September 2022 Newsletter

Welcome to the latest newsletter from 3SL that provides a mixture of news and technical information about us, and our requirements management and systems engineering tool “Cradle”. We would especially like to welcome everyone who has purchased Cradle in the past month and those who are currently evaluating Cradle for their projects and processes.

We hope that we, and Cradle, can deliver real and measurable benefits to all of the exciting development projects that we see every day through your regular contacts with our support team. If you have any problems, please do not hesitate to contact 3SL support here.

Showing Cell Titles in Views

Sometimes when displaying a nested view the cell titles take up a lot of space on the screen.

Displaying Cell Titles
Displaying Cell Titles

Within the View Details dialog you have the option to choose whether you want to display the cell titles:

Show cell titles option
Displaying cell titles in views

As you can see you can choose to either:

  • Show the cell titles
  • Hide the cell titles
  • Show the cell titles only when the view is top-level

You can change the visibility of any of the component views that are being used to show linked items. In practice, most people either hide everything or show everything.

For further information on views please see our online help page.

Help with Cradle-7.7

Following on from our recent Cradle-7.7 release, if you are not already a customer and would like more information about Cradle, you can download the software and a free evaluation licence. You can find this on our website, or  you can request a webinar. If you are a customer and would like to upgrade, please contact 3SL for a Security Code and for any assistance you may require with the upgrade.

Upcoming Training Courses

We still have places available on our September Risk Management course. Learn how to identify, analyse, evaluate, treat and monitor the risks associated with activities or events within your business. This course is designed for project team leaders or managers who administer and manage risks.

To book a place on one of our online courses please click here!

G-Cloud 13

Cradle on G-Cloud-12
G-Cloud 13

The UK government Digital Market Place Cloud Software applications offer a wide range of software aimed at fulfilment of central and regional government contracts, government agencies’ work and local authority use. This ranges from Schools, education and libraries to Fault management, monitoring and alerting  or Marketing. 3SL (Structured Software Systems Ltd.) continue our presence in G-Cloud 12 but are proud  to announce that Cradle has been successful on G-Cloud 13 and will be available as SaaS through G-Cloud 13 for agile and phase-based projects under the Information and communications technology (ICT) services when it goes live in November.

Services

Cradle offers two packages Cradle Software as SaaS and Cradle Training and Consultancy.

Software

The software package includes Cradle licences, a pre-defined schema and a comprehensive support package. This can be used in  both unclassified (IL0) and OFFICIAL (certified IL3) deployments and covers the following elements:

  • Agile Collaboration
  • Application Lifecycle Development
  • Application Lifecycle Management
  • Agile Software Development
  • Agile Software Management
  • Business Analysis
  • Business Process Modelling
  • Defect Tracking
  • Enterprise Architecture
  • Integrated Risk Management
  • Integrated Test Management
  • Lifecycle Management
  • MBE Model Based Engineering
  • MBSE Model Based Software Engineering
  • MBSE Model Based Systems Engineering
  • Requirements and Testing
  • Requirements Engineering
  • Requirements Management
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Compliance
  • Risk Management
  • SysML Modelling
  • Systems Engineering
  • Test Execution
  • Test Management
  • Test Planning
  • UML Modelling

Cradle Training/Consultancy

  • Consultancy
  • Administration Training
  • Fundamentals Training
  • Advanced Lifecycle Training

Prices start from as little as £50.00 per user per month. Including email and phone support and full documentation included. Optional onsite support and training is available. This can be supplied on Windows® or Linux®.

Customisation

A wide range of user customisation is available including:

  • Items’ (attributes, links and properties)
  • Display of chosen data and layout through queries, views, forms,
  • Processing data to give graphs, reports, documents, metrics, KPIs/dashboards, process
  • CM (Configuration Management) system workflows
  • UI (User Interface) layout and content
  • Authentication and access control

Details

For details, see here:

  • Software
  • Training/Consultancy

or search for 3SL Cradle.  For an overview of Cradle, see our video here:  We look forward to helping you achieve success on your future projects, or migrating existing ‘manual’ or disparate works into a fully encompassed solution.

National Radio Day

20th August – National Radio Day

Individuals/communities can take National Radio Day as an opportunity to appreciate/celebrate what radio means to the world today. Some people might think radio has passed its prime.  Although it still acts as a strong force, especially for local communities.

The first person to identify radio waves was a German physicist Heinrich Hertz in 1886. But it took about three decades for a practical receiver to be invented, which was due to the work of Italian inventor, Guglielmo Marconi. Though it started with a Morse code message from just a kilometre away, Marconi paved the way for the future of the types of messages that radio waves could carry.

Radio waves
Types of messages that radio waves can carry

Cradle can be used to model radio systems, see the Cradle Physical Architecture Diagram (PAD) below which depicts an External Communications Sub-System:

Physical Architecture Diagram (PAD)
Physical Architecture Diagram (PAD)

If you are interested in Cradle’s modelling capabilities please send an email to salesdetails@threesl.com.

Differences between a Baseline and a Snapshot

Cradle provides two mechanisms to make protected copies of information, baselines and snapshots. Here we explain what each mechanism does, so you can decide if either or both of them will be helpful in your project. We also explain how each mechanism affects the overall size of your databases, and how they may affect the performance that you experience as you use your databases.

What is a Baseline?

Baselines is the mechanism in Cradle’s Configuration Management System (CMS) to protect information from changes. It is a named repository for the state of a system at a specific point in time. A succession of baselines can be created over the life of a project, each containing more and more information as the project completes its sprints, iterations or phases.

Principles of baselines
Principles of Baselines

Creating Baselines

Each baseline has a unique name and some optional details:

Open Baseline Dialog
Open Baseline Dialog

Items can be registered into an open baseline and are given a version number: 01, 02, 03 …. The version number assigned to each item is either 01 if there are no baselined instances of that item, or it is 1 higher than the highest version already in the database.

When the baseline is closed:

  • Unchanged items from the previous baseline migrate into (become a part of) the new baseline
  • A copy of all current links (cross references) is saved with the baseline
  • A list of the latest items and their versions is saved for the baseline

Migration of Items

Keeping a list of the initial contents of each baseline is important. It does not duplicate the items, rather it creates a list of the items that were in the baseline when it was closed. In the future, any of these items can migrate out of the baseline they were registered into and become part of a new baseline if they have not been superseded by a new version of the item that has already been registered into that new baseline. Therefore, at that future time, items that were marked as being part of one baseline will become marked as being part of a different, newly closed, baseline. The lists created when baselines are closed ensure that it is always possible to know what was part of a baseline when it was originally closed.

For example

A baseline A is created with items I1 and I2, both of which will be version 01. So the database contains:

  • Item I1, version 01, draft <empty>, baseline A
  • Item I2, version 01, draft <empty>, baseline A

If item I1 is to be changed, then a new instance of the item will be created and the database will contain:

  • Item I1, version 01, draft <empty>, baseline A
  • Item I1, version 01, draft A, baseline <empty>
  • Item I2, version 01, draft <empty>, baseline A

When the modified item I1 is registered into a new baseline B, the database will contain:

  • Item I1, version 01, draft <empty>, baseline A
  • Item I1, version 02, draft <empty>, baseline B
  • Item I2, version 01, draft <empty>, baseline A

When the new baseline B is closed, the unchanged item I2 will migrate into baseline B and the database will contain:

  • Item I1, version 01, draft <empty>, baseline A
  • Item I1, version 02, draft <empty>, baseline B
  • Item I2, version 01, draft <empty>, baseline B

If a new item I3 is created and item I1 is changed again and a new baseline C is created, and the items are registered into it and the baseline is closed, then the unchanged item I2 will migrate into the new baseline and the database will contain:

  • Item I1, version 01, draft <empty>, baseline A
  • Item I1, version 02, draft <empty>, baseline B
  • Item I1, version 03, draft <empty>, baseline C
  • Item I2, version 01, draft <empty>, baseline C
  • Item I3, version 01, draft <empty>, baseline C

The database will have lists of the original contents of the baselines. In this example, these lists will be:

  • Baseline A:
    • Item I1, version 01
    • Item I2, version 01
  • Baseline B:
    • Item I1, version 02
    • Item I2, version 01
  • Baseline C:
    • Item I1, version 03
    • Item I2, version 01
    • Item I3, version 01

Having these lists preserved means that Cradle can restore a previous baseline if required.

Using Baselines

The latest baseline is automatically available. It provides read-only access to the latest version of all baselined items and the links between them.

You can use baseline mode to browse a previous baseline read-only:

Baseline Mode Dialog
Baseline Mode Dialog

In baseline mode, you see only the items and links that were in effect when your chosen baseline was closed. So you are looking at the database as it was in the past, potentially many months or years ago. Everything that you see (including queries, matrices, graphs, pivot tables and published documents) uses that old baseline.

Database Effects

Creating baselines increases the size of your database which affects its performance:

  • Each baseline adds new versions of changed items, but reuses unchanged items from previous baselines
  • Creates a copy of all active links

Over time, having many baselines will:

  • Slightly increase the number of items in searches, reducing query performance
  • Greatly increase the time to follow cross-references, reducing the performance of queries and views, and a wide variety of other database operations, including reordering, split and merge, finding and filtering linked items for traceability/coverage views, reports and documents

In a notable example, a database with ~60,000 active links had over 41,000,000 total links due to over 650 baselines. This slowed all link-related operations as Cradle had over 650 instances of each link from which to isolate the links to be used.

What is a Snapshot?

A snapshot is a copy of all the information in a database. Its contents can be viewed, read-only, at any time in the future. A succession of snapshots can be created over the life of a project. In effect, a snapshot is simply an online backup, a copy of a database.

Creating Snapshots

Each snapshot has a unique name and some optional details:

Create Snapshot Dialog
Create Snapshot Dialog

A snapshot is a copy of an entire database. When a snapshot is created, everything in a database, including all its baselines and definitions (excluding Personal and System scope) is copied into a separate area. Every snapshot is separate from all other snapshots and separate from the live database.

Creating a snapshot is similar to making a backup copy of the database, except that this backup is directly accessible from within Cradle.

Using Snapshots

You can select a snapshot to browse read-only:

Select Snapshot Dialog
Select Snapshot Dialog

When you select a snapshot, Cradle is no longer working in the live database, but instead it is working in your chosen snapshot (copy) of that database. Everything that you see (including queries, matrices, graphs, pivot tables and published documents) is in that copy of the database.

Since a snapshot is a copy of an entire database, a snapshot can contain baselines. Therefore, you can:

  • Select a snapshot
  • Enter baseline mode in that snapshot

Database Effects

Creating a database has no effect on the size of a database since it simply takes a copy of that entire database, whatever it is, and including all of its baselines and definitions.

Since it copies everything, more disk space will be used by creating a snapshot of a database than when a new baseline is created inside that database. However, the number of items and links inside the snapshot are the same as the numbers inside the original database.

Baselines vs Snapshots

#CharacteristicBaselineSnapshot
1SummaryCreates a new approved set of items and links in a database that can be viewed RO.Copies an entire database and related definitions to create a new database that can be viewed RO.
2PurposeRecord the next stage in the development of a project.Make an online backup of everything.
3User BenefitRO view of previous baseline that can be used for queries, view data, run metrics, publish reports or documents.RO view of everything in the database as it was in the past, for queries, view data, run metrics, publish reports or documents.
4Process RelatedBaselines are often taken just before or after major process milestones, such as URR, SRR, PDR, CDR, PRR, TRR or ORR.*None. These are purely for data integrity and as a convenience for having permanent access to the database at a particular time.
5LimitsOnly contains information approved in the CMS and the links between them.None, it contains the entire database.
6Additional ItemsNoneNone.
7Additional LinksDuplicates all current linksNone.
8Database SizeAdds some items and a copy of all links.None.
9Disk UsageSmall to medium increase.Medium to large increase.
10Time to CreateSeconds to many minutes.Seconds to few minutes.

* for acronyms, please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_review_(U.S._government) and other similar sources.

August 2022 – Newsletter

Cradle-7.7 – Released

We are pleased to announce the release of Cradle-7.7 which is available now for download from the downloads section of the 3SL website.  This is the latest version of Cradle.

Cradle-7.7
Cradle-7.7 splash screen

3SL customers with active maintenance have been sent an e-mail notification, and details of which of their enhancement requests and bug reports are included in this new release.  This is a significant Cradle release that increments the Cradle minor version number from 7.6 to 7.7. This means that the Security Codes for Cradle-7.6 or earlier will NOT work with this new Cradle-7.7 release. Therefore, if you want to upgrade to Cradle-7.7 then you MUST contact 3SL Support and request a Cradle-7.7 Security Code since your existing Cradle-7.6 Security Codes will NOT work with this new release.

New Cradle-7.7 Capabilities

This release contains a range of new capabilities, including:

  • Snapshots
  • Metrics added to graphs
  • New header option in views
  • New reports
  • Annular dial type added to Dashboards
  • Precision option added to Dashboards
  • Ability to test email setup from User Preferences

These new capabilities are shown below. For further information please refer to the Release Notes.

Snapshots

A snapshot is a read-only copy of all the information in a Cradle database at a specific point in time that can be viewed, in isolation, at any point in the future.

Snapshots can be created and selected from the Project tab in WorkBench:

Project ribbon in WorkBench
Snapshot options in WorkBench

Snapshots can also be created via the command line using c_prj.

When a user selects a snapshot, their access to information, cross references and definitions are determined by the contents of the user’s profile in the database, regardless of whether or not the user has a profile in the current snapshot and regardless of the contents of that user profile (if any) in the snapshot.

Snapshots are deleted from Project Manager or the command line (c_prj).

Metrics in Graphs

Cradle-7.7 includes a new type of graph which shows metric coverage or count of items with different categories set or unset. This is called a metric graph. An example is shown below:

Example Metrics Graph
Example Metrics Graph in Cradle

Header Option in Views

A new Header option is now available in the dialog. This provides a way of showing grouped and coloured headings when output. Example output is shown below:

Example Output showing coloured header
Example output from WorkBench showing a coloured header

New Reports

A new Baseline Summary List report has been included in this release. This outputs each baseline on it’s own row in a table.

The Baseline Summary report has been renamed to Baseline Summary Compact.

A Sort by filter has also been added to both the Baseline List report, Baseline Summary List report and the Baseline Summary Compact report. This provides the option to sort by the baseline name, when the baseline was opened or when the baseline was closed.

Report Details Dialog
Report Details Dialog showing Sort by options

Annular Dial Type in Dashboards

A new dial type has been added to dashboards – Annular %.

Annular Option in Dashboards
Annular Option in Dashboards

This is an annular percentage of a single dashboard bandset within which the KPI resides:

Example Annular dashboard
Example Annular dashboard

Precision Option in Dashboards

A Precision option has also been added to dashboards. This sets the count of numbers displayed around a dashboard dial:

Precision Option in dashboards
Precision Option in dashboards

Test Email Setup

The setup of emails can now be tested from User Preferences by selecting the new Test Email button:

User Preferences showing Test Email button
User Preferences showing Test Email button

Pressing the Test Mail button produces the Mail Test dialog where you choose an email recipient and whether you want to send the test email in plain text.

Mail Test dialog
Mail Test dialog

Please note the only user names shown in the Recipient drop down are Cradle users in the project who have an email address defined in their User Profile.

Download

You must contact 3SL for new Security Code(s) for Cradle-7.7. Cradle-7.7 will not accept Security Codes from Cradle-7.6 or any previous release.

Cradle clients (WorkBench, Web Access, Document Publisher for instance) and server (Cradle CDS) versions cannot be mixed. Therefore, you must upgrade all Cradle installations to 7.7.

Cradle-7.7 databases do not have the same format as Cradle-7.6 databases. Hence the Cradle-7.7 release includes a database converter for the transition from Cradle-7.6 to Cradle-7.7.  Full details are available in the 7.7 release notes, and updated manuals in addition you can always contact support@threesl.com .

Single User Products

Please note that there are no maintenance services for single-user Cradle products. Therefore, if you have purchased any of the single-user Cradle-7.6 products:

    • Cradle-RM Desktop
    • Cradle-RM Pro
    • Cradle-SE Desktop
    • Cradle-SE Pro

then you will not be able to request a new Cradle-7.7 Security Code. If you want to update your single-user Cradle system to the new Cradle-7.7 release, then you must buy the new Cradle-7.7 release.

Help with Cradle-7.7

In conclusion, we’re pleased with the new capabilities in Cradle-7.7 most importantly we hope you will benefit by upgrading. If you are not already a customer and would like more information about Cradle, you can download the software and a free evaluation licence, find more on our website, or request a webinar. If you would like to read some independent reviews feel free to use your favourite search engine or take a look at Capterra.

Upcoming Training Courses

We still have places available on our August Requirements Management training course. The dates are 15th to 18th August. This is a great opportunity for small teams, or a couple of new team members to get started with RM and Cradle. Don’t worry if you can’t make the August RM course, we are holding another one in November.

In September we then have our Risk Management course. Learn how to identify, analyse, evaluate, treat and monitor the risks associated with activities or events within your business. This course is designed for project team leaders or managers who administer and manage risks.

To book a place on one of our online courses please click here!