Enterprise Architecture Practice 10 - How to do EA Impact Analysis in Casewise 7

- Object Type Chain Mathematics Model
Based on previous 2 articles about Object Type Chains for OOB POLDAT  and User Defined.
Here is the programmable Casewise Object Type Chain Mathematics Model which was developed based on the unlimited layers and real time reporting to do Impact Analysis in Casewise through Casewise Corporate Modeler physical Database.
/*
/* Purpose: one for all PoC (Proof of Concept) approach (Mathematics Model) for Object Type Chain
/* Inputs:
/* modelName: Casewise Model Name
/* (Source) objectType: Casewise Object Type
/* (Target) anoObjectType: an optional parameter,the return results will be filtered based on the AnoObjectType
/* resultMode: asc - Source to Target or desc - Target to Source
/* Returns:
/* (a table valued) ObjectTypeChain (unlimited layers)
/*
Loop Start:
  If objectType belongs to OOB POLDAT (POLAT, OLDAT, PROCESS <-> ENTITY, PROCESS <-> ATTRIBUTE, ENTITY -> ATTRIBUTE, DOMAIN -> ATTRIBUTE)
    parse all of the possible next layer objectTypes based on the resultMode with OOB POLDAT
  Else
    parse all of the possible next layer objectTypes based on the resultMode with User Defined
  End
  If next layer objectType has another next layer objectType (not the previous one)
    continue the loop
  Else
    exit the Loop
  End
Loop End
If anoObjectType is defined
   filter the Loop returnResults (objectTypeChains)
End
Return returnResults (objectTypeChains)

Enterprise Architecture Practice 9 - How to do EA Impact Analysis in Casewise 6

- Object Type Chains for User Defined Object Types
For User Defined Object Types, the Mathematics Model will be:

• Source to Target or Target to Source mode between Object Type and another Object Type.
• Each of Object Types inter link togeher.

This Mathematics Model also covers all of User Defined POLDAT cases (for example, OOB POLDAT Application associated with User Defined Object Type through an User Defined Association Type).

Enterprise Architecture Practice 8 - How to do EA Impact Analysis in Casewise 5

- Object Type Chains for OOB POLDAT
Object Type Chain existence had been explained in my previous article.
What kind of Object Types should be included into Object Type Chains? Since talking about Impact Analysis, both of POLDAT Object Type and User Defined Object Type should be included.
For OOB (Out of the Box) POLDAT, the Mathematics Model will be:

• POLAT
• OLDAT
• PROCESS <-> ENTITY, PROCESS <-> ATTRIBUTE
• ENTITY -> ATTRIBUTE, DOMAIN -> ATTRIBUTE

Note: Expanding Data from Entity to Entity, Data Usage (PROCESS <-> ENTITY, PROCESS <-> ATTRIBUTE), Attribute (ENTITY -> ATTRIBUTE, DOMAIN -> ATTRIBUTE) because of some of OOB associations existed in OOB already.

Enterprise Architecture Practice 7 - How to do EA Impact Analysis in Casewise 4

- Does Object Type Chain exist in Casewise?
An Source Object Type could be associated with a Target Object Type (if the target Object Type is same as the Source Object Type, then becomes a self-reference association) through an Association Type.
The Association Type could be Source to Target, Target to Source or both of Source to Target and Target to Source. It could be expressed as Swim Lane or Object Type Connector.
For instance, based on Casewise out of the box multiple one layer bi-dimensional Reporting Mechanism, if Object Type OT_1 has an association with Object Type OT_2 through Association Type AT_1, Object Type OT_2 has an association with Object Type OT_3 through Association Type AT_2, and then definitely there will be a Object Type Chain (an Mathematics Model) exists as always. In this case, the Object Type Chains from OT_1 to OT_3 will be:
Source to Target mode: OT_1 -> OT_2 -> OT_3
Target to Source mode: OT_3 -> OT->2 -> OT_1
Actually this kind of Mathematics Model could calculate out all of possible Object Type Chains based on a Source Object Type (with or without a Target Object Type will be a option) precisely.

Enterprise Architecture Practice 6 - How to do EA Impact Analysis in Casewise 3

- Meta Model Design:
1. Be familiar with Casewise Corpoate Modeler Suite through the Casewise online training of Draw Diagrams and Manage Models, and those Extensions & Models from Casewise website as well.
2. Out of the box POLDAT Object Types, Associations Types and Property Types, could not be deleted (This is the natural of Casewise), but could be rename (Casewise uses SCRPT_NAME handling behind the scene).
3. User Defined Object Types, some associated out of the box Property Types (i.e. Category, Description and etc) could not be deleted, but User Defined Property Types (i.e. Name_English, Description_English and etc) could be deleted.
4. Use out of the box or User Defined Association Types for the association, even hierarchy links used in the diagram (since hierarchy links only display on the digram, this is also why diagram also consider as a report).
5. Before creating an User Defined Object Type, always verify whether an existing Object Type with a User Defined Category could solve the problem as well. Taxonomic sense will be helpful.
6. Be familiar with Casewise Corporate Modeler Suite Report to feel Casewise dynamic one layer based, out of the box Reporting mechanism, which is a multi bi-dimensional information stems from a same Object Type.

Based on Casewise Corporate Modeler Suite dynamic one layer based, out of the box Reporting mechanism, and with more practice of this tools. Wondering somehow there should be a chain (To Be) existed somewhere ties all of those one layer based bi-dimensional information stems from a same Object Type together through (unlimited) indirect Association Types Chain and providing real multi-dimensional information for Impact Analysis.

Enterprise Architecture Practice 5 - How to do EA Impact Analysis in Casewise 2

- Impact Analysis Report Capabilities (To Be)
Every Casewise implementation intends to fit the organization's unique needs. With Casewise implementation, lots of User Defined Object Types, Association Types, Property Types and associated Objects are brought into Casewise model, even some other User Defined with the out of the box Object Types, Association Types, Property Types and associated Objects.
Casewise Corporate Modeler Suite Report handles those User Defined Association Types, User Defined Property Types for every Object Types dynamically at one layer base.
For instance, as the diagram below in Model (Casewise Framework Example), a Object Type (Applications) has Properties (i.e. General, Description and etc), Associations (i.e. Entities, Processes, Technologies and etc)

But as you can see, Casewise Corporate Modeler Suite Report only supports Object Type at one layer base, doesn't come out with next layer Object Type, next next layer Object Type, even next n layers Object Type through Association Types.
Is there a simplest best practice approach, which will have unlimited layers (indirect levels) limitation and do Enterprise Architecture Impact Analysis in Casewise in real time besides the currently Casewise Corporate Modeler Intelligence (2009.1) Reporting (which only supports a maximum of seven indirect levels for indirect associations and impact analysis)? If so, what will be a doable mechanism (an Intelligent Mathematics Model) behind this simplest best practice approach with unlimited layers (indirect levels) limitation and do Enterprise Architectur Impact Analysis in Casewise in real time?
This doable mechanism (an Intelligent Mathematics Model) 

• should be a real intelligent mechanism, which will handle User Defined Object Types, User Defined Association Types and Userd Define Property Types in one for all reporting pattern automatically. This is the first and the most key point to do Enterprise Architecture Impact Analysis in Casewise.
• should be able to build all possible Object Types chains via Association Types based on inputs (i.e. Model Name, Ascendant/Descendant, Start Object Type Name, End Object Type Name - optional).
• based upon the Object Type chains, should be able to build all of possible unlimited layers (indirect levels) Object Type associated Objects if one of Object associated with Start Object Type is given
• each of Objects should be able to include its own Properties (i.e. General, Description and etc), Associations (i.e. Entities, Processes, Technologies and etc) as Casewise Corporate Modeler Suite Report does.
• should also be able to flexible display report in specified language as well if bilingual (for instance, English, French) was implemented into Object Type.

Enterprise Architecture Practice 4 - How to do EA Impact Analysis in Casewise 1

- Physical database
What kind of Enterprise Architecture Impact Analysis are we expecting from Casewise? Is there an out of the box solution from Casewise ready to use for Impact Analysis? ...

Before answering these kind of questions, we'd better to understand some basic concepts of Casewise Corporate Suite.

Out of the box, Casewise has:

Object Types (i.e. Process, Organization, Location, Attribute, Domain, Entity, Application, Technology, etc)

Association Types between Source and Target Object Types (i.e. Source -> Target, Application -> Location, Organization -> Process, etc). Association Types are also part of Object Types.

Each of Object Type has its own Property Type (i.e. Id, Name, Category, Description, etc), and also might have multiple Objects.

After Casewise implementation, new Object Types (with associated Objects), new Association Types, new Properties (i.e, Single-line text, Multi-line text, Drop-down list, Check-box, etc), new Property Types for Out of the box Property Types, new Objects for Out of the box Object Types are defined, all of these are User Defined.

POLDAT is the abbreviation of Process, Organization, Location, Data, Application, Technology, which maps to Casewise Object Types: Process, Organization, Location, Attribute, Domain, Entity, Application and Technology.
In the hierarchy rule based diagram, Hierarchy Link only link 2 Objects on the diagram, doesn't provide any hierarchy associations from the database. But you could create an User Defined Association Type to enable this kind of associations (i.e. Used by, Using for) since Casewise's bi-dimensional associations feature dynamic make it possible.