Model Bridge

Importing a model

Import Tab

For most tools the first step in importing a model into the model bridge is to save that model into the design tool's "export format", or for those bridges that require and application programming interface (API) connection for the bridge to function, you must ensure that the API is installed and configured properly. See the bridge tools tips section for more details on how to export the models from each design tool after selecting the appropriate tool from the Import Bridge Combo box.

Once you have the model in the appropriate format and any API configuration completed, you should:

1. Specify the mandatory (identified by *) bridge parameters of the import file/directory,
2. Possibly modify the other default bridge parameters,
3. Optionally specify a model validation level,
4. Optionally specify a remote MIMB Web Service to execute the bridge on, and
5. Optionally specify a transformation to the imported metadata, then
6. Click on the "Import" button.

Tip: You may skip directly to the Export tab in order to configure the export bridge after step 5 above, then click the Export button which will perform both the import and export.

Note: Larger models may not easily visualize in the View tab. If you experience difficulties or slowness, you may increase the system heap size for java. Please refer to the MIRSetup.xml file in Metaintegration\conf directory for this parameter.

Bridge Parameters

For most bridges, you specify a path to an import file, or the path to the API in the bridge parameters. Additionally, you may change the behavior of the bridge by modifying one or more of its parameters.

To modify a parameter, simply select the parameter line and click in the value area. You will then be allowed to choose a new value from a predefined list or to enter a specific value. In the case of a path or filename parameter, you will be given a browse button, which opens a file find dialog box, allowing you to select the file or directory for that bridge parameter.

You can save permanently the values you have set by clicking on the Save Current Settings button. If you switch to another tool and back to this one or if you stop the tool and restart it, the values you have saved will be reestablished.

The Bridge Defaults button allows you to reset the values to the default values provided by the bridge.

The Recall Settings button allows you to restore previously saved parameter values.

Validation Level

The validation level you selection determines the level of consistency checking that the bridge will perform against the model after importing and parsing the source file or API results. The validation operation analyzes the model to make sure that it respects the semantic rules defined for the MIR meta-model. This process includes making sure that the cardinality links are valid but also more sophisticated checks such as ensuring that a candidate key refers to only attributes of the class it is defined for.

There are three levels of validation:

• No Consistency Check
  When this level of validation is selected no consistency check is performed. It is recommended that you only use this level if you are confident the model will be valid. Subsetting, transformations and export operation may not work properly if the source model is invalid.
• Basic Consistency check
  This is the recommended validation level.
• Detailed Consistency check
  This validation level performs more thorough consistency checking. However, these tests are redundant if the import bridge is correct. This option is provided mainly so that bridge developers can check the correctness of their bridges.

Import Bridge Transformations

The Transformation... button allows you to define simple operations to be performed on the incoming meta-data. Select an Algorithm from the combo box, and various options will be provided to customize this operation.

Mapping Specification

The Mapping... button provides an interactive report detailing how the selected bridge maps (and thus imports) the meta-data from any the source tool into the MIR Meta-model, as well as, how this meta-data in turn maps (and thus exports) the same meta-data to any export format or tool. These mapping specifications reflect the format bridge validation and operational specifications.

You may save the list to a comma separated file format (.CSV) or as XML using the Save As... button.

Remote MIMB Web Service Bridge Execution

Many bridges use an application programming interface (API) provided by the tool vendor in order to execute. In these cases a particular client software version generally must be installed on the machine (e.g., the workstation) on which MIMB is installed and running.

If you are attempting to run such an API-based bridge and do not have the appropriate tool client installed, you may still execute the bridge remotely, using either a local or remote file reference. The Execute On option allows you to execute the bridge on another machine. In order for this operation to work, the following items MUST be configured correctly on the remote machine (where you wish to run the bridge from):

1. Meta Integration Web Services must be installed and have a valid license key or shared license from a license server (see MIMBReadme.html)
2. Meta Integration Web Services must be started either directly as a service or using the Meta Integration Web Services Start selection in the Start->Meta Intetegration menu
3. The client for the particular tool must be installed and functioning in conformance with the tool tip for the bridge selected.

In order to run the bridge remotely on that machine, simply select it from the Execute On pull-down. If the particular remote machine you want is not in the list, then you may select Add/Remove/Edit or choose the "..." button, and add the host name/ip address and port (as specifed in MIRSetup.xml on the remote machine).

When executing a bridge remotely, references to supporting files may either refer to the local machine, or the remote machine, but not both. You select which to use with the pull-down to the right of the Execute On pull-down.