Introduction

IDEA is an abbreviation for Integrated Data Entity Architecture. It is a methodology and an implementation in Sparx Enterprise Architect to create an integrated architecture based on the following layers

• Physical data modeling for a technical modeling that includes specific implementation concepts like columns and constraints
• Logical data modeling a detailed implementation independent model for entities, attributes and assocations
• Conceptual modeling for a business view on data and business entities including the connections to the application landscape and business processes
• Data Management modeling for modeling data governance, ownership, privacy and security and data qualities.

The IDEA website offers a number of products and solutions the most important are:

• Viewpoints, these describe how the concepts and associations are used within one of the above mentioned layers
• Example data model an example project of a datamodel to display the various layer concepts and the implementation
• Example data management, displaying the concepts for modeling data management aspects
• Scripts and Addons for Sparx, various zips with scripts and a dll, you have to register as a community member (see below)

Community

The IDEA elements like the viewpoints and scripts etc are developed based on Open Source and a community. This means that the community is a group of organisations and people who benefit from the developed products. They can therefore do suggestions for new functionalities.

• Everybody can become a passive member of the community. This means that you only have to register at this website and after that you receive an email with a link to all the downloads.
• Active members have the possibility to define functionalities and based on their requirements and input extra material is developed. Based on there requests a sponsor pays for the development costs. Advantage for active members is that they define the functionalities but share the development costs. When you want to become an active member please contact us via the contact page