Enterprise Architect

New Features

Enterprise Architect Version 8 - New Feature Highlights

Sparx Enterprise Architect version 8, released April 2010, is a major new version with many updates. New features include:

Enhanced User Interface

• Easily hide or show elements in a diagram using the diagram filtering capabilities. Filters feature extensive functionality so you can show/hide exactly what's required
• Numerous updates to the debugger interface to improve debugging productivity
• Use the new Workspace Layout Manager to quickly switch between analysis, developer and tester roles and their defined window layouts.

Improved performance

• Enhanced general performance brings speedier start-up times, model loading, code importing and more
• New index packs for large repositories improve performance for large server-based repositories
• New 'Load on Demand' functionality for local EAP models to improve model loading times.

New Structured Scenario support

• A new structured scenario editor makes it easy to edit and manage scenarios for Use Case models
• Structured scenarios can include numbered steps of either actor or system types, step descriptions, uses, result and state fields for describing structure scenarios and links to alternate paths, glossary items or other elements
• Use your scenarios to generate acceptance tests, activity graphs, state charts and other behaviour diagrams

New execution profiler

• Get timing information on native Windows applications - find out which functions are called the most and which tasks take longest
• Get real-time visualisations with call graphs of individual threads
• Generate reports and store them as resource items in the Team Review center
• Note: requires your application's source code and PDB files to run.

Numerous productivity enhancements

• Access testing, project management, structured scenarios and maintenance items from the enhanced Element Browser. Context sensitive functionality provides an easy, intuitive way to launch appropriate actions
• The note editor can now highlight glossary terms and can highlight spelling mistakes (via blue and red underlines, respectively). Glossary terms also support auto-completion and intellisense suggestions
• Source code editor now supports syntax highlighting for VBScript and JScript, improves the way it manages unknown source code, allows line numbers to be toggled on and off and much more.

RTF Reporting

• RTF-based reporting functionality has been improved with more logicial Section Tree sorting which sorts sections in the same order as they are found in the document
• New section/field support includes the addition of 'version' field to external requirement's section, new pre/post constraints section, new structured scenarios section, new linked feature section and more
• Improved template editing capabilities and numerous bug fixes and performance enhancements.

New workflow features

• New Workflow Script Processing provides enhanced model management and collaborative development
• Workflow scripts can now use user permissions, compare current and proposed values and issue warnings for denied changes
• Combine Workflow scripts and Model Search for a running list of personal tasks.

Easier licence management

• New 'KeyStore Service' is a network wide licence management service for managing EA shared keys for floating licences
• Locally running instances of EA can connect to the management service running on a remote machine and request a key from it
• Log and report on all shared key usage events and statistics
• Admin dashboard provides overview of floating licence and key usage.

And more

• Support for the Unified Profile for DoDAF and MODAF (UPDM)
• Improved support for Oracle database engineering, Informix database engineering and SQL Server database engineering
• Improved Vista and Windows 7 compatibility.

There are literally hundreds more enhancements, please see the documents and downloads section for a comprehensive list of new features within version 8.

Benefits

Highly Capable - High End features at a sensible price
Enterprise Architect is a comprehensive UML analysis and design tool, covering software development from requirements gathering, through to the analysis stages, design models, testing and maintenance. EA is a multi-user, Windows based, graphical tool designed to help you build robust and maintainable software. It features flexible and high quality documentation output. The user manual is available online.

Speed, Stability and Performance
The Unified modeling Language provides significant benefits in helping to build rigorous, traceable models of software systems in a consistent manner. Enterprise Architect supports this process in an easy to use, fast and flexible environment. For a quick look at UML modeling in Enterprise Architect see our UML tutorials and white papers.

End-to-End traceability
Enterprise Architect provides complete traceability from requirements analysis and design artefacts, through to implementation and deployment. Combined with in-built task and resource allocation, Project managers and QA teams are equipped with the information they need to help deliver projects on schedule.

Build upon UML 2.1
Enterprise Architect’s foundations are built upon the UML 2 specification - but it doesn’t stop there! Use UML Profiles to extend the modeling domain, while Model Validation ensures integrity. Combine Business Processes, Information and Work Flows in the one model using our free extensions for BPMN and the Eriksson-Penker profile. Keep your stakeholders informed with our free Readonly Viewer.

Support for all 13 UML 2 diagrams and more
Structural Diagrams:

• Class
• Object
• Composite
• Package
• Component
• Deployment Behavioral Diagrams:
• Use Case
• Communication
• Sequence
• Interaction Overview
• Activity
• State
• Timing Extended:
• Analysis (simple activity)
• Custom (for requirements, change, UI)

EA helps you manage complexity with tools to track dependencies, support for very large models, version control with CVS or SCC providers, baselining for point in time snapshots, compare (diff) utility to track changes to the model, intuitive and high performance interface with 'explorer like' project view.

EA provides powerful document generation and reporting tools with a full WYSIWYG template editor. Generate complex and detailed reports from EA with the information you need in the format your company or client demands.

EA supports generation and reverse engineering of source code for many popular languages, including C++, C#, Java, Delphi, VB.Net, Visual Basic, ActionScript and PHP. Free add-ins for CORBA and Python are also available. With a built in 'syntax highlighting' source code editor, EA lets you quickly navigate and explore your model source code in the same environment. For those working in Eclipse or Visual Studio.Net, Sparx Systems also sell lightweight bridges to these IDE's, letting you model in EA and jump directly to the source code in your preferred editor. Code generation templates let you customize the generated source code to your company specifications.

EA helps you visualize your applications by supporting reverse engineering of a wide range of software development languages and database repository schema. Bring in complete frameworks from source code or Java .jar files - or even .Net binary assemblies! By importing frameworks and library code, you can maximize re-use and understanding of your existing investment.

EA supports advanced Model Driven Architecture (MDA) transformations using easy to edit and develop transformation templates. With built in transformations for DDL, C#, Java, EJB and XSD, you can quickly develop complex solutions from simple 'platform independent models' (PIM) that are target at 'platform specific models' (PSM). One PIM can be used to generate and synchronize multiple PSM's - providing a significant productivity boost.

Licensing

Enterprise Architect is sold as a licensed product according to the terms and conditions of the EULA. Purchasing a license makes you a registered user for 12 months, which entitles you to:

• Download and activate the current, full version of EA.
• Access free updates and new builds for a period of 12 months.
• Access Sparx Systems' email support services for 12 months.
• Access the registered users area and any associated resources for 12 months.

Important: At the end of the initial free maintenance period, you can continue to use the latest build of EA that you have downloaded -OR- renew your maintenance agreement for a further 12 months of access to new builds, upgrades and support.

Editions

Main Editions

Desktop Edition

The Desktop Edition is a cost-effective edition targeted at a single developer producing UML analysis and design models. The Desktop Edition features advanced UML modelling and business process modelling support, HTML and RTF reporting capabilities, version control integration, mind mapping capabilities for the collection of ideas, tasks and concepts, an automation API and more.

Professional Edition

The Professional Edition is aimed at small groups, analysts and developers. It adds support for code, database, WSDL and XML schema engineering along with debugging and visualisation support, replicated projects and shared models for easier collaboration, support for reverse engineering Java and .NET binaries, report customisation capabilities and a project discussion forum.

Corporate Edition

The Corporate Edition adds model auditing capabilities, diff/merge capabilities, role-based security features and support for storing models in a database repository.

Suite Editions

Business & Software Engineering Edition

The Business & Software Engineering Edition adds code generation capabilities for behavioral models, math support in the available script engines, BPEL generation from BPMN 1.1 diagrams and business rules composer to build fact models and generate code to implement complex business rules in standard programming languages.

The Business & Software Engineering Edition also includes the following MDG (Model Driven Generation) products: MDG Technology for UPDM, MDG Technology for Zachman Framework, MDG Technolog for TOGAF, MDG Integration for Visual Studio, MDG Link for Visual Studio, MDG Integration for Eclipse and MDG Link for Eclipse.

Systems Engineering Edition

The Systems Engineering Edition adds support for Ada 2005 code engineering, HDL code engineering and profiles and support for SysML 1.1.

The Systems Engineering Edition also includes the following MDG (Model Driven Generation) products: MDG Technology for UPDM, MDG Technology for SysML, MDG Technology for DDS, MDG Integration for Visual Studio, MDG Link for Visual Studio, MDG Integration for Eclipse and MDG Link for Eclipse.

Ultimate Edition

The Ultimate Edition includes all Enterprise Architect functionality and also includes the following MDG (Model Driven Generation) products: MDG Technology for UPDM, MDG Technology for Zachman Framework, MDG Technology for TOGAF, MDG Technology for SysML, MDG Technology for DDS, MDG Integration for Visual Studio, MDG Link for Visual Studio, MDG Integration for Eclipse, MDG Link for Eclipse and MDG Integration for TcSE.

Subscriptions

Purchasing a license for Enteprise Architect makes you a registered user for 12 months, which entitles you to:

• Download and activate the current, full version of EA.
• Access free updates and new builds for a period of 12 months.
• Access Sparx Systems' email support services for 12 months.
• Access the registered users area and any associated resources for 12 months.

Important: At the end of the initial free maintenance period, you can continue to use the latest build of EA that you have downloaded -OR- renew your maintenance agreement for a further 12 months of access to new builds, upgrades and support.

Subscription Benefits
When you purchase Enterprise Architect you are entitled to the following benefits for 12 months:

• Access to the Sparx Systems email support service

• The current full version of EA - regardless of if it is a major or minor release (EA, EA Unicode, EA for Linux, EA Lite)
• Zipfiles for the latest EA and EA Unicode versions - to save you downloading the whole installation file each time there is new version released
• User security key to enable security in EA Corporate edition
• SQL scripts and patches for SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle9i, PostgreSQL, MSDE and Adaptive Server Anywhere
• Selected previous versions of EA
• EA example projects
• Priority support for registered users
• Priority bug reporting for registered users
• UML tutorials
• UML white papers
• Sample EA projects
• Tips and techniques
• MSI installers
• EA dictionary
• EA helpfiles in PDF, CHM and HTML format

Renewal of Annual Maintenance/Subscription
If you purchase an Enterprise Architect license, at the end of the 12 months you have the option to renew your subscription for a further year to continue receiving subscription benefits. If you decide to renew, you must renew each of the expired licenses you intend to update, at the renewal rate for edition type you hold.

Please note that upgrades do not come with maintenance.

System Req.

Windows Version

• Intel Pentium processor (or better)
• Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 2008, Windows 7
• 128 MB of RAM (256MB or higher recommended)
• 150 MB of available hard-disk space
• 800*600 (1024x768 or higher recommended) monitor resolution

Linux Version

• Intel Pentium II processor (or equivalent)
• CodeWeavers' CrossoverOffice 8.0.0 (or later), Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) 2.8, DCOM95, Internet Explorer 6
• Linux Operating System (kernel 2.4 or later)
• 64 MB of RAM (128 MB or higher recommended)
• 150 MB of available hard-disk space
• 800*600 (1024*768 or higher recommended) monitor resolution

Database Support for Corporate Edition and above

• SQL Server 2005 or later
• MySQL
• Oracle 9i and 10g
• PostgreSQL
• MSDE
• Adaptive Server
• MS Access
• Progress OpenEdge