.Stereotype
, package.name as PackageName ,package_p1.name as Package_level1,package_p2.name as Package_level2 ,package_p3.name as Package_level3
from (((( t_object req
inner join t_package package on package.Package_ID = req.Package_ID)
left join t_package package_p1 on package_p1.package_id = package.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p2 on package_p2.package_id = package_p1.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p3 on package_p3.package_id = package_p2.parent_id)
where req.name like '#WC#<Search Term>#WC#'
and req.Object_Type = 'Requirement'

The we tackle the next level and we go from the Requirement to the Use Case. We add this query with a union to the previous query.

union
select uc.ea_guid AS CLASSGUID, uc.Object_Type AS CLASSTYPE,'3_Use Case' as TraceLevel, uc.Name, uc.Stereotype
, package.name as PackageName ,package_p1.name as Package_level1,package_p2.name as Package_level2 ,package_p3.name as Package_level3
from (((((( t_object req
inner join t_connector requc on requc.End_Object_ID = req.Object_ID)
inner join t_object uc on requc.Start_Object_ID = uc.Object_ID)
inner join t_package package on package.Package_ID = uc.Package_ID)
left join t_package package_p1 on package_p1.package_id = package.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p2 on package_p2.package_id = package_p1.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p3 on package_p3.package_id = package_p2.parent_id)
where req.name like '#WC#<Search Term>#WC#'
and req.Object_Type = 'Requirement'
and uc.Object_Type = 'UseCase'

Notice that we make a join to t_connector and then back to t_object for the Use Case. Mind the direction of the connector between use case and requirement. Since it starts at the use case and goes to the requirement we need to join them using the appropriate End_Object_ID or Start_Object_ID.

Next part is the Business Process. Again we join t_connector and t_object to reach the business processes

union
select bp.ea_guid AS CLASSGUID, bp.Object_Type AS CLASSTYPE,'2_Business Process' as TraceLevel, bp.Name, bp.Stereotype
, package.name as PackageName ,package_p1.name as Package_level1,package_p2.name as Package_level2 ,package_p3.name as Package_level3
from (((((((( t_object req
inner join t_connector requc on requc.End_Object_ID = req.Object_ID)
inner join t_object uc on requc.Start_Object_ID = uc.Object_ID)
inner join t_connector ucbp on ucbp.Start_Object_ID = uc.Object_ID)
inner join t_object bp on ucbp.End_Object_ID = bp.Object_ID)
inner join t_package package on package.Package_ID = bp.Package_ID)
left join t_package package_p1 on package_p1.package_id = package.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p2 on package_p2.package_id = package_p1.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p3 on package_p3.package_id = package_p2.parent_id)
where req.name like '#WC#<Search Term>#WC#'
and req.Object_Type = 'Requirement'
and uc.Object_Type = 'UseCase'
and bp.Object_Type = 'Activity' and bp.Stereotype = 'process'

From the business process we can reach the Business Information Items. Notice that we only return the information items that are the results of the business processes. Information items that serve as input to our business are not impacted when we change our business process.

union
select bi.ea_guid AS CLASSGUID, bi.Object_Type AS CLASSTYPE,'2_Business Information Items' as TraceLevel, bi.Name, bi.Stereotype
, package.name as PackageName ,package_p1.name as Package_level1,package_p2.name as Package_level2 ,package_p3.name as Package_level3
from (((((((((( t_object req
inner join t_connector requc on requc.End_Object_ID = req.Object_ID)
inner join t_object uc on requc.Start_Object_ID = uc.Object_ID)
inner join t_connector ucbp on ucbp.Start_Object_ID = uc.Object_ID)
inner join t_object bp on ucbp.End_Object_ID = bp.Object_ID)
inner join t_connector bpbi on bpbi.Start_Object_ID = bp.Object_ID )
inner join t_object bi on bpbi.End_Object_ID = bi.Object_ID )
inner join t_package package on package.Package_ID = bi.Package_ID)
left join t_package package_p1 on package_p1.package_id = package.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p2 on package_p2.package_id = package_p1.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p3 on package_p3.package_id = package_p2.parent_id)
where req.name like '#WC#<Search Term>#WC#'
and req.Object_Type = 'Requirement'
and uc.Object_Type = 'UseCase'
and bp.Object_Type = 'Activity' and bp.Stereotype = 'process'
and bi.Object_Type = 'InformationItem'

The last level we want to add to our impact analysis query is the Application Function. These functions are again linked to the use cases. Notice that we both test the stereotype for NULL as for an empty string. That is just to be sure to get all the Application Functions. EA is know to be inconsistent in some areas, sometimes using NULL, sometimes an empty string or 0.

union
select af.ea_guid AS CLASSGUID, af.Object_Type AS CLASSTYPE,'4_Application Function' as TraceLevel, af.Name, af.Stereotype
, package.name as PackageName ,package_p1.name as Package_level1,package_p2.name as Package_level2 ,package_p3.name as Package_level3
from (((((((( t_object req
inner join t_connector requc on requc.End_Object_ID = req.Object_ID)
inner join t_object uc on requc.Start_Object_ID = uc.Object_ID)
inner join t_connector ucaf on ucaf.End_Object_ID = uc.Object_ID)
inner join t_object af on ucaf.Start_Object_ID = af.Object_ID)
inner join t_package package on package.Package_ID = af.Package_ID)
left join t_package package_p1 on package_p1.package_id = package.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p2 on package_p2.package_id = package_p1.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p3 on package_p3.package_id = package_p2.parent_id)
where req.name like '#WC#<Search Term>#WC#'
and req.Object_Type = 'Requirement'
and uc.Object_Type = 'UseCase'
and af.Object_Type = 'Activity' and (af.Stereotype is null or af.Stereotype = '')

Now if you paste all the different parts of the query together you can start doing impact analysis and see the impact a single requirement has to the rest of the system.

If at first you run the query the results look a bit like this

But if you drag the “TraceLevel” up to the grouping part

and then remove the column altogether from the results then you get a much nicer looking result

Now you can create similar searches from the other elements in your meta-model, each time working your way up or down the model.

Below the complete SQL code for the search described here.

select req.ea_guid AS CLASSGUID, req.Object_Type AS CLASSTYPE,'1_Requirement' as TraceLevel, req.Name, req.Stereotype
, package.name as PackageName ,package_p1.name as Package_level1,package_p2.name as Package_level2 ,package_p3.name as Package_level3
from (((( t_object req
inner join t_package package on package.Package_ID = req.Package_ID)
left join t_package package_p1 on package_p1.package_id = package.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p2 on package_p2.package_id = package_p1.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p3 on package_p3.package_id = package_p2.parent_id)
where req.name like '#WC#<Search Term>#WC#'
and req.Object_Type = 'Requirement'
union
select uc.ea_guid AS CLASSGUID, uc.Object_Type AS CLASSTYPE,'3_Use Case' as TraceLevel, uc.Name, uc.Stereotype
, package.name as PackageName ,package_p1.name as Package_level1,package_p2.name as Package_level2 ,package_p3.name as Package_level3
from (((((( t_object req
inner join t_connector requc on requc.End_Object_ID = req.Object_ID)
inner join t_object uc on requc.Start_Object_ID = uc.Object_ID)
inner join t_package package on package.Package_ID = uc.Package_ID)
left join t_package package_p1 on package_p1.package_id = package.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p2 on package_p2.package_id = package_p1.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p3 on package_p3.package_id = package_p2.parent_id)
where req.name like '#WC#<Search Term>#WC#'
and req.Object_Type = 'Requirement'
and uc.Object_Type = 'UseCase'
union
select bp.ea_guid AS CLASSGUID, bp.Object_Type AS CLASSTYPE,'2_Business Process' as TraceLevel, bp.Name, bp.Stereotype
, package.name as PackageName ,package_p1.name as Package_level1,package_p2.name as Package_level2 ,package_p3.name as Package_level3
from (((((((( t_object req
inner join t_connector requc on requc.End_Object_ID = req.Object_ID)
inner join t_object uc on requc.Start_Object_ID = uc.Object_ID)
inner join t_connector ucbp on ucbp.Start_Object_ID = uc.Object_ID)
inner join t_object bp on ucbp.End_Object_ID = bp.Object_ID)
inner join t_package package on package.Package_ID = bp.Package_ID)
left join t_package package_p1 on package_p1.package_id = package.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p2 on package_p2.package_id = package_p1.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p3 on package_p3.package_id = package_p2.parent_id)
where req.name like '#WC#<Search Term>#WC#'
and req.Object_Type = 'Requirement'
and uc.Object_Type = 'UseCase'
and bp.Object_Type = 'Activity' and bp.Stereotype = 'process'
union
select bi.ea_guid AS CLASSGUID, bi.Object_Type AS CLASSTYPE,'2_Business Information Items' as TraceLevel, bi.Name, bi.Stereotype
, package.name as PackageName ,package_p1.name as Package_level1,package_p2.name as Package_level2 ,package_p3.name as Package_level3
from (((((((((( t_object req
inner join t_connector requc on requc.End_Object_ID = req.Object_ID)
inner join t_object uc on requc.Start_Object_ID = uc.Object_ID)
inner join t_connector ucbp on ucbp.Start_Object_ID = uc.Object_ID)
inner join t_object bp on ucbp.End_Object_ID = bp.Object_ID)
inner join t_connector bpbi on bpbi.Start_Object_ID = bp.Object_ID )
inner join t_object bi on bpbi.End_Object_ID = bi.Object_ID )
inner join t_package package on package.Package_ID = bi.Package_ID)
left join t_package package_p1 on package_p1.package_id = package.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p2 on package_p2.package_id = package_p1.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p3 on package_p3.package_id = package_p2.parent_id)
where req.name like '#WC#<Search Term>#WC#'
and req.Object_Type = 'Requirement'
and uc.Object_Type = 'UseCase'
and bp.Object_Type = 'Activity' and bp.Stereotype = 'process'
and bi.Object_Type = 'InformationItem'
union
select af.ea_guid AS CLASSGUID, af.Object_Type AS CLASSTYPE,'4_Application Function' as TraceLevel, af.Name, af.Stereotype
, package.name as PackageName ,package_p1.name as Package_level1,package_p2.name as Package_level2 ,package_p3.name as Package_level3
from (((((((( t_object req
inner join t_connector requc on requc.End_Object_ID = req.Object_ID)
inner join t_object uc on requc.Start_Object_ID = uc.Object_ID)
inner join t_connector ucaf on ucaf.End_Object_ID = uc.Object_ID)
inner join t_object af on ucaf.Start_Object_ID = af.Object_ID)
inner join t_package package on package.Package_ID = af.Package_ID)
left join t_package package_p1 on package_p1.package_id = package.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p2 on package_p2.package_id = package_p1.parent_id)
left join t_package package_p3 on package_p3.package_id = package_p2.parent_id)
where req.name like '#WC#<Search Term>#WC#'
and req.Object_Type = 'Requirement'
and uc.Object_Type = 'UseCase'
and af.Object_Type = 'Activity' and (af.Stereotype is null or af.Stereotype = '')