New Default Schemas

The structure of each Cradle database is defined in a schema. Cradle is supplied with four default schemas that you can use. You can create new default schemas. You can initialise your new Cradle database using any of your default schemas.

Default Schemas

A Cradle system can contain any number of databases. Each database can be used for one or more projects. Each database has a structure that is defined in a schema.

When you create a new database, you specify a default schema that will be used to initialise the schema in the new database  Cradle is supplied with four default schemas, called: empty, default, quick-start and SysML. 3SL provides documents that explain the contents of these default schemas.

New Default Schemas

Cradle can support any process for any type of project. The schema defines the types of information that you will need to follow your process.

You can create new default schemas to support any type of process for any type of project. For example, look at the following types of projects and lists of the item types that will be included in their schemas:

  1. Agile projects:
    • Sprint, iteration
    • Feature
    • Build and release
    • Test cases, test results
  2. Business Analysis projects:
    • Needs, goals, objectives
    • Business functions, processes, tasks
    • Organisations, groups, teams
    • Deliverables, reports  and other document types, artefacts, builds
    • Personnel types, skills, roles
  3. Enterprise Architecture projects:
    • Needs, goals, objectives
    • Processes, functions, tasks
    • Resources, systems, buildings and other facilities, area breakdown structure, site breakdown structure
    • Delivery phases, releases and builds
    • Organisations, groups, teams
    • Deliverables, reports  and other document types, artefacts, builds
    • Personnel types, skills, roles, organisation breakdown structure
  4. Requirements Management projects:
    • Needs, goals, objectives
    • Business requirements, user requirements, system requirements
    • Validations and verifications
  5. Application lifecycle management projects:
    • Needs, goals, objectives
    • Business requirements, user requirements, system requirements
    • Validations and verifications
    • Analysis models, logical models, architecture models, design models – built using MBSE using one or more of functional analysis, SASD, IDEF, ADARTS, UML and/or SysML notations
    • System breakdown structure (SBS)
    • Test cases and test results
  6. Project Management projects:
    • Needs, goals, objectives
    • Business requirements, user requirements, system requirements
    • Product requirements, managed in a library
    • Validations and verifications
    • System breakdown structure (SBS)
    • Product breakdown structure (PBS)
    • Part catalogue, suppliers, orders
    • Production schedules, production runs, batches, samples
    • Quality records, test cases, samples, test results

Location and Structure of Default Schemas

Each default schema is stored in the sub-directory:

admin/defaults

inside the Cradle installation on the server.

Inside this directory are:

  • A file called: prj_params that contains the schema
  • A directory tree containing the project-scope definitions, such as queries, views, forms and so on, called: definitions

Creating New Default Schemas

You can create your own default schemas by:

  • Decide on a name for your new default
  • Create a new directory with this name inside the admin/defaults directory in the Cradle installation on your server
  • Place the schema for the new default inside this directory in a file called: prj_params – you can copy the prj_params file from inside the database directory of an existing database, or use Cradle’s export to create it (see below)
  • Optionally copy some or all of the Project scope definitions from the definitions directory in an existing database

Export to Create a New Default Schema

You can export the schema using the Export Information dialog that is shon when you select Export from the Project tab in WorkBench.

If you can run WorkBench on the server, then you can export the schema directly into the new defaults directory:

Export to Create New Default Schemas
How to to Create a New Default Schema

Using Your New Default Schemas

When you create a new database in Project Manager, select the Schema drop-down list. This will display the list of default schemas. Any new schemas that you have created will appear in this list, for example:

Create Project dialog showing available schemas
Create Project dialog

Initial Expansions in Project Sidebar

Sidebar Expansion

The project sidebar offers a ‘raw’ view of the data stored in the Cradle Database. When first opened a list of item types is displayed. If there is a [+] indicator, then you can expect to expand the tree to lower levels.

In the example below Reference item type has been set up with an auto numbered ID and the Key being the  hierarchical attribute. A rule has been defined to allow the items to be linked to items of the same type with the “RELATED TO” link type.

  • All (All Items) This will show all the items of that type (subject to the user preference limits) when the node is expanded. Other than in very sparse databases this is not usually that a user wants to show.
  • Top (Top Level Items) This is more akin to looking at the level1 headings in a document. These are the items you have designated as having the most significance. They have no links down to them links. In the example you’ll see that item REF-4 (3.1) may appear to be a sub level item, but it has not been linked to a parent.
  • Bottom (Bottom Level Items) These are the leaves of the tree, the items that have no further downward links to children.
  • Disconnected (Not Linked to Anything) These items have no parents or children,  REF-6 (3.1.2) is shown here. This indicated an item that has been unlinked or its parents have been removed and either needs re-linking or reordering below a new parent.
Expansions of the main Project tree
Tree Levels

The last Disconnected  (Not Linked to Other Item Types) option in the menu looks at item of different types when deciding to list the item or not.