Use Rational Requirements Composer (RRC) or Rational Software Architect (RSA) diagram
My team is new to Rational tools. I am completing a solution design that was started in MS Visio and that may also have a number of technical requirements for the team to implement. I am now getting into RRC (Rational Requirements Composer) and I may be able to get access to our enterprise install of RSA (Rational Software Architect).
My question is which is more appropriate - use RRC or RSA for the solution diagram? From my reading, RRC diagrams are intended to be more for use cases or process flows. My solution design is not really a flowchart or process flow although I can certainly use a flowchart to document what is needed for the design.
Does it matter whether I use RRC or RSA? If I use RRC now, how hard is it for me to transfer the diagram to RSA later?
Accepted answer
While you can create links between artifacts in RRC and artifacts in RSA Design Manager, to my knowledge you cannot import RRC Diagrams into RSA.
For the integration between RSA DM and RRC, see:
http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/rdmhelp/v4/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.ibm.rcam.linking.doc%2Ftopics%2Ft_dm_rm_int_ov.html
RSA has richer diagramming capabilities than RRC, encompassing all the UML Diagram types, and other diagram types such as BPMN and Topology diagrams.
Here is the RSA 8.5.1 InfoCenter:
http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/rsahelp/v8r5/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.ibm.xtools.installation.rsaws.doc%2Ftopics%2Freadme.html
See the section "Creating Models and diagrams"
http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/rsahelp/v8r5/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.ibm.xtools.installation.rsaws.doc%2Ftopics%2Freadme.html
Thank you and regards, Lara
One other answer
Comments
Thank you.
For developers documenting technical requirements and detailed technical design type of information (modules, pseudo-code, along with Technical requirements and application architecture diagrams, etc.), which Rational Tool is intended for that?
It seems like DOORS is also a Requirements management tool. Does it have the same objectives as RRC? Why do two tools DOORS and RRC exist?
Thank you.
DOORS is a separate product that IBM acquired some years ago and continues to support.
DOORS NG integrates DOORS features with RRC - it is basically RRC with a bolt-on DOORS like rich client. But it doesn't add any diagramming capabilities that RRC does not already have.
Ali