Summary
Graffica has successfully implemented an Air Traffic Management (ATM) training simulator using Domain Solutions’ CodeGenie J2EE architecture.
The Client
Graffica (See www.graffica.co.uk) is a supplier of leading-edge Air Traffic Management simulation and training systems. Based on the Graffica System Development Kit, the company provides a diverse range of systems to pan-European clients.
The Problem
Graffica was tasked with building a Course Management System (CMS) as part of a larger contract to develop a training simulator for a European Air Traffic Management Training Institute. The CMS was required to store a wide range of student and instructor information. It would be a student’s principal gateway to the training simulator and would be available both internally to the Training Institute and externally via the Internet. The Institute did not have a definitive CMS requirement specification. Accordingly, it was inevitable that functional requirements would change, evolve or emerge as the project progressed. The timescales and budget for system development were demanding.
Why CodeGenie MDA and J2EE?
Using CodeGenie J2EE, Graffica was able to quickly and efficiently generate a prototype directly from requirements analysis models. Developers did not have to manually write code to support the numerous layers of the J2EE enterprise architecture; CodeGenie J2EE generated ALL the application layers automatically from the analysis models. Developers were able to concentrate on elaborating and analyzing the CMS’ requirements. Whilst much of the extra development and maintenance effort was eliminated, the inherent scalability of the J2EE architecture was retained. Not only were the development timescales reduced – invaluable in meeting the budgetary constraints – the resultant code was of a higher quality. In addition to providing simple Create, Read, Update and Delete (CRUD) screens, CodeGenie J2EE also provided the ability to model and generate the CMS Application User Interface (AUI) in HTML/JSP.
The analysis models were reviewed by both the Graffica developers and the client. Changes to the functional requirements simply required a change to the analysis models and system regeneration; the significant costs normally associated with late changes were avoided. The MDA approach enforced a clear distinction between the user requirements and system architecture. Furthermore, the CMS analysis models quickly became recognized as valuable intellectual property; important assets of the Institute.
The Success
Using CodeGenie, the CMS was developed and deployed in under four months, on time and within budget. The CMS and the training simulator have been installed at the Institute and a number of European ATM training establishments.
For More Information
More details on CodeGenie and the CodeGenie J2EE architecture can be found at www.domainsolutions.co.uk
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