Architectural Decision Knowledge Wiki

1. Where is the SOA Architecture Decision Accelerator (SOAD), and how is it different than Architectural Decision Knowledge Wiki?

The SOA Architecture Decision Accelerator consists of three parts that can be used independently of each other:

• A new method and model for architectural decision identification, making, and enforcement: This method and model are described in a series of papers co-authored by Olaf Zimmermann. You can download these papers from the Web site of the Business Integration Technologies Team.
• A reusable architectural decision model (RADM) for SOA: Excerpts can be found in the samples that come with Architectural Decision Knowledge Wiki; additional decison content can be downloaded from the SOAD Web site.
• A Web 2.0 collaboration platform for software architects (Architectural Decision Knowledge Wiki): Please note that Architectural Decision Knowledge Wiki is an early research prototype; the objective of this first alphaWorks release is to demonstrate the architectural decision modeling concepts and to solicit feedback regarding future usage scenarios and use cases.

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2. Must I really install a relational database, a PHP framework, and an application wiki before I can start exploring Architectural Decision Knowledge Wiki?

Early user feedback led us to the decision to initially provide this downloadable and installable version (and not a hosted software service, for instance). However, the downloadable file contains orientation information such as screenshots and sample decision models in HTML form so that you can get a feel for Architectural Decision Knowledge Wiki without having to go through any installation procedure.

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3. Which browsers are supported?

The latest versions of Internet Explorer (7.0.5730.11) and Mozilla Firefox (2.0.0.16) were used in the latest tests. For performance and caching reasons, Mozilla Firefox is recommended.

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4. Why must I use WikiNames for the ADs and AD topics?

The convention is to use WikiNames for all pages. Because "everything is a page," an AD or Ad topic is also a page and therefore must be named like a page.

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5. What is a correct WikiName?

Here are some rules for correct WikiNames: A WikiName starts with an uppercase letter followed by a lowercase letter (not a number). After the second character, you can use any upper- or lowercase letters or numbers. A WikiName does not contain any spaces or special characters.

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6. What is this AdKwik page and can I delete it?

Because "everything is a page," the functionality, which includes widgets, is also provided in pages. For example, if you select "New AD" in the Decision Modeling menu, the AdKwik/Utils/NewAd page is called; this page contains the logic for creating a new AD. AdKwik and the included pages contain most of the functionality and therefore must not be deleted. The same applies to the Wiki page and its children.

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7. I just created my first AD project, but where is it?

Refresh the page (such as by clicking on the big area at top left).

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8. Where is the decision I just made? How do I know which undecided ones I own?

The AdHistory page in your project shows the latest changes on decision instances in your project. The AdsByRole page in your project shows the decisions owned by you. The History in the Workspace lists the pages you just visited.

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9. What do all the entries in the Workspace explorer mean?

Each top-level entry is an AD project. The list is ordered alphabetically. Please follow some simple naming conventions in order to organize the list, and identify yourself in the project home page.

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10. What does AdHistory mean? Why does the AdsByRole view show 0 decisions?

The AdHistory displays the decisions that have recently been visited and edited. For the samples, the results of the import step are shown initially. The AdsByRole view is calculated from the groups configured and from the value of the role attribute of a decision; if you get an empty view, you are probably not a member of the respective group. An administrator can add you to the group. For more information, see the Users Guide and the short Admin Guide.

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11. Why can't the search engine find my decision?

For the time being, there are two independent search engines in the wiki. The keyword-based page search is located in the upper left corner of the browser. It allows you to find conventional pages in the wiki, including the search string. The decision-specific search engine can be found under menu AD Search. It allows you to find ADs and AD outcomes in a given project with a specific attribute, such as phase, scope, role or state, or tag. For the time being, there is no keyword-based search for ADs or topics; therefore the page search can not find ADs or AD topics.

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12. I am logged in but still can't access the decision content. What's wrong?

In order to access the decision content, you must be logged in and your user must be a member of the AdKwikUsers users group. If you are not a member of this group or are not sure, please contact the wiki administrator and ask to have your user account added to the group.

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13. Is there an edit lock for ADs and topics that helps avoid lost updates?

Yes. If a user selects editing of an AD, a topic, or a project, the wiki page for this AD, topic, or project is locked for ten minutes. During this period, no other user is allowed to edit the AD, topic, or project. If the user clicks on save or cancel, the page is unlocked. However, if the user leaves the page without clicking on save or cancel, the page is automatically unlocked ten minutes after he clicks on the edit button. Make sure that your edit time does not exceed ten minutes; otherwise, updates might be lost.

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