How to exporting / importing from IBM System Architect to PD ?

[former_member473830]

Hi all,

We need to find a solution to transfer our models from IBM System Architect to PowerDesigner. Presently, we use a tool called “Toolbus”. However, many objets doesn’t transfer to PowerAMC. We want migrate all Data models

Our objetif is have one unique modelisation data tool (PowerDesigner).

Generally, our diagrams are composed by:

• Class diagrams
• Sequence’s diagramms
• Use case’s diagramms

Do you know some way to import that information?? Does anybody migrated her models from System Architect to PD ??

System information:

• IBM System Architect 11.4
• PowerAMC 16.5
• Toolbus Interface for PowerDesigner and System Architect 4.15

Thanks for your help,

Camilo

[GeorgeMcGeachie · Accepted solution]

It's been a very long time (22 years) since I used System Architect, so my knowledge is probably way out of date - here are a couple of questions instead of an answer :

• can you export in XMI format? If so, you should probably be able to import the XMI into a PD OOM (XMI standards and their implementation vary, so keep your fingers crossed)
• if not XMI, can you export in some other XML format? If so, you could build your own XML Import in PD
• can you export the model as CSV or Excel? If so, you can import it via the wizard.

For all of the above, you could limit the export to just those things that Toolbus doesn't handle.

The Toolbus export uses the System Architect API, so perhaps you could use the API to build a simple CSV export - https://toolbus.de/convert_rational-system-architect_to_powerdesigner/.

[former_member473830 · Accepted solution]

Hi George,
Thanks for your reply.
We can export in XML format, file used by Toolbus to export our models to PowerAMC. However, I would like to try build our own XML Import in PD. Could you tell me more about it ?

If a understood, we have to define mappings between an XML schema and the PowerAMC metamodel. According to your experience, is this complicated? What knowledge do we need? Since we have thousands of objects, I am afraid that conception may take a long time

Regards,

Camilo Perez

[GeorgeMcGeachie]

freemind-mappings.jpgSearch the PD help for "Importing Objects from XML Files". It helps if you have the XML Schema for the export from System Architect. If not, make sure you have a sample file that contains all the metadata you need.

You do need to understand the schema for the XML Export - hopefully this uses meaningful names, and the structure is simple.

If you don't need to transform the model at all while you're importing it, it should be fairly simple to map the schema to the PD metamodel. See the attached file for mappings I created between a Mind Map created in FreeMind, and the PD Requirements model.

[former_member473830]

Thank you for taking your time to answer my question.