Using ElaborView with ElaborView Server

A common way for end users to review and comment on your model would be to export the related diagram(s) as images and send them to the user via email. Users then review your work and reply your email with comments. While this approach works to some extent, it is not very efficient. First, the fact that the comments are detached from the design makes it hard to relate. If you print the diagrams out and comment on the hard copy, it is just as cumbersome. Second, emails may not necessarily reach the users due to mail filter blocking, especially for emails with file attachments.

To address this issue, Visual Paradigm has introduced ElaborView.

ElaborView provides you with a design review tool. With ElaborView, the modeler sends the designs to a server, namely the ElaborView server. Then, the end user downloads the designs from the server and starts reviewing. To add comments on the designs directly and efficiently, there are a number of annotation tools available for end users. Upon completion of the review, the end user submits the comments back to the server. The modeler then receives and studies the comments in order to make the necessary changes accordingly.

In this tutorial, we will demonstrate how to use ElaborView to give comments on a business process diagram (BPD). Two parties will be involved in the process - the modeler and the user. You can complete this tutorial with another colleague, or by acting as both the modeler and user yourself.

Requirements

In order to complete this tutorial, you need to have:

1. Basic knowledge of modeling in Agilian
2. Agilian 3.1 or higher installed
3. ElaborView Client 1.0 or higher installed
4. Two valid email addresses

Downloading and Installation of ElaborView Server

When a design is ready for the end user to review, the modeler can send it to the ElaborView Server. In this section, we will walk through the installation of ElaborView Server.

1. Visit the download page of ElaborView Server.
2. Download ElaborView Server. Since ElaborView Server is one of the modules in Visual Paradigm Server (VP Server), you will be re-directed to download VP Server.
3. Create a folder for storing the server program. For example, C:\VP-Tutorial.
4. Extract the downloaded zip file of VP Server to that folder. A path C:\VP-Tutorial\VPServer\scripts will be automatically created during the process.
5. Start the server by running VPServer\scripts\startup.bat. A console will open. Do NOT close it until the end of this tutorial. Otherwise the server will stop running.
6. Open a web browser.
7. Go to http://127.0.0.1:1999/. Note that 1999 is the default port of VP Server.
8. Enter your organization's name and the administrator's password. Click Select Module at the bottom right corner.
9. Select the ElaborView Module. Click Configure Database/Module at the bottom right.
   
10. Keep the database settings unchanged (i.e. using Localized DB). Click Configure Module at the bottom right.
11. Fill in YOUR OWN mail server settings. Do not enter what you see in the image below as that is for demo purpose only. Before you continue, click on Send test email and check your email inbox to make sure the mail settings are correct. It is extremely important that you have valid mail server settings. If not, you will not be able to continue with the next section.
    
    

    If you are unclear about the mail server setting, you may look up in your Email client, or try to search on the Internet with keywords like "mail server 0". You may also find the following pages helpful if you are using Gmail or Yahoo. Gmail - http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=13287 Yahoo Mail - http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/mail/classic/mailplus/pop/pop-14.html

12. Click Finish. This completes the server setup.

Modeler - Designing

In this section, we will draw a simple business process diagram. The diagram will be sent to the ElaborView Server for commenting in the next section.

1. Start Agilian.
2. Create a new project by selecting File > New Project from the main menu. Name the project Online Shop. Click Create Blank Project to continue.
3. Create a business process diagram by clicking on Business on the toolbar. Select Business Process Diagram from the popup menu.
   
4. Press F2 to enter Order Processing for diagram name. Press Enter to confirm editing.
   
5. Draw a diagram as shown below.
   

Modeler - Sending Design to ElaborView Server

As the design is now complete, let's move on to send the design for end user to review and comment.

1. Open the ElaborView Manager by selecting File > ElaborView Manager... from the main menu.
   
2. You need to create an account for yourself. Click on the ... button next to the drop down menu of Connection name.
   
3. In the Login dialog box, click on Add Connection.
4. Enter 127.0.0.1 for hostname. This is where the ElaborView Server got installed. Since the server is running on this computer in this tutorial, we enter 127.0.0.1, for local host IP.
   
5. Click on Request Account.... Click Yes when you are prompted to save connection.
6. Enter a valid email address for modeler, the display name and captcha (as shown in the image). Click Request.
   
7. Check your email inbox. You should receive an activation email sent by ElaborView. If you do not find such email, check the junk folder to make sure it was not filtered by the mail program. Click on the activation link in the email and it will open a web browser.
   
8. In the web browser, enter a password of your choice and re-enter to confirm. Click Activate.
   
9. Go back to Agilian. Enter the password you've just entered in the Password field and click Connect.
   
10. Those who are going to review your design are called reviewers. You, as a modeler, have to invite reviewers to review your design. Click on Invite Reviewer....
    
11. Enter a valid Email address for the reviewer, the display name and enter captcha. Click OK. In order to complete this tutorial, make sure you can receive email with the email addresses you provided.
    
12. Reviewer should decide to accept or reject the invitation. Check the reviewer's email inbox for the invitation email. Click on the Accept link in the email and it will open a web browser.
    
13. In the web browser, enter a password of your choice and click Activate.
    
14. In ElaborView Manager, click on the Refresh button (double arrow) to let ElaborView manager register reviewer's acceptance.
    
15. Now, you can send the business process diagram to the ElaborView Server. Click on Send to ElaborView Server....
16. In the Send to ElaborView Server window, keep the project name unchanged, keep Reviewer selected as reviewer and select the diagram Order Processing to send to server. Click Export.
    
    Now, an ElaborView project has been created in the server and Reviewer can start commenting with ElaborView.

End User - Commenting

After the designs get sent to the ElaborView Server, the end user can start commenting.

1. Start ElaborView Client. If you have not downloaded it already, please download it on the download page of ElaborView Client.
2. Click on the SERVER tab and select Login... from the popup menu.
   
3. In the Login window, click Add Connection.
4. Enter the hostname and port no. of VP Server, reviewer's email address and password specified in the previous section. Click Connect.
   
5. Click Yes when you are prompted to download updates available.
6. Double click on project Online Shop to open it.
   
7. Double click on diagram Order Processing to open it.
   
8. On the left you will see some tools for commenting. Let's say task Register is not necessary in the business process. Select the Pencil tool.
   
9. Draw a line across task Register.
   
10. Yellow seems not clear enough. Let's change it to red. Select Red.
    
11. Draw another line through task Register to form a cross.
    
12. Let's just say that you also want to add a new task after the Checkout task, for the need of submitting payment details. Click on the task Checkout.
    
13. Click on the Note tool.
    
14. This creates a note. Enter in the box Add "Submit Payment Details after this task."
    
15. You have finished reviewing and commenting. Let's submit the comments back to the server. Click on Submit Diagram... at the bottom. Click Submit when you are prompted to enter comments.
    

Modeler - Improving Design

Now, the project owner can get those feedbacks from the server and study the comments made by Reviewer.

1. Go back to Agilian.
2. Open the ElaborView Manager.
3. Under the Server tab, click on Get ElaborView Submission.... When you are prompted to download submission, click Yes.
   
4. Select the submission entry in table. Click on Open.
   
5. You can see in the business process diagram the comments Reviewer made. Click on the items one by one to study.
   
6. Amend the design based on Reviewer's comment. First, add a task Submit Payment Details after the Checkout task. Move the mouse pointer over the sequence flow between the task Checkout and end event. Click on the resource icon Split with Shape.
   
7. Select Task from the popup menu. This creates a task. Name it Submit Payment Details.
   
8. As the requested task is added, mark the note as read. Right click on the note on the diagram and select Mark as Read. This removes it from the diagram.
   
9. Delete task Register as requested by user.
   
10. When all of the comments have been processed, click Mark Done in the bottom panel.
    
11. Open ElaborView Manager. Click on Complete(Updated) on the ElaborView project listed in the Export section. When you are prompted for confirmation, click Yes. This causes the status to change from Updated to Completed. This is the end of this tutorial.
    

Related Links

1. User's Guide of ElaborView