Beginning the simulation tutorial for IDEF3 Process Flow diagrams

In this tutorial, we will simulate an IDEF3 Process Flow diagram that models the receiving and processing of Orders and Stock within Chelsea Hotels and Resorts. We will open the Simulation_Tutorial encyclopedia provided with System Architect, open a diagram already created in it, add simulation values to this diagram, and simulate it.

You normally begin working with System Architect by simply starting the tool and creating a new encyclopedia, or opening one that someone else has created. For this tutorial however, we will open a prebuilt encyclopedia that is shipped with the tool, called Simulation_Tutorial, that already has been populated with an IDEF3 Process Flow diagram.

Because it is shipped with the tool in the form of a database, the Simulation_Tutorial encyclopedia must first be attached to your server before you begin work. Attaching a tutorial encyclopedia to a database is performed using System Architect’s Startup Wizard; you can also use System Architect Encyclopedia Manager (SAEM), or Microsoft’s Enterprise Manager tool.

Work that you do in System Architect is stored in a project encyclopedia. You can create an encyclopedia for every project, or have multiple projects in one encyclopedia.

Encyclopedias are created as databases in either SQL Express, SQL Server 2000, SQL Server 2005, or Oracle. The relationship between the encyclopedia and the database is one-to-one. That is, the encyclopedia is a database; one database contains just one encyclopedia.

All of the diagrams and all of the definitions, both those associated with diagrams and those that are not, are in the encyclopedia. If you have several projects, you can have several encyclopedias, but that is entirely an individual decision.

For example, you can build an enterprise encyclopedia in which you keep all the information relating to your company’s standards as well as information that has been used in old projects. When the company decides to start a new project, such as an Accounts Payable (AP) system, those parts of the enterprise encyclopedia that should be used as a ‘leaping off point’ for the AP system are exported to a new encyclopedia. After the AP system has been completed, some of the information discovered in the process of designing that system might be merged into the enterprise encyclopedia.

Several ‘example’ encyclopedias are in directory <C>:\Program Files (x86)\UNICOM Systems\System Architect Suite\System Architect\Encyclopedias. They are provided as .mdf files, and include:

Prebuilt simulation tutorial encyclopedias are in directory <C>:\Program Files (x86)\UNICOM Systems\System Architect Suite\System Architect\Encyclopedias\Witness. Again, they are provided as .mdf files:

If you have installed the product using the default settings, you already have the Simulation_Tutorial encyclopedia attached to your local server.

1 Check to see if you already have the Simulation_Tutorial encyclopedia open – look in the title bar of System Architect and see if the word (Simulation_Tutorial) appears.

If so, you are ready to begin the tutorial. For the first tutorial step, skip to 2. Opening the IDEF3 Process Flow Diagram.

2 If you do not have the Tutorial encyclopedia open, you must open it. In System Architect, select File > Open Encyclopedia. In the Open Encyclopedia dialog, select the Existing tab.

3 In the Connection property choose your local server from the drop-down list. This will provide you with a list of encyclopedias that are connected to your server. The Connection acts as a pointer between the sever and the encyclopedia (database) that you are opening/creating.

4 Select Simulation_Tutorial in the Encyclopedias on connection property and select OK. You can toggle ‘on’ Open this encyclopedia at start up. This will make this encyclopedia the default encyclopedia that will automatically open each time you start System Architect.

5 If you do not see the Simulation_Tutorial encyclopedia then the encyclopedia has not been attached to your server. You will need to attach the Simulation_Tutorial.mdf file to your server before proceeding. For instructions on how to do so, see Optional step – using SAEM to attach the encyclopedia.