From concept to creation
We have released a new Cradle Overview presentation here:
and as a short link here:
containing details of Cradle’s scope, applications, lifecycle coverage and process support, with details of 3SL’s related training, consultancy and web services.
Your opinions and feedback are welcome!
Model-based Systems Engineering represents systems engineering components in domains, gathering together the data and functions in a formalised manner. This helps with the exchange of data between different disciplines, stakeholders and customers within a common frame work. Element details are often represented as a symbol on a diagram.
A common systems modelling technique, for say the functional aspects, would be to show them in a multi-tier, time-sequenced, step-by-step flow diagram or eFFBD. The diagrammatic format makes it much easier to assimilate the whole concept.
Whilst our help offers good coverage of the modelling capabilities in Cradle. We understand getting to grips with the details of the tool can be complex. When you are working with a new diagram type for the first time, some of the symbols can look very similar. The palette on in the sidebar shows tootips, but hovering over each is not very efficient. If you are confused about which symbol is which, select ‘Draw‘ button from Tools ribbon. You will then see the name of each symbol alongside its icon.
Do you have something important that your users need to know? Rather than having to send an email, you can display messages on the Cradle login screen for all of your Cradle users to see. These are called “Login Messages”, and can communicate any number of things, for example:
The message is written in UTF-8 and so can be in any language. The login message appears on the right hand side of the login dialog. You can optionally include a checkbox that users must select to confirm that they have read the message. A user cannot login until this checkbox has been selected. Users must select the checkbox every time that they login. See this blog post for more information.
The login message is stored in the file: login_message in the admin directory of the Cradle installation on your Cradle server:
Linux: $CRADLEHOME/admin/login_message
Windows: %CRADLEHOME%\admin\login_message
This file contains notes which explain how to enter a message into the file, also includes examples. Any login_message files in an end users Cradle installation are ignored because the message is controlled on the server and displayed to all client machines.
More information about login messages in the Cradle help.
We are pleased to announce that our August 2016 newsletter is available here:
https://www.threesl.com/pages/news/webletter-August16/index.php
which announces Cradle’s availability as SaaS services on G-Cloud 8:
https://www.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk/g-cloud/search?q=3sl&lot=saas
and our new systems requirements white paper, and includes technical notes on topics including login messages, environment variables on Windows 10, and the new anniversary update to Windows 10.
We hope that you find it interesting and helpful!
Environment variables are user-defined strings whose values can be read by applications. The environment variables used by Cradle are:
• CRADLEHOME, specifies where Cradle has been installed
• CRADLE_CDS_HOST, specifies the IP address or hostname of the Cradle server
• CRADLE_UI_LANG, specifies the language to be shown in the Cradle UI. It can be used if Cradle has not detected your local language, or you want to force Cradle to use one language on a computer whose default is a different language.
• CRADLE_ERRORSTACK, used to get more detailed information from Cradle error logs
On Windows, there are system and user environment variables. A user environment variable will over-ride a system environment variable, if both exist.
On Windows, you can set environment variables by:
1. Open Control Panel
2. Choose User Accounts
3. Click: Change my environment variables
On Windows 10 this only works for users in an administrator group. This bug is fixed in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update released on 2nd August 2016. So, if you want to set or change environment variables on Windows 10, please apply this update.
To set or change environment variables on Windows 10 without this update you need write access to the Windows registry, and then you:
1. Press Windows+R to open the Run dialog, enter: regedit and click OK
2. Navigate to the registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER -> Environment
3. Define the environment variable that you want to add and its value, or change the value of an existing environment variable
4. Close the Registry Editor
5. Log-off and log-on, or reboot
This only affects environment variables when you login, which means that this method is inconvenient. But, it may be your only choice. The only good news is that you will not need to make these changes very often.
We are pleased to announce that Cradle is now available as SaaS through G-Cloud 8 for agile and phase-based projects.
We are offering a range of packaged #SaaS services that include #Cradle licences, a pre-defined schema and intensive support from #3SL for both unclassified (IL0) and OFFICIAL (certified IL3) deployments:
– Agile Collaboration
– Agile Software Development
– Agile Software Management
– Application Lifecycle Development
– Application Lifecycle Management
– Business Analysis
– Business Process Modelling
– Requirements Management
– Systems Engineering
Prices start at £20 per user per month.
For details, see here:
https://www.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk/g-cloud/search?q=3sl&lot=saas
and as a short link here:
http://ow.ly/X4Dd302Ohbe
and for a short summary of Cradle, see our video here: https://youtu.be/bgiQQ0N8bV4
We hope that you will find our services interesting! We look forward to working with you!
We are pleased to announce the third in our new series of white papers that will discuss the role of different types of information in systems engineering processes, and how to deploy each of them in Cradle.
The third white paper in this series discusses system requirements. It is available here:
Visit the Resources section of our website: www.threesl.com for this and many other useful resources!
We hope that this white paper is interesting, the next one will appear quite soon!
We have updated the white papers in our website:
https://www.threesl.com/downloads/white-papers.php
from where you can download the revised white papers related to Cradle:
– Document management
– Project management
– Information assurance
– Reuse and adaptations
– Regulation compliance
and also the white papers focused more on systems engineering concepts and their support in Cradle, specifically:
– Needs in Systems Engineering
– User Requirements in Systems Engineering
We hope that these are helpful!
Visit our site, download the papers and take a look!
Not all data in all projects should be visible to all users and roles. Hiding information in Cradle can be done in a number of ways.
A hierarchical access control is provided with Item Classifications. These Classification values restrict a user’s ability to see an item based on their clearance level. The values are a sequenced list, those users with a higher classification will be able to see items equal or at a lower classification than the level they hold. The classification is set on an item by item basis.
Entire item types can be hidden from users based on their skill. If you don’t want some users to see finance information, then ensure you create a finance item type. Create and assign a finances skill to this item type and then only give the skill to those who warrant it.
The same mechanism that controls complete access to an item type can also be used to assign RO accessibility. Regardless of the item’s state (draft/baselined etc.) users are only allowed RO access based on the skill they possess.
You can protect certain bits of information within an item from alteration by setting a skill which prevents updates by those without the skill.
Frames are used to hold larger blocks of data within an item. These could be paragraphs of text, binary documents (such as a spreadsheet) or just a date. Access to individual frame types can be controlled by a skill. Users without the skill will either not see the frame at all or will see it Read Only.
The privileges a user holds can control whether they can see information based on ownership. The normal pattern being users and the teams they belong to being able to see items owned by the users and their team. Access to information owned by teams to the side, above or below the current user is controlled by the User’s Privileges
The INCOSE 2016 show has now ended and we would like to send our thanks to everyone who visited us during the conference!
We would also like to thank those customers who presented papers during the event that included Cradle screen shots!
As #3SL was very busy during the event, If we were not able to spend as much time with you as you needed, then please contact us through LinkedIn or salesdetails@threesl.com
Once again, we would like to thank everyone for making the INCOSE show a success!
With best regards