An Engineering Data Managements System for DESY

Paper: 234
Session: E (talk)
Speaker: Kammerlocher, Hans, DESY, Hamburg
Keywords: object-oriented methods, engineering data management, world-wide collaboration


An Engineering Data Managements System for DESY

to be presented by NN for the DESY EDMS Group

Wilhelm Bialowons, Jochen Buerger, Ulrich Gensch, Lars Hagge,
Hans Kammerlocher, Heinrich Muench, Klaus-Peter Schriefers,
Willfried Schwarz, Thorsten Stoye

Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY),
Notkestrasse 85, 22603 Hamburg, Germany


DESY is contemplating the introduction of an Engineering Data Management
System (EDMS) as a strategic tool to improve the workflow and the information
flow in ongoing and future projects. For this purpose, a task force has been
formed with the objective to

o identify areas which would benefit from the use of an EDMS,
o understand management's responsibilities and profits,
o create a precise requirements specification,
o make a market survey, and
o launch and implement small pilot projects.

The task force involves people from the directorate, computing, the
experiments, the accelerator, and mechanical construction, to represent
the different interests and views on an EDMS.

An EDMS facilitates tight communication in large, heterogeneous, distributed
project teams. It manages all project related data (eg specifications,
drawings, schedules, budgets) by integrating with the corresponding
applications, makes them accessible to all persons involved in the project,
and can both track or enforce a given business process. A metadata layer
supports high-level navigation and data retrieval.

The need for and potential of a global EDMS for DESY has first been realized
in the mechanical construction group when trying to create a unique archive
for the several thousands of drawings related to the construction of HERA and
its experiments. Among others, such an archive would have to

o provide Web-based public access to drawings through a unique interface,
o offer high-level search and navigation tools, and
o be able to retrieve drawings from various different CAD systems.

As a pilot project, a Web-based CAD viewer is being developed. Requirements
and metadata are modeled employing Use-Case driven analysis, the
implementation will be based on a small-scale EDMS already in use by the
group and will be contracted out to a company. By the time of the conference,
a first implementation of the viewer should be visible.

The talk will report on the status of DESY's EDMS activities.