Model lifecycle

This document details the model development and deployment lifecycles.

Initial setup and deployment in development

The following steps are required when creating a new model in a development environment.

  1. Model managers or designers create a new model. This operation creates also the first edition of the model.

  2. Designers create the first iteration of the model, including the logical model, the certification process rules and the applications.

  3. Designers validate the model when it is stable and ready for the first tests.

  4. Model manager or designers create a development data location, using the model edition, to deploy and test the model.

The model is deployed and ready for testing. Integration specialists can load data into the data location and use the generated data management applications to view and manage the data.

Make changes in development

After the first development round, designers will repeatedly make changes to the model edition and test them in the development environment.

To test these changes in the development data location:

  1. Designers run a model validation to make sure that the model is valid.

  2. Designers or model managers deploy the model edition again, replacing the existing model edition by an updated one (with the same version number).

The updated model is immediately ready for testing. After the update:

  • Integration specialists should consider running the data loads for the updated jobs to reprocess the incoming data as needed.

  • Application testers should make sure to click the Refresh option in the application’s user menu (in the upper right corner of the application) to force a full refresh of the run-time application.

Release the model

When the model is complete and tested, it is ready for release.

To release a model:

  1. Designers or model managers close the model edition. This operation freezes the current model edition and opens a new one.

  2. Model managers deploy the closed model edition using one of the following methods:

Develop iteratively after a release

When you close a model edition, a new model edition (for example, with version number [0.1]) is automatically created.

You can proceed with your next project iteration, starting with this new model edition:

  1. Model designers make changes to this model edition in development until the next project iteration is ready for release.

  2. When ready, model managers release this model edition.

If fixes are required on a previously released model edition, model managers can branch this old model edition, modify, then release it.