Using Collections

So, what is a Collection?

Using a Collection lets you group Conceptual and Logical Models together. Think of a Collection as a folder structure for your CMs / LMs. You can use this for example to group models according to a business area or domain.

You can also restrict a Collection and the Conceptual and Logical Models within it to only be editable by editors specified for the Collection, therefore reducing the possibility of an unrelated Write user going and editing the CMs LMs contained within. Note that this restriction will also be inherited by the conceptual entities that are used in the CMs and LMs within the Collection. This means that the entities can be re-used normally, but their metadata (incl. name) can’t be edited by anyone else than the users assigned as Collection editors.

Creating a Collection

Firstly, navigate to the Model List View of your Ellie organization. You can get there from the Dashboard, by clicking on Models, or by clicking on View all Models.

After you have entered the Model List View, observe the new button added to the Sidebar on the left, with the telltale name New Collection. Click on it.

Open

Model List View sidebar displaying the newly added New Collection button

A Create New Collection dialog opens, in which you can set the following:

• The name of the Collection

• The description of the Collection

• Whether the Models and the Collection they are in is restricted to specific editors or not

• The Models in the Collection

Open

Create New Collection Dialog

If you are just getting started, and wish to first prepare a Collection and then, later, add Models to it, you can just save the Collection without adding Models to it right now.

Restricting Edit Access to Collection and Models

A more improved method of protecting Logical Models and Conceptual Models from unexpected edits is to add them to a Collection and Restrict edit access.

You will now be able to specify editors who will be able to continue maintaining CMs and LMs and the Collection itself.

These editors can be Ellie users, Okta groups or even AAD groups.

In the following screenshot, the Ellie user “Example Write User” has been granted access to edit the Models in the Collection. Also, members of the AAD group “Ellie test group write” have edit access.

Okta groups also work in a similar way - being available from the searchbar by entering the name of the Okta group configured for this specific organization.

How the Three Different Collection are Shown on Model List View

Here are three examples of a Collection. The first one is free-for-all (no restrictions). The second one is a Restricted Collection which you do not have rights to edit. And the third one is a Restricted Collection which you do have rights to edit.

Any Model placed in the “You have no rights to edit this Collection” Collection will have it’s entities restricted. As noted above, the Entities can be added to other Models, but their metadata cannot be edited.

The Glossary Index List and Entity Detail View will differentiate the Entities with a lock that is either locked or unlocked.

Viewing a Restricted Model belonging to a Restricted Collection, you don’t have Access to

The title bar of a Restricted Conceptual Model will state this.

The title bar of a Restricted Logical Model will state this:

Adding Models to a Collection Directly from the Model List View

Any Conceptual or Logical Model that is not already a part of a Collection has the searchbar text field stating Add to Collection, from where you can pick the Collection you want to add the Model into.

Removing a Model from a Collection Directly from the Model List View

Let’s go ahead and add both of these Example Models into a Collection. The method for quickly removing a Conceptual or Logical Model from the Collection they are currently residing in, is to click on the X.

The Model List View will immediately update and show that the Model you removed from the Collection is now a free agent, unrelated to the previous Collection.

Filtering by Collection from the Model List View sidebar

One more detail - you can easily discover the Collections in your Ellie organization by using the Filter by Collections feature from the Model List View sidebar:

Editing a Collection

Now, go forth and collect!

Personal Collection

Personal Collection is a private workspace designed for users to create models and glossary items without being viewed by anyone else. It is an ideal place to experiment with Ellie's functionalities without adding any confusion to the Organization model list. Additionally, it is a great place to design complex models over an extended period without exposing incomplete content to the rest of the organization.

Every user has a Personal Collection, which cannot be deleted by default. The Personal Collection’s content is hidden from everyone, even from the Admin.

In the model of Personal Collection, the entities available in the Organization Glossary can be used without any restrictions. Additionally, users have the freedom to create entities exclusively for Personal Collection. However, the Personal Collection Glossary entities won't be visible to the rest of the Organization.

It is also possible to create entities with identical names. All Personal Collection-related content, such as models and glossary items, are marked with a personal icon or a "Personal" label to avoid confusion.

Personal Collection models and glossary items cannot be moved to other collections, made available to other users, imported or exported, or accessed through the API. This is a completely isolated workspace.