Syndeia 3.3 FAQ - Intercax

What is Syndeia?

Syndeia is a software platform for integrated model-based engineering. It enables engineering teams to collaboratively and concurrently develop and manage a digital thread for any complex system/product by federating models and data from diverse ecosystems of modeling and simulation tools, enterprise applications, and data repositories. Click here for more details.

What is new in Syndeia 3.3?

Syndeia 3.3 introduces a web-dashboard for Syndeia Cloud with integral graph analysis, several new tool integrations and enhanced model transform mapping including relationships. Behind the scenes, Syndeia adopted architectural changes for a more robust, scalable enterprise application supporting larger projects and more complex workflows. Click here to see a list of new features introduced in Syndeia 3.3.

What engineering software tools are supported?

As of Syndeia 3.3 (release July 2020),

PLM – Windchill (PTC), Teamcenter (Siemens)
CAD – NX (Siemens), Creo (PTC)
Databases / Data management – MySQL (Oracle), Artifactory (JFrog), Excel (Microsoft)
Simulation – Simulink and Stateflow (The Mathworks)
Requirements – DOORS NG (IBM), Jama Connect (Jama Software), Simulink Requirements (The MathWorks)
ALM – GitHub (GitHub)
Project Management – JIRA (Atlassian)
Test Management – TestRail (Gurock), TM4J (SmartBear)

What do these Syndeia connections enable users to do?

That depends on the tools connected and the type of connection. There are two basic types of connection:

Reference Connection – creates a version-sensitive traceable link between model elements in different tools. With this link, the user can, for example,
- Click on a SysML activity to open a linked JIRA issue in a web browser
- Check if the issue has been updated since the link was made
Model Transform Connection – transforms a model structure in one domain into a model structure in another and keeps them connected so that structure, attributes and relationships can be compared and synchronized between the two domains. For example,
- Create a Windchill bill-of-materials from a SysML block structure
- Create a SysML activity model (actions, pins and flows) from a Simulink model
- Copy a requirement hierarchy from DOORS NG or Jama Connect into SysML and allow the attributes of the two versions to be compared and updated
- Create a SysML block from a NX mechanical CAD part and allow the mass, size or surface area parameters to be updated in SysML as the CAD design changes.

For some tool combinations, customers can create and deploy their own model transform mappings, defining how elements and relationships are transformed and what attributes and levels of structure are carried over.

Understanding the specific customer use case is critical. Consult with Intercax directly when you get down to those questions.

Can customers add their own integrations?

In general, no. The wide differences between tool data models, API capabilities and integration use cases make a generic “toolkit” difficult to implement. In some cases, file transfer (e.g. via .csv files) can bridge between tools. Intercax works continually with customers to develop new integrations. Contact us to learn more.

What is Syndeia’s architecture?

Syndeia has a hybrid architecture (Figure 1) composed of Syndeia Clients on user machines and Syndeia Cloud, a server-based repository for storage and analysis of connected digital thread data. Syndeia Clients include plug-ins for MagicDraw /Cameo System Modeler or Rhapsody SysML modeling tools, stand-alone clients, or user/third-party applications.

Figure 1

What is Syndeia Cloud?

Syndeia Cloud offers server-based (on-premise or virtual private cloud) capability for storing, querying, visualizing, and exploring the digital thread of any complex system/product. It has a microservice-based architecture and can be accessed by the Syndeia Clients or a web browser portal through an open REST API.

How can Syndeia connections be created and updated?

Connections between models can be created and updated manually via the Syndeia Client dashboard using simple menu commands and drag-and-drop operations. Alternatively, users can use Syndeia Cloud’s REST API to create connections.

How can the Syndeia connections be viewed?

Via the Syndeia web-dashboard, Syndeia Cloud supports graph analysis of the connection data using the standard Gremlin (Tinkerpop) graph query language. Results can be presented in graphical (Figure 2), tabular and JSON form. Connection data is also available through the Syndeia Cloud’s REST API and can be published through a variety of viewers, e.g. Jupyter notebooks and OpenMBEE.

Figure 2

How does Syndeia access the contents of models in other tools?

Through the tool API. Operations to access, compare and sync data between models are not automatic, but must be manually triggered.

Does Syndeia use OSLC?

OSLC is a standard for engineering software tool APIs. Syndeia uses OSLC methods where they exist, are robust, and support customer use cases. Syndeia uses other APIs and other methods where needed; our focus is on making the tools do what the customer needs.

Does Syndeia use XMI?

No. XMI is a mechanism for exporting and importing entire SysML models, but it doesn’t provide a means of connecting individual model elements for access, compare or synch.

How does Syndeia handle security?

Syndeia relies on the other tools’ mechanisms for security and access controland using them to access the model repositories. Syndeia Cloud has its own native access control in addition to LDAP integration. Syndeia has accommodated IT environments with a variety of authentication features. Contact Intercax for more information.

How does Syndeia compare with other interoperability platforms like Cameo Data Hub, Jazz or ModelCenter?

There are multiple approaches to connecting different tools for MBSE. There is some feature overlap, but they can also be used in parallel for complementary purposes. While most of these tools rely on point-to-point specific integrations with specific use cases, Syndeia provides a powerful integration approach with customizable model transformations to generate, compare, and synchronize models in various engineering tools. Beyond integration, Syndeia’s capabilities are focused on building a vendor-neutral open digital thread. Syndeia provides services to visualize, query, and explore this digital thread.

The important issue is understanding the customer’s objectives, use cases and desired toolset and finding the right approach to support them. That being said, Syndeia currently handles a wide range of use cases, tools and tool vendors with a consistent user interface, connection manager and visualizations.

Does Syndeia transform models between SysML tools, e.g. MagicDraw to Rhapsody?

No, Syndeia currently does not support this use case. In general Syndeia is aimed at providing model transformation capabilities between tools to help users move engineering information seamless across their tools but not migrating all data from one tool to another.

Is Syndeia available as a plug-in for the non-SysML tools, e.g. Windchill?

Syndeia is not currently available as a plug-in for any tools but MagicDraw and Rhapsody. The stand-alone application and Syndeia Cloud web-dashboard provides access for other users.

How do Syndeia licenses work?

Syndeia Cloud is licensed by annual subscription, per instance and scaling with number of concurrent users. Syndeia client licenses are available as node-locked or floating licenses and are sold either by annual subscription or one-time fee with an option for annual M&S.

Are temporary evaluation licenses available?

30-day node-locked eval licenses are routinely available. Longer-term evaluations are negotiable. Eval licenses come with all commercially-available tool interfaces.

What does Syndeia cost?

How can I learn more about Syndeia?

The Intercax website has extensive resources, including videos, feature list and technical notes. Contact us directly at syndeia@intercax.com. Live web demos are usually easy to arrange.