How to properly model the relation between External Interfaces and Internal Links

[igrangel]

How to model the relation between an Internal Link and an External Interface. Considering the following example (taken from a real example made by experts ) The InternalLink LinkSetPointSWHW references the combination of Internal Elements and External Interfaces. RefPartnerSideA references the Internal Element C and the External Interface SetPointSW. RefPartnerSideB references the Internal Element LIRCS+-A+- and the External Interface SetPointHW.

InternalLink references RefPartner (cardinality = 2)

RefPartner is the combination of (maybe the Union) an InternalElement and an ExternalInterface

<InternalLink Name="LinkSetPointSWHW" RefPartnerSideA="5df276b3-b22c-4c5e-903e-bb3be141c892:SetPointSW" RefPartnerSideB="adb2ebf7-dc6f-479b-abfe-64a4fd69c209:SetPointHW" />

<InternalElement Name="C" ID="5df276b3-b22c-4c5e-903e-bb3be141c892" RefBaseSystemUnitPath="NE150SUCLibrary/Control">

<InternalElement Name="LIRCS+-A+-" RefBaseSystemUnitPath="NE150SUCLibrary/PCERequest" ID="adb2ebf7-dc6f-479b-abfe-64a4fd69c209">

<ExternalInterface Name="SetPointSW" RefBaseClassPath="NE150InterfaceLibrary/SWSignal" ID="a6b7ed29-4b3a-4a6b-870a-7283cb1a6dce">

<ExternalInterface Name="SetPointHW" RefBaseClassPath="NE150InterfaceLibrary/HWSignal" ID="cbc4f253-0aaf-4879-9732-efcd8d3b4de3">

[olga-kovalenko]

After looking through the sample files, I would suggest the following:

1) we define 4 extra object properties:

• hasRefPartnerSide(A/B)_Object to connect to InternalElement(s) and SustemUnitClass(es) (its values range = instances of InternalElement or SustemUnitClass classes)
• hasRefPartnerSide(A/B)_Interface to connect to ExternalInterface (its values range = instances of ExternalInterface class)

2) We can optionally define referencesInternalLink (or smth like) property from the ExternalInterface to InternalLink, which would model the opposite direction of the connection from IL to EI. But i am not sure it is needed.

[olga-kovalenko]

Also, one should be careful with how the values are assigned between the "A" and "B" sides. In the examples i have its always across, e.g., if there is a connection between Band and a Frame then it is modeled like: [SideA_Object]: Band, [SideA_Interface]: Frame_Interface, [SideB_Object]:Frame, [SideB_Interface]:Band_Interface

And direction is important!