Tutorial - Create a process diagram - Data360_Govern - Preview

Data360 Govern Help

Product type
Software
Portfolio
Verify
Product family
Data360
Product
Data360 Govern
Precisely Data Integrity Suite > Govern
Version
Preview
Language
English
Product name
Data360 Govern
Title
Data360 Govern Help
Copyright
2024
First publish date
2014

A process diagram models the business processes of your organization with their corresponding data governance associations.

The following table gives an overview of the steps required to prepare and build a new process diagram. You first need to prepare your environment by completing steps 1 to 3. Note that these steps only need to be completed once per environment. Then, once the initial configuration has been completed, step 4 describes how to build a new process diagram:

Step Description
Step 1 - Create a governance role reference list Create a reference list which contains the values that you want to use for the governance roles in your diagrams. The "Governance Role" defines the role or user who is responsible for a task in a process diagram.
Step 2 - Establish diagram asset types

Create the diagram asset types that you want to make available for building process diagrams. "Diagram Assets" represent the processes that you want to visualize in a process diagram. Only administrators can perform this step.

Step 3 - Create diagram predicates and define relationships

Use the "Diagram" and "Diagram Use" predicate functional types to build the relationships that form the basis of your process diagram. The "Diagram" predicate type allows you to define relationships that determine which diagram assets are available for use in process diagrams. The "Diagram Use" predicate type allows you to relate diagram assets to other asset types. Only administrators can perform this step.

Step 4 - Build the process diagram Build the process diagram.

Step 1 - Create a governance role reference list

The Governance Role defines the role or user who is responsible for a task in a process diagram. You must create a reference list which contains the values that you want to use for the Governance Role field. These are the values that a user can select when building a process diagram.

  1. Select Reference Lists from the navigation panel.
  2. Click the Add button in the top right corner of the Reference Lists panel.
  3. Enter a Name for the new reference list, for example "Governance Role".
  4. Optionally enter a Description, then click Save.
  5. Ensuring that your reference list is selected, click the Add button in the Items panel.
  6. For each new item, enter a name in the Code field and select a Color.

    The color will be used to represent the selected Governance Role in process diagrams. For example, the following diagram shows where the Engineering, Finance and Master Data Team governance roles and colors are used:

    Process Diagram colors

Step 2 - Establish diagram asset types

Diagram assets represent the processes that you want to visualize on process diagrams, where the flow of assets is displayed showing the journey from a starting point, through a number of steps, to an end point.

  1. Go to the Configuration > Diagram Assets page to see a list of any existing Diagram Asset types.

    Existing Diagram Assets are listed on the left, with details for the selected item shown on the right.

  2. If there are no existing Diagram Asset types, you must first define governance role settings.

    If you have already defined governance role settings, you can go straight to Create a new Diagram Asset type.

Define governance role settings

  1. Select the Governance Roles tab.
  2. From the Governance Role Reference List menu, select the reference list which holds the valid values for the "Governance Role" field, then click Save.
Note: If you change the Governance Role Reference List, the selected list will be used on all new Diagram Asset types. Existing Diagram Asset types will not be changed.

Create a new Diagram Asset type

  1. Go to Configuration > Diagram Assets.
  2. Click the Add button to create a new Diagram Asset type.

    The Add Asset Type dialog appears.

  3. Enter a name for the asset type in the Name field. This is the name which will appear in the process diagram nodes panel.
  4. Select a Flow Object Type. This is the category of the Diagram Asset type which also indicates the shape of the node that will appear in the nodes panel of the process diagram. Choose from:
    • Activity - An activity is represented by a rounded-corner rectangle and is a generic term for work that the company performs. The types of activities that you might want to create are Tasks and Sub-Processes.
    • Event - An event is represented by a circle and is something that happens during the course of a business process. These events affect the flow of the process and usually have a cause (trigger) or an impact (result). Every process diagram should include at least one start event and at least one end event.
    • Gateway - A gateway is represented by a diamond shape and is used to control the divergence and convergence of connections. It determines traditional decisions, as well as the forking, merging, and joining of paths.
  5. Optionally, enter a Description. Any text that you enter here will be displayed when you hover over the item in the process diagram nodes panel.
  6. Select an Icon to represent the selected Diagram Asset type within diagrams. The icon will appear inside the Flow Object Type shape.

    For example, you have a Diagram Asset type named "Data Input Task", with a description of "A data input task depicts the activity of information being populated in a business application" and a right arrow icon. This is displayed in the process diagram nodes panel as follows:

    Process Diagram nodes panel

  7. After completing all required fields, click Add Asset Type.
  8. Select the asset type that you have just created.
  9. On the Fields tab, click Add to define fields for the asset type.

    All Diagram Asset types have three default fields Name, Step No and Governance Role.

  10. Optionally, you can also create connector labels. Connector labels are text descriptions that you can add to the connection lines within your process diagram. For more information, see Connector labels.

Step 3 - Create diagram predicates and define relationships

Use the following predicate functional types to build the relationships that form the basis of your process diagram:

  • Diagram
  • Diagram Use

Diagram

Use this predicate type to determine which Diagram Assets to make available for use in process diagrams. When configuring relationship types, the subject of the relationship must be one of the following asset types:

  • Business Asset
  • Technical Asset
  • Model
  • Policy
  • Rule

The object of the relationship must be a Diagram Asset type. All Diagram Asset types that are objects in a relationship that uses the Diagram predicate functional type will be available to select from the nodes panel in process diagrams. For example:

  1. You have a Business Asset type called "Process Diagram".
  2. You create a Diagram predicate called "diagram includes / included in diagram".
  3. You relate the "Process Diagram" asset type to all Diagram Asset types that you want to display in the process diagram, using the "diagram includes / included in diagram" predicate. In each case, the Diagram Asset type is the object of the relationship. Diagram Asset relationships

When creating new predicates, the following wording is recommended, however you can use any wording that suits your needs:

Predicate functional type Name Inverse
Diagram diagram includes included in diagram
Note: You cannot relate Diagram Assets from the Related Assets tab on an asset detail page. Instead, use the toolbar button on the Diagrams page.

Diagram Use

Allows you to relate Diagram Asset types to other asset types. When configuring relationship types, the subject of the relationship must be a Diagram Asset type. The object of the relationship must be one of the following asset types:

  • Business Asset
  • Technical Asset
  • Model
  • Policy
  • Rule

For example:

  1. You have a Diagram Asset type called "Task A" and a Business Asset type called "Enterprise Business Terms".
  2. You create a Diagram Use predicate called "uses / is used in".
  3. You relate the "Enterprise Business Terms" Business Asset type to the "Task A" Diagram Asset type using the "uses / is used in" predicate, where "Task A" is the subject of the relationship and "Enterprise Business Terms" is the object: Task A uses / is used in Enterprise Business Terms
  4. Once you have built your process diagram, you can relate individual assets on the Diagrams page.

When creating new predicates, the following wording is recommended, however you can use any wording that suits your needs:

Predicate functional type Name Inverse
Diagram Use uses is used in
Note: You cannot relate Diagram Assets from the Related Assets tab on an asset detail page. Instead, use the toolbar button on the Diagrams page.

For more information on predicates and relationships, see Establishing predicates and Establishing relationship types.

Step 4 - Build the process diagram

Tip: See Process diagrams for an overview of the user interface.
  1. Go to the asset on which you want to build the process diagram, and click the Diagrams tab.
  2. If it is not already selected, select Process Diagram.
    Note: The Process Diagram option is available on an asset if the asset contains relationships linked via a "Diagram" predicate functional type and you have the permission to edit the asset.
  3. Click Edit to start building your process diagram.
  4. Drag and drop items from the nodes panel on the left of the screen to the canvas in the center of the screen.
  5. Select the node and click the Information button to configure all fields that have been defined on the selected Diagram Asset type.

    The color of a node on the canvas will match the Governance Role reference list selection. If no color is assigned on the reference list item, the default color is used.

    Tip: You can rename a node directly on the canvas or you can rename it from the properties panel. All names must be unique within each process diagram.
  6. Drag to create connections between nodes on the canvas. You can hover over a node to view the ports from which you can drag a connection. In the following example, connection lines have been drawn from the top and bottom ports:

    Tip: To prevent connector labels from overlapping, and to prevent connection lines from dynamically updating as you select and move items on the canvas, when drawing a connection line, choose a specific port on each item.
  7. To add a connector label, select the connector on which you want to add the label and click the Information button. Type the name of the Label that you want to add. As you type, a list of matching labels will be displayed. You can select an existing label, or type to add a new label.
    Note: You must enter a unique name, and the maximum length for labels is forty characters.

    If you are an administrator and want to view or manage connector labels, see Diagram asset types.

  8. Save your changes. Before saving, you must have configured all nodes on the canvas and they must be connected.
  9. When you have finished building your process diagram, click Exit Designer.