Learning what artifacts display in impact analysis diagrams

When you run an analysis on an artifact, an algorithm determines what artifacts to display. Learn about the impact analysis algorithm.

1. Include all focus artifacts (the initial artifact and any added artifacts) in the following lists:
   1. Known artifacts
   2. Downstream artifacts to explore
   3. Upstream artifacts to explore
2. Explore a level downstream. The downstream analysis examines artifacts from a focus artifact.
   1. For the list of downstream artifacts to explore, calculate a list of discovered downstream artifacts by finding all links from the downstream artifacts to explore to the discovered downstream artifacts.
   2. Replace the downstream artifacts to explore list with the discovered downstream artifacts that is not already in the known artifacts list.
3. Explore a level upstream. The upstream analysis examines artifacts to a focus artifact.
   1. For the list of upstream artifacts to explore, calculate a list of discovered upstream artifacts by finding all links to the upstream artifacts to explore from the discovered upstream artifacts.
   2. Replace the upstream artifacts to explore list with the discovered upstream artifacts that is not already in the known artifacts list.
4. Add both artifacts to explore lists to the known artifacts.
5. If the artifacts to explore lists are not empty, and the maximum exploration depth is not exceeded, repeat steps 2 - 5 to explore another level.

   To view product hierarchy relationships and context, perform product actions from the Browse products screen.

   If the length of the loop is less than or equal to the maximum depth specified, impact analysis can find loops (an artifact is reachable from itself by a chain of one or more other artifacts).

Example

In this example, the view consist of the following linked containers

• An IBM® Engineering Workflow Management artifact Story is linked to IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS® Next artifact Requirement.
• The Requirement is linked to IBM Engineering Test Management artifact Test Case.

Note: Artifacts in DOORS Next do not store the cross Engineering Lifecycle Management application link information, such as links to artifacts from Engineering Workflow Management and to Engineering Test Management. Therefore, when you generate the impact analysis diagram, it is possible that some of the cross Engineering Lifecycle Management application links from DOORS Next artifacts might not appear in the impact analysis diagram.

Suppose, you create an impact analysis diagram for artifact Story 55: Frequency of dividend transfer. In the Traversal field, select either Downstream or Full traceability and in the Downstream depth field, enter 3.

As the Downstream depth is 3, the links from Frequency of dividend transfer artifact to other Engineering Lifecycle Management application artifacts such as Verify dividend transfer frequency must be displayed. However, artifact Frequency of dividend transfer does not store the links to the cross Engineering Lifecycle Management applications. Therefore, the link to the Engineering Test Management Verify dividend transfer frequency artifact is not displayed in the impact analysis diagram.

The following screen capture shows that the cross Engineering Lifecycle Management application links coming from the DOORS Next artifact are not displayed in the impact analysis diagram.