Tag ' installation '

2nd August 202216th February 2023

August 2022 – Newsletter

Cradle-7.7 – Released

We are pleased to announce the release of Cradle-7.7 which is available now for download from the downloads section of the 3SL website. This is the latest version of Cradle.

3SL customers with active maintenance have been sent an e-mail notification, and details of which of their enhancement requests and bug reports are included in this new release. This is a significant Cradle release that increments the Cradle minor version number from 7.6 to 7.7. This means that the Security Codes for Cradle-7.6 or earlier will NOT work with this new Cradle-7.7 release. Therefore, if you want to upgrade to Cradle-7.7 then you MUST contact 3SL Support and request a Cradle-7.7 Security Code since your existing Cradle-7.6 Security Codes will NOT work with this new release.

New Cradle-7.7 Capabilities

This release contains a range of new capabilities, including:

Snapshots
Metrics added to graphs
New header option in views
New reports
Annular dial type added to Dashboards
Precision option added to Dashboards
Ability to test email setup from User Preferences

These new capabilities are shown below. For further information please refer to the Release Notes.

Snapshots

A snapshot is a read-only copy of all the information in a Cradle database at a specific point in time that can be viewed, in isolation, at any point in the future.

Snapshots can be created and selected from the Project tab in WorkBench:

Project ribbon in WorkBench — Snapshot options in WorkBench

Snapshots can also be created via the command line using c_prj.

When a user selects a snapshot, their access to information, cross references and definitions are determined by the contents of the user’s profile in the database, regardless of whether or not the user has a profile in the current snapshot and regardless of the contents of that user profile (if any) in the snapshot.

Snapshots are deleted from Project Manager or the command line (c_prj).

Metrics in Graphs

Cradle-7.7 includes a new type of graph which shows metric coverage or count of items with different categories set or unset. This is called a metric graph. An example is shown below:

Header Option in Views

A new Header option is now available in the dialog. This provides a way of showing grouped and coloured headings when output. Example output is shown below:

Example Output showing coloured header — Example output from WorkBench showing a coloured header

New Reports

A new Baseline Summary List report has been included in this release. This outputs each baseline on it’s own row in a table.

The Baseline Summary report has been renamed to Baseline Summary Compact.

A Sort by filter has also been added to both the Baseline List report, Baseline Summary List report and the Baseline Summary Compact report. This provides the option to sort by the baseline name, when the baseline was opened or when the baseline was closed.

Report Details Dialog showing Sort by options

Annular Dial Type in Dashboards

A new dial type has been added to dashboards – Annular %.

This is an annular percentage of a single dashboard bandset within which the KPI resides:

Precision Option in Dashboards

A Precision option has also been added to dashboards. This sets the count of numbers displayed around a dashboard dial:

Test Email Setup

The setup of emails can now be tested from User Preferences by selecting the new Test Email button:

Pressing the Test Mail button produces the Mail Test dialog where you choose an email recipient and whether you want to send the test email in plain text.

Please note the only user names shown in the Recipient drop down are Cradle users in the project who have an email address defined in their User Profile.

Download

You must contact 3SL for new Security Code(s) for Cradle-7.7. Cradle-7.7 will not accept Security Codes from Cradle-7.6 or any previous release.

Cradle clients (WorkBench, Web Access, Document Publisher for instance) and server (Cradle CDS) versions cannot be mixed. Therefore, you must upgrade all Cradle installations to 7.7.

Cradle-7.7 databases do not have the same format as Cradle-7.6 databases. Hence the Cradle-7.7 release includes a database converter for the transition from Cradle-7.6 to Cradle-7.7. Full details are available in the 7.7 release notes, and updated manuals in addition you can always contact support@threesl.com .

Single User Products

Please note that there are no maintenance services for single-user Cradle products. Therefore, if you have purchased any of the single-user Cradle-7.6 products:

- Cradle-RM Desktop
- Cradle-RM Pro
- Cradle-SE Desktop
- Cradle-SE Pro

then you will not be able to request a new Cradle-7.7 Security Code. If you want to update your single-user Cradle system to the new Cradle-7.7 release, then you must buy the new Cradle-7.7 release.

Help with Cradle-7.7

In conclusion, we’re pleased with the new capabilities in Cradle-7.7 most importantly we hope you will benefit by upgrading. If you are not already a customer and would like more information about Cradle, you can download the software and a free evaluation licence, find more on our website, or request a webinar. If you would like to read some independent reviews feel free to use your favourite search engine or take a look at Capterra.

Upcoming Training Courses

We still have places available on our August Requirements Management training course. The dates are 15th to 18th August. This is a great opportunity for small teams, or a couple of new team members to get started with RM and Cradle. Don’t worry if you can’t make the August RM course, we are holding another one in November.

In September we then have our Risk Management course. Learn how to identify, analyse, evaluate, treat and monitor the risks associated with activities or events within your business. This course is designed for project team leaders or managers who administer and manage risks.

To book a place on one of our online courses please click here!

30th August 201723rd August 2022

How do I fix api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll error?

Fixing “api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll” Error

If, during an install, you receive the error ‘api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing’ this is due to Microsoft® Windows updates not being applied. To fix this you need to:

Install Windows updates by:
1. Go to Start > Control Panel > Windows Updates
2. Check for updates
3. Install all available updates
4. After the updates are installed, restart your computer
5. After the restart repeat the steps above again until no more updates are available
Once ALL Windows updates have been installed, download the Visual V++ Re-distributable
1. For Windows 64-bit: Visual C++ Re-distributable for Visual Studio 2015 (64-bit)
2. For Windows 32-bit: Visual C++ Re-distributable for Visual Studio 2015 (32-bit)
Run the vcredist_x64.exe (64-bit) or vcredist_x86.exe (32-bit) and select Uninstall
Run the setup.exe again and select Install

23rd August 201725th August 2022

Silent Installs

What is a silent install and how do I do it with Cradle?

Silent installs are installations which do not require user interaction.

To perform a silent installation you will need to create a “setup.iss” file, this is created when making your recording for the silent installation by opening the command prompt and running setup.exe -r. After completing the installation you will have the “setup.iss” file in your system drive e.g C:\Windows.

You can now perform a silent installation with your recorded settings!

On the machine you would like to do the silent installation, place your setup.iss file in the same directory as the setup.exe. For full installations or server only installs, you will also need your security code which you place within a text file such as “code.txt“. You must only enter the Security Code on the first line and add a carriage return. For client only installs the file can be blank.

Now you have your files ready, open the command prompt navigate to your setup.exe directory and enter the following setup.exe code.txt -s

You are now running your silent installation!
Remember when you have finished you will need to restart the machine.

Please note this does not work with Toolsuite

If you would like more information on this please go to Cradle Documentation – Installation Guide – Windows and to Chapter 8. Or click here for Installation Types

8th June 2017

Do you publish printed manuals?

Need to read Documentation Away from the Office?

Cradle is shipped with an installable copy of the comprehensive online help system but sometimes we know paper printed manuals are easier to work through. You can scribble notes, you can take it to places where you are not allowed to use a confidential laptop, you can use it to prop up the wonky table^* in the station café when waiting for the train and your soup is slopping around.

Cradle Documentation

On Windows® you can find the help on an installed system under the Cradle Documentation menu option. Under here you will find all the printable manuals. We don’t publish these documents and leave it up to you whether you use them as an e-book or kill a tree.

On Linux manuals are installed in $CRADLEHOME\help\manuals

You can also get access to the help documents from within our main application in the Cradle suite. Use the Help menu from the main tool bars.

Not Installed?

OK so there are some cases where using the installed help is not practical. The old “Your email failed to send. For further assistance please email I.T.” scenario. So if you want to read the “Installation guide” for example then you can download versions from the Documentation area on the website.

In Summary

No we don’t actually publish printed manuals. Unless customers tell us otherwise we think providing an electronic documentation in a number of formats is the most flexible option. If you need further assistance don’t hesitate to contact your local distributor, call 3SL Headquarters or email support@threesl.com

(^* Please note using your e-book reader to stabilise a table is not recommend )

9th March 201713th August 2019

March 2017 Newsletter

New Release – Cradle 7.2

We are pleased to announce the release of Cradle-7.2:

Cradle-7.2 contains a range of new capabilities that are described in its Release Notes.

Customers with active maintenance have been sent an e-mail notification of this release, and details of which enhancement requests and bug reports are in it.

Some of the highlights are:

Full support for IPv6 networking
Availability of 64-bit Cradle for Linux, use of the latest Windows .NET and improved support of Office 2016
Locking projects and disconnecting users through Project Manager
Improvements in custom web UI components, and the as-supplied Basic web UI
Dashboards as dials in WorkBench and in web UIs
More flexibility with Change Tasks in the CM system
Extended quality checks in the Conformance Checker and for SysML in the Consistency Checker
Find and replace
Extensions to queries and views
New functional modelling options with PADs and IDEF0

Download and Installation

You need a new Security Code for Cradle-7.2, other Security Codes cannot be used. If you have not received a new code and are under maintenance, please contact support@threesl.com. If you would like to discuss upgrading an out of date system, please contact salesdetails@threesl.com. If you have a single user version you can purchase the latest revision at the 3SL shop.

There is a database conversion from 7.1 to 7.2. The converter which will run automatically if you install Cradle-7.2, over the top of, in the same directory as, the earlier version of Cradle from which you are upgrading.

You must upgrade all of your Cradle installation to 7.2. (clients and server) as mixed versions, e.g. Cradle-7.1 clients / Cradle-7.2 server, and vice-versa are not supported.

I have a Cunning Plan…..

OK it does not have to be cunning, it just has to be clear. Cradle provides a bi-directional integration with Microsoft Project® that allows a Cradle project to be associated with multiple Project schedules and bidirectional updates with Project. By linking activities in each schedule to become a WBS hierarchy in Cradle the loop is closed and the plan and the Cradle requirements and models are all linked.

The main reasons to control things this way is to ensure there is no inconsistency between the management planning and the project engineering. To ensure that each engineering activity is planned for and each element of the plan has some actual work assigned to it, avoiding incompleteness. A plan linked to Cradle communicates the holistic view of progress and items all in one place.

To read more on this topic, our whitepaper “Integrated Project Management from Cradle” can be read here.

Social Media

Facebook Twitter Link

Our Facebook account is connected to our Twitter feed, so if you can’t follow us on Twitter (@threesl), you can still get the hints and tips via your Facebook timeline, see the (3SLCradle) page.

YouTube Learning

Our popular YouTube channel has a number of ‘How to’ style videos to help you with particular aspects of Cradle, requirements management or systems engineering. We know that some of our customers may find a particular aspect complex, and although there is comprehensive online help documentation and articles provided, having a video take you through the steps can make a real difference. Of course 3SL can also offer full training, giving you broad coverage or highly tailored content as you require, contact us to discuss further.

Remembering the old adage “Tell me and I forget, Show me and I remember, Involve me and I understand” seems very appropriate. But what aspects are most appropriate to you our customer?

In this article 3SL’s managing director Mark Walker, asks for your feedback to guide 3SL’s video output.

“But the customer has sent it as an mp4!”

Your boss wants you to record the evidence of the test to provide full traceability
The testing house has sent a video of the compression strength test
You’re ‘stuck’ with all your requirements and tests in Cradle and now you have a video…

Don’t worry it’s not a problem. Although Cradle may not be able to play videos, it can store all sorts of information in its database, or by reference to external files. We provide a large list of files pre-defined, but Cradle can easily cope with new file types.

In this case you would add a binary frame to store video, you may have a directory alongside the Cradle database where these files reside, so an ‘As File’ frame would make sense, or if it is also to be controlled through the Cradle CMS (Configuration Management System) it could be “In PDB” (Project Database). You would choose our favourite app to view them in, then you would assign a frame of this type to your, say, TEST item type. Now you have the traceability you need with the test evidence referenced from the TEST item and links to the SYSTEM_REQUIREMENT through to the original customer Requirement.

In our LinkedIn discussion we describe adding a Document to an item.

Hints of the Month

Here are some links to helpful topics since our last newsletter, they should improve your Cradle experience:

A bright ‘Red’ box in the middle of the table screams Urgent/Highest/Action, when running a query you may wish to Highlight Important Values with Colour as described in this article.

Have you ever wondered what makes up the Content of a Cradle Database? Read the link for a simple overview.

No-one wants to lose their hard crafted work, our tips on Safeguarding Against Unintended Data Loss could ensure that if something does go wrong, you can limit its impact to your project and business.

8th March 20178th March 2017

Installation Issue With Office 2016 / 365 / ClickToRun

Recently several customers who use Office 2016 / 365 / ClickToRun have reported an installation issue with the Cradle Toolsuite for Microsoft Office. Its installer did not detect that Office 2016 / 365 / ClickToRun is installed.

Registry Solution

The problem is due to a recent Windows/Office update (we are not certain which one) which damages the default key in one of both of the registry folders:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\ClickToRunStore\Applications
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Office\16.0\ClickToRunStore\Applications

The solution to the problem is to fix the Default key value, as shown in the figure using regedit. After fixing this key, our installer will detect that Office 2016 / 365 / ClickToRun is installed, and it will correctly install the Toolsuite.

Please be careful when you edit the registry as damage to the registry can prevent Windows working. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this issue, which is outside our control

Further Help

Check the registery entries are set correctly as show. If you still have a problem, contact support@threesl.com

22nd December 201624th August 2022

Installation Issue With Windows C Runtime

During installation, some customers see messages that the Visual Studio 2015 C++ Runtime cannot be installed, or cannot be found, or they cannot install their Security Code, or none of the Cradle servers or tools will start. All of these issues mean that the Windows C runtime is not installed and runnable. All parts of Cradle use this library. The library will only install and run if all the necessary Windows updates are installed. However, the library does not ‘tell Windows’ which updates it needs.

Solution

To fix these issues, you must install Windows updates. Since updates may allow other updates to install, you repeatedly install all Windows updates until no more will install. See the figure. Your installation may not display exactly as shown. You may have multiple versions of the library installed.

You can view your Windows updates. If you want a list of updates, start PowerShell as Administrator and paste this code:

Get-WmiObject -Class “win32_quickfixengineering” | Export-Csv c:\temp\updates.csv
Select-Object -Property “Description”, “HotfixID”,
@{Name=”InstalledOn”; Expression={([DateTime]($_.InstalledOn)).ToLocalTime()}}

which creates a list of all Windows updates in the file: c:\temp\updates.csv

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

22nd December 201611th May 2017

Installation Issues With .NET Framework

During installation, some customers see messages that the .NET framework cannot be installed, or the currently-installed version cannot be found. Cradle needs the 4.6.1 or later release. We supply this version with Cradle-7.1 and later releases. All parts of the Cradle Toolsuite for Microsoft Office (including Document Loader, Document Publisher, SpellChecker, Project Link, Visio Link and so on) use .NET.

To fix these issues, you must install Windows updates. Since updates may allow other updates to install, you repeatedly install all Windows updates until no more will install. See the figure. Then install all remaining parts of Cradle. Your installation may not display exactly as shown. You may have multiple versions of the .NET framework installed.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.