Skip to content

Part 5 business solution model

Business Solution Model#

In this tutorial, we will demonstrate how to create a solution model for a business case using the enterprise model as the basis. The business solution model will only use a subset of the enterprise model and not add any new concepts. This model is intended for a business user that only needs to select the part of the enterprise model that is relevant for their business case.

We will build on the Enterprise model from Extending an Enterprise Data Model.

Introduction#

We met Camilla in Extending an Enterprise Data Model, she was interested in the forecast produced by Olav. This triggered Olav to work with Svein Harald, the head Information Architect, to extend the Enterprise Model, with input from Camilla. Now that the Wind Farm forecasts are available, Camilla wants to create her own business solution model. This will be the basis for dashboard for the trading department with the most up-to-date forecast for the power production of Acme Corporation's wind farms.

Download the Enterprise Model#

Camilla starts by using NEAT to download the enterprise model. She opens NEAT and selects the Import DMS workflow, and then clicks on the Import DMS step. This opens the modal with the configuration for the import

Camilla selects the following options:

  • Data model id: This is the ID of the enterprise model, power:power_to_consumer(version=0.1.0).
  • Report formatter: This is used in the validation of the model. The current solution model should be valid, so this is likely not needed.
  • Role: This is which format Camilla wants to output the downloaded model. Camilla is not an expert implementation she just wants to select the concepts she wants, thus she select information_architect

Furthermore, he clicks on the Create Excel Sheet step which opens a modal with the configuration for the export

  • Styling: maximal. This is how the exported Excel document is styled.
  • Output role format: intput. This is the same as the role format in the Import DMS step. Olav just set it to input as this will use the same format as he selected in the Import DMS step._
  • Dump Format: This tells NEAT how to write the Excel document. Camilla selects reference as she will use this as the basis for the business solution model.
  • New Data Model ID: This is the ID of the new data model, by setting this NEAT will automatically create the metadata sheet for the new model. Camilla sets it to sp_trading:power_forecast.

After clicking Save and Save Workflow, Camilla runs the workflow by clicking Start Workflow. The workflow will execute and Camilla can download the exported model by clicking exported_rules_information_architect.xlsx. Note that rules is the NEAT representation of a data model.

The downloaded spreadsheet contains two sets of sheets, user and reference. The user sheet does not have any prefix and are the following:

  • Metadata: This contains the metadata for solution model, this is prefilled based on the configuration Camilla selected in the Import DMS step. (see definition of headings here)
  • Properties: This is empty and will be were the properties for the new model are added. (see definition of headings here)
  • Classes This is empty and will be were the classes for the new model are added. (see definition of headings here)

In addition, there are three sheets with the prefix Ref, these are READ-ONLY and represent the enterprise model that will be the basis for the new solution model.

Creating the Business Solution Model#

Camilla starts by setting up the metadata for the new solution model. Since she filled in the New Data Model ID in the Export DMS step, the metadata sheet is already prefilled, and all she needs to do is to replace <YOUR NAME> with Camilla in the creator field.
role information architect
dataModelType solution
schema complete
prefix sp_trading
name power_forecast
description
externalId power_forecast
creator Camilla
version 1

Looking through the RefClasses and RefProperties sheets, Camilla initially feels slightly overwhelmed as there are a lot of concepts and details in the Enterprise model. However, she recalls her conversion with Olav and starts to recognize some of the concepts that are relevant for her. It turns out that it is only TimeseriesForecastProduct and WindFarm that are necessary. She starts by looking at the TimeseriesForecastProduct properties, and she needs all of them, so she copies over the row with TimeseriesForecastProduct from the RefClasses sheet to the Classes sheet. WindFarm seems to be missing some properties as it only has arrayCable exportCable, substation, and windTurbines. But then she notices that WindFarm has a parent called EnergyArea which has the properties name and powerForecast. So she copies over these two rows from the RefProperties sheet to the Properties sheet. She does not want to have EnergyArea in her model, so she renames EnergyArea to WindFarm in the Class column in the Properties sheet. Finally, since she now has WindFarm in her Properties sheet, she needs to have it in the Classes sheet as well. However, this will not be the same as the WindFarm in the RefClasses so she adds a new row with WindFarm in the Classes sheet.

The final class sheet for Camilla's solution model looks like this:

Class ... Reference
TimeSeriesForecastProduct power:TimeseriesForecastProduct
WindFarm

In addition, the Properties sheet looks like this:

Class Property Name Description Value Type Min Count Max Count Default Reference
WindFarm name string 1 1 power:EnergyArea(property=name)
WindFarm powerForecast TimeseriesForecastProduct 0 1 power:EnergyArea(property=powerForecast)

The Finished Spreadsheet (Download Camilla's Spreadsheet)#

The finished spreadsheet for Camilla's business solution model can be downloaded here.

Deploy the Business Solution Model#

Camilla deploys her data model by selecting the Export DMS workflow. She deactivates the Export Transformations step by removing the dotted line connecting it from the Export Data Model to CDF step. This is because she does not need to create any transformations for populating the new solution model.

Camilla then runs the workflow and her solution model is successfully deployed to CDF.

Summary#

Usage of NEAT

  1. Download the Enterprise Model as a reference.
  2. Validate the created Business Solution Model.
  3. Deploy the Business Solution Model.