BVJ Software Company
Consulting on the Computer Document Management Project

Digital Equipment Corporation

Project Summary

The background of BVJ's founder, Bruce A. Bednarski, is varied and diverse and includes working as a consultant for Digital Equipment Corporation developed the Command Line Interface, containing robust commands, not only to add data and relationships but also to generate several customizable reports utilizing parameters and switches, for the Product Information Management System (PIMS), that stored all the information, documents and drawings in order to ease the development and manufacture of a large and complex computer, the VAX 9000. The information was created and used by the design team and was also accessed and used by the manufacturing team. This project represented a bridge between engineering and manufacturing. Bruce also supervised in a technical lead role ten people for six weeks in an intense effort to develop a graphical prototype for an internal DEC users group (IDECUS) presentation using the existing PIMS database.

Project Objective

The objectives of this project was to develop a system that would store all the information, documents and drawings in order to ease the development and manufacture of a large and complex computer, the VAX 9000.

The information was created and used by the design team and was also accessed and used by the manufacturing team. This project represented a bridge between engineering and manufacturing.

Product Information Management System Data Model

The Product Information Management System Data Model consisted of seven object types. Each object has a name, description and a status. Status had categories and values within each category. Projects can contain one or more Parts. Parts can be named by DEC Standard 12 part number naming conventions, they can also have alias names within the scope of a project and be flagged as a product. Parts can have subparts and contain domains of files. Parts can be associated with processes. Processes can contain process tools. Process Tools can be hierarchical and have process paths for names. Process Tools require certain Generic File types to function. Domains are ways of grouping files together. Files are instances of Generic File types. Files can be submitted to the system and retrieved from the system. The following diagram shows the structure of the data model:

Product Information Management System Command Language

Because the engineers who would use this system felt very comfortable with DCL commands a front end application was developed with very robust command language features. The opening of the database was a time consuming task, therefore the front end command application would spawn a subprocess which would remain active and keep the database open for the duration of the login session.

Robust features of the command language included:

Full help on all commands
Full command recall
The ability to stop the database subprocess
Turn on/off logging of commands
View history of commands to see who did what when
Archive the history file
Activate/deactivate DEC Standard 12 format checking
Create user defined symbols and override symbol parsing
Set current defaults for all objects by name
Show my current defaults and symbols

Normal features included:

Create Objects and Aliases
Connect/Disconnect Objects
Submit and Retrieve Files
Create Parts from a corporate parts list file.
Setting the status on any Object

The command line application also included robust reports at the terminal or redirected to an /OUTPUT file using wildcards to filter the reports by. The user could also select either a /FULL or /BRIEF form of the report:

Show Missing Files for one or more Parts or Products
Show the Required Generic Files for one or more Parts or Products
Show a Part/Product explosion to any depth
Show a Tool explosion to any depth
Show what Parts/Projects uses these Parts/Products
Show which Parts use these Tools
Show what Tools use these Generic Files
Show the top level Parts/Products in a Project
Report on Part Domain relationships
Report on Part Tool relationships
Report on Part Generic File relationships
Report name, description and status of any object
Report on alias names for Parts

The command line application also included a callable interface for tighter application integration.

If you would like to discuss your project needs with us please call us today at 978-458-4107.