Syndeia 3.5 FAQ

What is Syndeia?

Syndeia is the digital thread platform for model-based engineering. It enables engineering teams to collaboratively and concurrently federate models and data from diverse ecosystems of modeling and simulation tools, enterprise applications, and data repositories and analyze the digital thread created.

What is new in Syndeia 3.5?

Syndeia 3.5 offers

• New and enhanced integrations for Esteco VOLTA, SmartBear Collaborator, XML and SysML 2.0,
• a generic RESTful Integration capability that enables users to connect to any service, tool, or data repository that provides a REST API, directly from the Syndeia Dashboard with no code,
• delegated authentication to an organization’s choice of Identity Providers (IdPs) that support the SAML 2.0 standard for sign-in into the Syndeia Cloud Web Dashboard,
• the first release of the Syndeia Cloud API Cookbook, a collection of demonstration examples and patterns for using the Syndeia Cloud REST API
• plus a range of usability improvements and bug fixes.

What engineering software tools are supported?

As of Syndeia 3.5 (release September 2022),

• SysML – CATIA Magic and Teamwork Cloud (CATIA No Magic), Rhapsody (IBM)
• PLM – Windchill (PTC), Teamcenter (Siemens), Aras Innovator (Aras)
• CAD – NX (Siemens), Creo (PTC)
• Databases – MySQL (Oracle), Excel (Microsoft), Artifactory (JFrog), Confluence (Atlassian)
• Simulation – Simulink and Stateflow (The Mathworks), VOLTA (Esteco)
• Requirements – DOORS NG (IBM), Jama Connect (Jama Software)
• ALM – GitHub (GitHub), GitLab (GitLab), Bitbucket (Atlassian), Collaborator (SmartBear)
• Project Management – JIRA (Atlassian)
• Test Management – TestRail (Gurock), Zephyr Scale (SmartBear)

Can customers add their own integrations?

The RESTful Integration capability in Syndeia 3.5 makes it possible for any digital engineering repository that provides a REST API to be connected with digital threads. Users can add requests to the REST API endpoints for each service/tool, curate collections of requests, view detailed responses in the Syndeia Dashboard, and connect RESTful artifacts to artifacts in other repositories. In other cases, file transfer (e.g. via .csv and .xml files) can bridge between tools where no direct integration is available. 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 connection data. Syndeia Clients include

• Plugins for CATIA Magic (MagicDraw /Cameo System Modeler) or Rhapsody SysML,
• Syndeia Web Dashboard
• User-written/third-party applications that access Syndeia Cloud through its REST API.

What is Syndeia Cloud?

Syndeia Cloud offers server-based (on-premise or virtual private cloud) capabilities for storing and querying inter-model connections and accessing network-enabled repository contents. It has a microservice-based architecture and can be accessed by the Syndeia Clients through an open REST API.

How can Syndeia connections be created and updated?

Syndeia accesses the contents of other models through their tool or repository API. Connections between models can be created and updated manually via the Syndeia Client and Syndeia Cloud Web dashboards and programmatically via REST API commands.

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.
• 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.

Understanding the specific customer use case is critical.  Consult with Intercax directly to learn more.

How can the Syndeia connections be viewed?

Via the Syndeia Web Dashboard, Syndeia Cloud supports graph analysis of the connection data using either the Digital Thread Explorer, Query Builder, or native Gremlin pattern-matching queries. Results can be presented in graphical tabular and JSON form. Connection data and analysis is also available through the REST API and can be published through a variety of viewers, e.g. Jupyter notebooks (Figure 2).

What is the Digital Thread Explorer™?

The Digital Thread Explorer feature in the Syndeia Web Dashboard allows users to interactively explore both intra-model (within a single domain) and inter-model (between domains) connections, beginning from a single model element in any of the domains and expanding selectively as the user requires (Figure 3).

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?

Cybersecurity is a high priority for Intercax. Authentication and authorization issues include both user access to Syndeia and Syndeia’s access to the federated tools and repositories. Syndeia Cloud has its own native access control, supporting basic, LDAP and SSO authentication, and honors integrated tools’ mechanisms for API-to-API calls. Syndeia has been installed successfully in secure IT environments. Contact Intercax for more information.

How does Syndeia compare with other integration approaches?

Syndeia is an open digital thread platform, creating a Single Source of Truth about the system. It offers both the curation of the digital thread as well as the capability to explore disorganized data to discover what should be, for business or mission purposes, part of a digital thread. The user can access, share, update, query and visualize all information through a single interface.

The important issue in comparing integration approaches is understanding your objectives and finding the right approach to support them. Consider the use cases and tools supported, security, scalability and value. In some cases, Syndeia may be complementary to other integration approaches.

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

No, it does not support that use case.

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 Syndeia Web Dashboard, stand-alone client and Syndeia Cloud REST API provide access for other users.

How does Syndeia licensing work?

Syndeia is licensed by annual subscription based on the number of concurrent client users. Client users (plugin, web dashboard, API) check out a floating license when they are actively using Syndeia. Syndeia licenses include both client and Syndeia Cloud software and include all tool interfaces available with the current release. Alternate licensing options may be available; contact us at info@intercax.com.

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?

Contact us at info@intercax.com for pricing information.

How can I learn more about Syndeia?

All Syndeia user guides and training materials are available online here.  Including over 200 tutorials and videos available, in our YouTube channel. The Intercax website also has extensive resources, including videos, feature list and technical notes (http://intercax.com/products/syndeia/). Contact us directly at syndeia@intercax.com.  Live web demos are usually easy to arrange.