Default Entityclass Attributes

An Entity Class is a collection of entities sharing the same attributes.

Here follows a description of the default attributes of an entity class, grouped in the sections: identity, information, extra, user-defined, and history and usage:

Section: Identity

This section contains attributes that focus on identifying an entity.

Attributes
  • ID - This is a system-generated unique number for this entity type.
  • GUID - This is a worldwide generated unique ID. A GUID can be imported with the data entity.
  • Class (or Entity Class) - This defines what conceptually and logically the object is.
  • Name - This is a descriptive name of an entity. A name does not have to be unique. A name can contain a..Z A..Z spaces dashes. A name cannot contain commas, semicolons, quotes, or double quotes.
    If the name matches with other names for other entities in this cabinet, a list box is generated showing these names. This helps you to use unique names as much as possible. Note: It is a good practice to have naming conventions.
    If you want a cabinet to enforce unique names, set that in the settings.
  • Title - A title is an attractive name for an entity. The text can be used on visualizations or in reports when a name is too functional or technical.
  • Reference (Ref) - A reference is a free format ID you can optionally assign to an entity. You can also place IDs of other entity classes here. Like a viewid, modelid or visualizationid.
  • Image Location - You provide a local folder from your accounts sites folder or a URL of a bitmap (.png, .gif, etc...) here.
  • Description - You provide a descriptive text here. This description can be used for as long as you like. A best practice is to keep it under 1024 characters. For long descriptions, use the entity text attribute.
  • Image Bitmap - The image will be shown here if you have provided an image location. You can use this image in visualizations or reports.
  • Type - You provide a type for the entity here. A type is a subset of a class. If the entity class is an application, a type could be core or tool. If the entity class is a process, the type could be business or production.
  • Shape - this holds the name of the shape used to represent an instance of a class. By default, the vector shape with the same name as the Dragon1 icon library is used. A rectangle or rounded rectangle is often used as a shape for the entity class element.
  • Version Nr - A system-generated number indicating the version stored in this entity. You can use older versions of an entity on visualizations and reports.
  • Folder - You can change the folder an entity is in here.
  • Dossier - You can change the dossier an entity is in here.
  • Cabinet - You can change the cabinet an entity is in here.
  • Document URL - You can enter a link to a document here. You can use this link to generate clickable links to documents in visualizations.
  • Owner - You can provide an owner for this entity here. This is a free format attribute. But you can use IDs or unique names and match them on visualizations and in a report with, for instance, stakeholders or persons.
  • Primary User - You can provide the primary user for this entity here. This is a free format attribute. You can use IDs or unique names and match them on visualizations and in a report with, for instance, stakeholders or persons.

Section: Information

This section contains attributes that focus on informing an entity.

Attributes
  • Tags - You can provide a comma-separated list of tags here to use in views, visualizations, and reports.
  • Visible - You can select here if an entity is visible in lists, on visualizations, and in reports.
  • Deleted - You can select if an entity is logically deleted here. You can undelete an entity via the recycle bin. If you want to remove an entity from the database, you first need to set an entity to Deleted.
  • Date Created - You can change the date an entity was created here.
  • Date Edited - You can change the date an entity was last edited and created.
  • Created By User Id - You can change the user who created an entity here.
  • Edited By User Id - You can change the user who last edited an entity.
  • Category - You can provide a category for the entity from a list of categories here. Every account can have one list of categories. All cabinets share the list of categories.
  • Weight - You can provide here a weight number. The lower the number, the higher an entity ranks in a list in the repository, on a visualization, or in a report.
  • Data Source - You provide here the source of the data of this entity
  • Data Source Holder - You provide here who owns or manages the data source. Data quality is dictated by the reliability of the data source and its holder.

Section: Extra

This section contains attributes that often are of secondary importance to an entity

Attributes
  • Benefit - You can provide here optionally the benefit an entity has. For instance, an application increases efficiency.
  • Costs - You can provide here the costs of an entity. For instance, purchasing costs or maintenance costs. If you want to administer various costs, you can create user-defined attributes.
  • Date Introduced - You can optionally provide the date an entity is or will be introduced into the organization here.
  • Date Phased Out - You can optionally provide here the date an entity is or will be phased out of the organization.
  • Locked - You can select here if users other than the creator can change this entity.
  • Usage - You can provide here for what this entity is used. For instance, an email application can also be used for workflow assignments.
  • Justification - You can justify having this entity in the organization here.
  • Publication Status - You can provide here the publication status of the entity.
  • Workflow Status - You can provide the entity's workflow status here. Depending on the workflow status, certain roles can or cannot change certain attributes of this entity or change the status from a certain value to another value.
  • Life Cycle Status - You can provide here the life cycle status of the entity.
  • Dynamic Link - You can link to a model, view, visualization, or atlas here. You do that by entering an ID or a name. If the name is not unique, the entity with the lowest weight will be chosen. You can generate the dynamic link on visualizations and reports.
  • Text - If you have long texts, like a procedure description or product specification, you can enter a text here that can be as long as you want. You can make use of HTML markup.
  • Notes - You can place notes for the entity here. If stakeholders have commented on this entity in the Viewer, the comments will end up in the notes attribute.

Section: User Defined

This section contains user-defined attributes. By editing the form, you can, per entity class, name any number of user-defined values. These values can be text, number, dates, and reference IDs of other entity classes. In that case, a browser button will be generated.

Below, we have provided common use examples for 12 values:

Attributes
  • Value1 - Throughput
  • Value2 - Threshold
  • Value3 - # Incidents
  • Value4 - Protocol
  • Value5 - Legal Basis
  • Value6 - Legislation
  • Value7 - Definition
  • Value8 - KPI
  • Value9 - Contract Reference
  • Value10 - Client Reference
  • Value11 - Product Dimensions
  • Value12 - Product Weight

Section: History and Usage

This section contains an entity's history of changes and usage log.

Normally, one imports log files to enter the data for these attributes but can also be entered manually.

Attributes
  • History - This is a list of changes made to an entity. For instance, when a server was bought, installed, or put into maintenance.
  • Usage - This is a list of usages of an entity. For instance, when was a user profile or model accessed and viewed?