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| <org.eclipse.epf.uma:ContentDescription xmi:version="2.0" xmlns:xmi="http://www.omg.org/XMI" xmlns:org.eclipse.epf.uma="http://www.eclipse.org/epf/uma/1.0.6/uma.ecore" xmlns:epf="http://www.eclipse.org/epf" epf:version="1.5.1" xmlns:rmc="http://www.ibm.com/rmc" rmc:version="7.5.1" xmi:id="-SqArASoV4hTpxAprrWhS1g" name="resources_for_customizing_methods,_omneEMX4EduywMSzPTUUwA" guid="-SqArASoV4hTpxAprrWhS1g" changeDate="2008-08-01T03:33:32.000-0700" version="7.2.0"> |
| <mainDescription><p>
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| There are several use scenarios for <a class="elementLink"
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| href="./../../../core.default.uma_concept.base/guidances/termdefinitions/method_configuration_C2B8FA8A.html"
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| guid="__V7pAMaEEduMlb2cQZNTYw">method configuration</a>s produced by using EPF Composer or Rational Method Composer
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| (both referred to generically here as "Method Composer"). The simplest&nbsp;is to use the&nbsp;published content as-is
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| (either using a prepublished Web site or by publishing one using the content that is included with Method
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| Composer).&nbsp;However, you may be&nbsp;looking for&nbsp;how to add, remove, suppress, or modify <a
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| class="elementLink"
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| href="./../../../core.default.uma_concept.base/guidances/termdefinitions/method_content_6972AE81.html"
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| guid="_Ts2joB_MEdq6CKKKq4D7YA">method content</a>&nbsp;or <a class="elementLink"
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| href="./../../../core.default.uma_concept.base/guidances/termdefinitions/process_68E308B4.html"
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| guid="_yQ5m2NnmEdmO6L4XMImrsA">process</a>&nbsp;elements, or both, to make an existing method configuration
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| more&nbsp;suitable&nbsp;to your teams' needs, while keeping it consistent and understandable.
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| </p>This guidance page describes typical customization scenarios and&nbsp;then provides references to additional
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| information on how to customize methods. 
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| <h3>
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| Customization scenarios
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| </h3>
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| <p>
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| The following sections describe&nbsp;possible customization scenarios. For information on specific tool features,
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| consult the Method Composer online Help. For&nbsp;additional information on customizing methods, see the Additional
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| Resources section that follows here.
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| </p>
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| <h4>
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| Use existing plug-ins and packages to build your own process
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| </h4>
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| <p>
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| Some consider this the most straight-forward customization scenario. Based on the provided content, you can use Method
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| Composer to pick and choose the packages with the content that you want to publish and make available to your team.
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| Removing a method package removes all references to the content of that package from the published process. For
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| example, you can simplify a process to have it contain a minimal subset of its content by removing packages that
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| contain elements of work that you do not want to perform. You do this by creating a new method configuration (or
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| copying an existing one) into your method library. You can select packages as appropriate without affecting the
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| configuration provided.
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| </p>
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| <h4>
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| Add&nbsp;method content&nbsp;that your team needs
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| </h4>
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| <p>
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| Some teams may need to perform a different task that is not covered by the standard content. Maybe they need to perform
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| an extra step in an existing task, or they may need to add a new guideline for a given technique that they are
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| following. Eventually, they need a new template for a document (or they may need to add or remove sections in an
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| existing template).
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| </p>
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| <p>
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| In such situations, the recommended approach is to create a separate plug-in in your library.&nbsp;It is not a good
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| practice&nbsp;to make changes in the provided plug-in (meaning any plug-in for which you do not have control), because
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| new versions of these plug-ins, when deployed, can override the changes that you have made.
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| </p>
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| <p>
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| Method Composer provides a series of mechanisms that allow you to indirectly modify the content in an existing plug-in
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| by using <i>content variability</i>. In your plug-in, you can define an element that contributes, extends, or replaces
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| an element in the existing plug-in. For example, in your plug-in, you can define a task that contributes a new step to
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| an existing task. You can also define a new artifact that replaces an existing artifact, and this new artifact can have
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| a different name, structure, and associated template, for example. Then all you need to do is make sure that the
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| existing plug-in and your new plug-in are part of the configuration to be published. During publication, Method
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| Composer will resolve the content variability that you defined by adding the new content into the existing content
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| where appropriate, replacing existing content with the content you defined, and so on.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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| </p>
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| <h4>
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| Define a different development lifecycle
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| </h4>
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| <p>
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| Both method content and process are created independently from&nbsp;each other. For example, you create tasks in the
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| method content (and define their&nbsp;inputs, outputs, and responsible roles), but you do not necessarily define the
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| lifecycle of your process, meaning the sequence in which the various tasks will be performed. On the process side, you
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| then define the lifecycle (such as phases, iterations, activities, and tasks), as well as the precedence among these
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| elements.
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| </p>
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| <p>
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| Some teams may find the method content appropriate without any further customization, but they may want to work by
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| following a different software development lifecycle. For example, some teams may like the four development phases and
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| iterations from the unified process, but some may want to develop iteratively, without being tied to a specific phase
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| structure. Again, you can add, remove and replace elements in the work breakdown structure of an existing process by
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| applying process variability.
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| </p>
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| <p>
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| As an alternative to tailoring an existing process, you can write a completely new process that reuses activities from
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| one or more existing processes. In cases where you cannot find any reusable material at all, you can also create a
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| completely new process from scratch. In most cases, however, you will start developing your own process by assembling
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| reusable building blocks from method content, as well as predefined process patterns&nbsp;called <a
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| class="elementLinkWithUserText"
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| href="./../../../core.default.uma_concept.base/guidances/termdefinitions/capability_pattern_F5DDC5F.html"
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| guid="_2RUJACO4EdqaNq6Ptg8uyA">capability patterns</a>. The resulting assembled process is called a&nbsp;<a
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| class="elementLinkWithUserText"
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| href="./../../../core.default.uma_concept.base/guidances/termdefinitions/delivery_process_BCDF50B7.html"
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| guid="_ZufeMCO3EdqaNq6Ptg8uyA">delivery process</a>. This newly created delivery process&nbsp;is part of a
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| configuration that you publish and make available to members of your team.
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| </p>
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| <h4>
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| Publish the process Web site
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| </h4>
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| <p>
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| Every customization scenario is finalized by publishing content as HTML (on a Web site). Method Composer enables you to
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| publish&nbsp;content based on a given configuration, which will publish all of the content available from
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| the&nbsp;method and process packages selected in that configuration. Another option for publishing is to select only
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| the capability patterns or delivery process of interest. This will make available only the content related to the
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| process packages that you select.
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| </p>
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| <p>
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| For the published Web site look and feel, you can customize the views and nodes in the directory (tree) browser by
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| defining <a class="elementLinkWithUserText"
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| href="./../../../core.default.uma_concept.base/guidances/termdefinitions/custom_category_554AC4D6.html"
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| guid="_eqw94MaFEduMlb2cQZNTYw">custom categories</a> that will be part of your configuration.
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| </p>
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| <h3>
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| Additional resources&nbsp;
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| </h3>
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| <p>
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| For more information on the fundamental concepts of method content and process, see <a class="elementLinkWithType"
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| href="./../../../core.default.uma_concept.base/guidances/concepts/basic_process_concepts_C90EF089.html"
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| guid="_FxJEkFUKEd2_rMtRMt_EMg">Concept: Basic Process Concepts</a>.
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| </p>
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| <p>
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| For information on EPF Composer, see <a class="elementLink"
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| href="./../../../core.default.tool_def.base/guidances/supportingmaterials/epf_resources_446F3946.html"
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| guid="_C2FS4F_lEd2zpKtX6B7lBg">EPF Resources</a>.
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| </p>
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| <p>
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| For information on Rational Method Composer, see <a class="elementLink"
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| href="./../../../core.default.tool_def.base/guidances/supportingmaterials/rational_method_composer_resources_ADE2B192.html"
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| guid="_dlGBQF_nEd2zpKtX6B7lBg">Rational Method Composer Resources</a>.
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| </p>
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| <p>
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| For detailed customization scenarios, consult the tutorials included in the Method Composer online Help, as well the
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| general authoring topics.
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| </p></mainDescription> |
| </org.eclipse.epf.uma:ContentDescription> |
