Import an MDG to create a Reference Model

An EA MDG and a Model Expert Reference Model contain lots of the same information:

• Which element types and stereotypes can be used
• Which tagged values those elements type have
• What kinds of connectors are available to connect which pairs of element types.
• What kinds of diagrams are available

A Model Expert Reference Model can do a lot more, because you can one to validate your data. With an MDG, a modeler can still create any connector between any pair of elements, add or remove tagged values, and create diagrams will al kinds of elements in them. A Reference Model can detect all those errors, and even stop users from making them.

Note: this is not surprising: the EA MDG is the way that EA implements new modeling languages, whereas a Reference Model is specifically designed to implement your local modeling standards. A different solution to a different problem.

Using the MDG Importer

WARNING

This tool is designed to let you import your own MDGs, which will probably be small and simple.

IF you try to use it import the built-in EA MDGs, like BPMN or Archimate, then (1) it will certainly take a very long time, as these are really large and complicated MDGS and (2) it will probably fail anyway. We do not test the tool against these models. If you want to create a Reference Model based on these modeling languages, follow the normal approach, and create the RM from some modeling you have already done.

Importing

To import,

1. Choose the file where the MDG is saved, and verify that Model Expert can parse it by inspecting the element types, connections and tagged values it has found.
2. If it looks OK, pick the options you need and choose ‘Save as Reference Model’.
   Options:
   – Save to repository. Un-check this the first time, just to make sure Mode Expert understands your repository. If the Results list has the number of element types you expect, then check it to save the RM
   – Create summary diagram. Create a class diagram containing all the element types and connection defined in your RM
   – Import diagram definitions. Creates a number of Diagram types in the RM
   – Import toolboxes. If the MDG toolbox contains elements types which are not defined in the MDG (maybe they are just regular EA element types) then checking this will add those element types to the RM.
3. The RM will be saved in the package you chose.