Data models

A data model is the configuration that defines what kinds of items can exist in a project, and which links between them are allowed. It's the rulebook that makes traceability possible — without it, you couldn't create links because Visure wouldn't know which link types to offer.

A data model has three components:

• documents — the categories of items the project tracks. For example: Stakeholder Requirement, System Requirement, Software Requirement, Acceptance Test, Defect.
• Link types — the named relationships that can exist between item types. For example: derives from, verifies, satisfies, traces to. Each link type has a direction (a System Requirement derives from a Stakeholder Requirement, not the other way around).
• Allowed relationships — the specific pairs of item types that can be connected by each link type. For example, the model might say an Acceptance Test can verify a System Requirement, but not a Defect. If a relationship isn't in the model, Visure won't let you create that link.

Where to see the data model

Click the Data Models icon in the Elements Panel.

The data model view shows item types as nodes and allowed relationships as connecting lines, usually with the link type's name labelling the connection. You can see at a glance:

• Which item types exist in your project
• Which links are possible between them
• The direction of each link
• The attributes each item type carries

Why the data model matters

Even if you never edit it, the data model directly shapes your daily work in two ways:

1. Available link types when you create a traceability link. The picker in Article 1's link dialog only shows link types the data model allows between the source and target item types.
2. Add Related menu contents. The options that appear under Add Related come from the data model's defined relationships for the selected item's type.

Who edits the data model

Editing the data model is an administrative task — typically done by a project architect or administrator at project setup, and updated when the project's structure evolves.

If you're an end user and need a link type or item type that doesn't exist in your project, talk to your project administrator.