I am evaluating VP-UML for use within my company. The evaluation is now centering on VP-UML and Sparx Enterprise Architect (EA), as they are in the same price range. One feature that EA has, that VP-UML maybe doesn’t have, is support for team development aka multiple user access. One requirement for our team is to have the analysts work on the business side of the project (ie. use case, activity diagrams), while the developers work on the programming side of the project (ie. class, sequence diagrams). This usage requires multiple user access. EA inherently supports this feature, as their model files are really database files, storing model information.
In previous postings made to this forum, various support engineers have mentioned a future Team Work Server product that may be available in May 2004 or June 2004. Does this mean that VP-UML doesn?t currently support team development? How is the May-June 2004 timeframe looking? What is the expected ballpark cost for the product? Where can I find more information about how it works?
What would happen if two people work on the same model file in a network directory? Will the file become corrupted? Would that give us multiple user access?
Second question:
Is there a way that the SDE products can use a model that is located in a location other than the .VPUML directory? This would allow our developers to use the VS.NET SDE product, while the analysts would use the VP-UML product, if the model file(s) were in a network directory. Would this issue also be fixed by the Team Work Server? In other words, would Team Work Server allow SDE users access to the same models that VP-UML would access?
Thanks much,
Ben
